Welcome to Kangerlussuaq
Science. Testing. Education.
Welcome to Kangerlussuaq, the scientific research and testing center of Greenland.
Kangerlussuaq, with its stable weather, good infrastructure (including a long airstrip and an extensive road system that provides easy access to diverse landscapes), and its proximity to the Greenland Ice Sheet is the best locatiopermn in the country for:
- International researchers wishing to study the Greenland Ice Sheet, Arctic terrestrial or marine ecosystems, the atmosphere and ionosphere, or past Inuit cultures
- Drone and car testing, including under extreme cold conditions
- Education programs focused on climate change and glacial science
- This website provides an overview of the research, testing, and education potential of Kangerlussuaq, as well as the requirements, logistics, and facilities available to support those endeavours.
For more general information about Kangerlussuaq – its unique history and its extensive opportunities for nature-based adventure, please visit the Destination Arctic Circle website.
About:
KANGERLUSSUAQ: The identity of Kangerlussuaq differs from other settlements in Greenland. Such a distinction is mainly explained by the modern history of Kangerlussuaq, namely, the presence of the international airport, the American military buildings, the size and names of the roads or the presence of American soldiers. In addition to the presence of American military forces, international tourists and researchers are frequently going to Kangerlussuaq; the town offering rich opportunities for research and leisure activities. To know more about the history of the town, there is the Kangerlussuaq museum which tells the story of Inuit peoples who used the region as hunting grounds far in the past and the American presence through the US military forces.
Various opportunities are offered by the surroundings: sledge dog and snowmobile during the wintertime, hiking, hunting, safari in the tundra, climbing or walking on the Greenland Ice Sheet during the summertime. Such opportunities offered by nature explain both the presence of tourists and researchers working on climate change, the area being a representative place of how Arctic places are affected by climate change.
The research history of Kangerlussuaq began with the University of Michigan which decided to organize studies from 1926 about plants, glaciers and anticyclones. Today, inhabitants and visitor are witnesses of the research history’s legacy of Kangerlussuaq through the names of Russel and Leverett, named after the University of Michigan professors Israel Cook Russel and Frank Leverett.
Arctic Circle Business: We are a politically independent organisation, created by the business community in the region, with the aim of creating business development and acting as a mouthpiece for the business community. We have a huge network and meet with everything from people with dreams of becoming self-employed, to large corporations, from local politicians to ministers.
