Building Resilience: Emerging Threats and Collaboration in Arctic SAR
The Joint Arctic SAR Event (JASE) is a unique opportunity to collaborate with experts, authorities, and industry leaders to address the growing challenges of safety and emergency preparedness in the Arctic region.
The 2026 event, Building Resilience: Emerging Threats and Collaboration in Arctic SAR, is organized by AECO and the Icelandic Coast Guard, in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard and MRCC Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Over two days, participants will explore the evolving landscape of Arctic search and rescue.
Who is this event for?
The JASE workshop is for AECO’s members and partners who are involved in Arctic expedition cruise operations and search and rescue collaboration.
Primary Audience
Full and Provisional Members with vessels operating in the Arctic, especially commanding bridge officers, operations management, and DPAs
Selected Associate Members with operational relevance to JASE and Arctic SAR
Partners and authorities who participate in Joint Arctic SAR exercises and related table‑top exercises (e.g., SAR authorities, coast guards, JRCCs, local emergency services, embassies, and port and coastal authorities)
Prices
Conference pass: NOK 1,900 — includes access to sessions (days 1–2), materials, coffee breaks, and lunch.
Conference pass & dinner: NOK 3,300 — includes pre‑dinner drinks and a three‑course dinner with wine pairing.
Preliminary Program
May 5
Day 1 focuses on the broader context, including the current SAR and expedition cruise landscape, Arctic cybersecurity threats and geopolitics, the role of consular integration, and emerging threats.
- Review of Arctic SAR & Expedition Cruise Landscape
- Arctic Cybersecurity and Geopolitics
- Importance of Consular Integration in Arctic SAR
- Cybersecurity Threats
19:30 Pre-dinner drinks and a three-course dinner with wine pairings at Bryggjuhúsið. Located by Reykjavík’s Old Harbour, this restaurant serves Icelandic cuisine inspired by both the sea and the countryside, all within a historic building.
May 6
Day 2 shifts to practical preparedness, community‑level perspectives, collaboration and capacity building, and a scenario-based tabletop exercise testing coordination across stakeholders.
- Community Preparedness from a SAR Perspective
- Collaboration and SAR Capacity Building
- Tabletop Exercise “Frozen Silence”
- SAR Collaboration across Different Stakeholders
- Cybersecurity Incident Response
Where to Stay
Hotel Offers
Event participants receive a 15% discount off standard rates for stays between 2–9 May at the hotels listed below. Book directly through the links provided; the discounted rate will be applied automatically.
Center Hotels Offer
Event participants can also get a discount at Center Hotels in Reykjavik.
Book directly through the link above, and the promo code BOOKDIRECT will be applied automatically.
About the Event
The Joint Arctic SAR Event (JASE) builds on AECO’s long‑standing engagement in Arctic search and rescue collaboration. In 2016, AECO initiated its first large‑scale Joint Arctic SAR tabletop exercise and workshop in partnership with the Icelandic Coast Guard and Hurtigruten, bringing together industry, SAR authorities, and academia.
Since then, AECO has continued to develop Joint Arctic SAR workshops and exercises to strengthen information exchange, coordination, and trust between expedition cruise operators and SAR entities. Through platforms such as the Arctic Security Preparedness Network (ARCSAR)—where AECO represented the expedition cruise industry—these efforts have also emphasized the role of the industry as a resource in SAR operations.
Previous JASE events. Top left to right: JASE LIVEX (2022); AMVER Award Ceremony (JASE 2024); Digital JASE (2020). Middle left to right: First Joint Arctic SAR event (2016); JASE flyer (2017); JASE conference (2024). Bottom left to right: JASE LIVEX (2022); Break‑out session during tabletop exercise (2023).
Last update: 04. March 2026