About 100 days before One Ocean Week kicks off, the members gathered in Bergen on January 6, 2026, to mark the start of this year's One Ocean Week and get a sneak peek at some of the program's highlights.
"This year's One Ocean Week will be the fourth in a row and will take place from April 18th to the 24th. It will be an exciting week!" said Reidar Digranes, City Councilor for Business, Culture, and Sports in The City of Bergen.
Creating great activities together
In 2025, there were 200 small and large events, ranging from technology and climate to the blue economy, green transition, culture, and research.
"The long-term goal is to make this an even bigger celebration for the whole city. The celebration will reach its peak when Statsraad Lehmkuhl returns from its second One Ocean Expedition. Then it's full steam ahead with Maritime Saturday, Family Day on Sunday, and the One Ocean Summit on Monday and throughout the week, where all of you partners will be involved in creating great activities," says Digranes.
UiB with a strong presence
The University of Bergen was described by conference host and municipal director Torbjørn Torsvik as a significant contributor to the project each year, with an extensive program ranging from kindergarten outreach to advanced research and everything in between. Department Director Alette Gilhus Mykkeltvedt introduced this year's program from UiB. Among other things, she talked about the UIB reception on April 19, with presentations from three researchers across disciplines. UiB will participate when One Ocean Expedition returns to Bergen and will have stands, events, and activities during the opening weekend. A number of academic environments across faculties have already expressed their interest in contributing with various activities. UiB has two members on the program committee, which is preparing the One Ocean Summit on the morning of Monday, April 20.
UiB also has primary responsibility for one of the three parallel sessions that will take place in the afternoon after the summit. The tentative title for the session is: Predicting Our Blue Future. They are collaborating with other research institutions, including IMR, NORCE, and the Nansen Center. Some examples of specific UiB events during the week are:
- Learn about how the ocean can contribute to future medicines across research at UiB.
- What is really hidden in the rhetoric surrounding discussions about deep-sea minerals? Researchers, the media, industry, and all ocean enthusiasts are joining the debate!
We also heard about the Sustainable Ocean Solutions (SOS) project, with Dorothy Dankel and Christina Sundli-Härdig sharing their experiences. They are now exploring how this global network and working method can contribute to completely new types of meeting places during One Ocean Week.
Peter Haugan and Haakon Vatle talked about One Ocean Wave and the road ahead towards 2030.
