Through its extensive experience in the operation of polar vessels and infrastructures, AARI will play a key role in the liaison with Russian Federal Government agencies and ministries related to developing of AURORA BOREALIS. It will be the central coordination centre for the Russian input to the project and facilitates the participation of the Russian Science community.

AARC has extensive experience of constructing engineering and designing polar icebreaker vessels and will therefore be a major and important contributor to the project in all aspects of the technical and industrial issues.

The Alfred Wegner Institute carries out research in the Arctic and Antarctic as well as in the high and mid latitude oceans. The Institute coordinates German polar research and makes important infrastructures available to national and international science, e.g. the research icebreaker Polarstern and research stations in the Arctic and Antarctic. Understanding global changes of the environment and the biosphere, either natural or caused by                                        humans, is the primary goal of research work at the Alfred Wegener Institute. Hence, the institute has an                                         important role in keeping the federal government updated on its research results, and providing competent advice                             for the development of environmental policies.

The Federal Science Policy Office is an innovative fFederal innovative administration institution that supports the political decision-making with creativity and excellence and provides consulting services to the interests of citizens with respect toof the enviroment., where creativity and excellence are at their best in supporting the policy decision making and the services to the citizens. The mission is to prepare, execute and evaluate strategic long-term science policy and its organisational extensions.

The BMBF provided 5.2 Million Euros of investment for the preparatory phase of the project and committed to providing one third of the construction costs if the facility is implemented as a European facility. The BMBF is one of the major stakeholders in the project.

The Bulgarian Antarctic Institute organizes annual Antarctic campaigns and operates the Antarctic base “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. As the national polar operator it will provide the principle liaison with the Bulgarian government ministries (Ministry of Science and Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The CNRS-INSU will act as a direct liaison with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP) establishing protocols and agreement on usage of AURORA BOREALIS. It will ensure that the necessary funding agencies and government representatives are consulted and agreement is reached on the mechanism for future deployment of the vessel.

CNR in collaboration with PNRA scrl (Italy) will work to promote the activity and the potential usage of AURORA BOREALIS and to collect expressions of interest from the Italian scientific community in strong connection with major strategic science programmes.

As a significant partner of the IODP, ECORD will provide its experience of managing a major science programme, as well as its knowledge about the technology of ocean drilling. Moreover, ECORD has the first experience of drilling in the Arctic (IODP expedition 302, Acrtic Coring EXpedition ACEX).

The European Science Foundation coordinates the preparatory phase of the ERICON-AURORA BOREALIS project.

The Finnish Metoerological Institute is responsible for gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Finland. It is an organisational unit of the Ministry of Transport und Communication. The Institute is an impartial research and service organisation with expertise covering a wide range of activities in atmospheric sciences.

FAR will be involved in the project activities of scientific management and strategic integration. It will ensure the direct liason with the Romanian government agencies, ministry and industry for participation in the AURORA BOREALIS project.

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland is a research and advisory institute in the Danish Ministry of the Enviroment. The overall mission is to provide, to use and to disseminate knowledge of geological materials, processes and relations that are important for the use and protection of geological resources in Denmark and Greenland. The main tasks are geological mapping, data collection and storage to carry out research projects, to give advice and to disseminate geoscientific knowledge.

The IPEV is the National Polar Agency in France and is responsible for the strategic management of the Arctic and Antarctic programmes on behalf of the French Government. IPEV will ensure close liaison with other French Government agencies during the development of the vessel.

As a national funding agency, the NWO will ensure direct connection with the Dutch government on the financing of construction and operation of AURORA BOREALIS. NWO will be involved in the legal advisory panel facilitating discussions from the various ERICON partners on possible legal structures.

PNRA scrl supports the project by establishing a coordinated link between each stakeholder national in-kind infrastructure, research strategic interest and the opportunities offered by AURORA BOREALIS.

SYKE will contribute to matters relating to marine traffic, security and ice management support through its expertise in managing governmental oceanographic research facilities. It will also ensure that there is adequate communication and coordination with the Finnish scientific community.

The University of Bergen has a strong research interest in Arctic research and supports a national working group with the task of developing the background and rationale for Norwegian national participation in the AURORA BOREALIS consortium.