Designed to withstand natural and man-made disasters, in the
safest location on earth, data stored here will last for
centuries.
Much of our heritage is stored
digitally and, despite best efforts to protect it for the
future, it can be exposed to risks, either from the online
environment or just from the limits of modern storage
technology.
The combination of resilient
long-term storage technology and the remote, safe and cold
conditions found on Svalbard, enables data to live on into
the distant future.
Established in 2017, the Arctic World Archive (AWA) holds an
impressive collection of valuable digital artefacts and
irreplaceable information from around the world, with over
15 contributing nations.
AWA is home to
manuscripts from the Vatican Library, political histories,
masterpieces from different eras (including Rembrandt and
Munch), scientific breakthroughs and contemporary cultural
treasures.
AWA is set deep inside an arctic mountain on the Svalbard archipelago. Svalbard is a declared demilitarised zone by 42 nations. The safety, security and remoteness made it a perfect choice for an archive of such valuable information. Further, the cool dry permafrost conditions increase the longevity of the stored data.
