News.
Ilulissat Science Forum #ISF26, 5-7th of November, 2026.
KALAALLIT NERISAAT (Greenlandic Food). Culture, tradition and new ideas.
What do we bring with us from the past when creating the future of Kalaallit Nunaat?
Over three days, Kalaallit Nerisaat brings together researchers, chefs, fishers, entrepreneurs, cultural communicators, and local stakeholders in Ilulissat. Based on Greenlandic ingredients, food culture, and traditions, we explore how experiences, knowledge, and values from the past can create new opportunities for health, research, business development, and local communities.
The event invites everyone who is curious about the stories, experiences, research, and perspectives that emerge from life in the Arctic.
Food is the common thread throughout the program. Not only as nourishment, but also as culture, identity, community, and storytelling.In addition to the main theme we invite participants to organize open sessions on the 4th and 8th of November - please send suggestions to illu@uib.no
Thursday 5th November.
Food, Health, and Identity
How have people in the Arctic lived, eaten, and thrived across generations? What does new research tell us about the relationship between diet, genetics, and health? And what can Greenlandic ingredients teach us about the future?Welcome
Introduction to the themes of the event and the participants.The Food of the Future
Stefán Tryggvason, Factory Manager, Royal Greenland, IlulissatHow do you develop the foods of the future based on Greenlandic ingredients? What opportunities lie in new products, new processing methods, and better utilization of marine resources?
Visit to Royal Greenland
Lunch: From Ingredient to Meal
Qaaqqutsiaq Fenger, ChefTogether with students from Atuarfik Mathias Storch, Qaaqqutsiaq will prepare lunch during the day. Along the way, he will share experiences of food as community, learning, and identity.
Health in Contemporary Kalaallit Nunaat
What do we know today about diet, genetics, and health in Greenland? How do genetic factors influence the risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases? And what can future treatments learn from Greenlandic experiences?Tuperna Davidsen, Nurse and Project Manager, Steno Diabetes Center Greenland
Trine Louise Jul Larsen, Nurse, MPH, PhD, Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland)
Jasmin Hjerresen, PhD Student, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research
Discussion
Is Greenlandic Food Healthier Than We Think?Open discussion among researchers, chefs, and participants.
Evening Program
Food, Memories, and Identity
A cultural figure, storyteller, or artist invites participants to share personal stories about the significance of food in life, family, and culture.Friday 6th November.
Knowledge, Research, and Understanding Greenland
How is knowledge about Greenland produced? Who asks the questions? And how do we ensure that research is relevant to people and local communities?Who Owns Research on Greenland?
How can we ensure that research conducted in Greenland is also relevant to Greenland?Paninnguaq Boassen, PhD Student, Ilisimatusarfik
‘The Greenlandic Dietary Revolution’
New research challenges conventional ideas about what constitutes healthy food.How have people in the Arctic been able to live and thrive on a diet consisting almost entirely of animal-based foods?
And what roles do microbiology, fermentation, and traditional ingredients play?
Speakers: (TBC)
Taste Workshop
Sample dried cod, ammassat (capelin), musk ox, and other traditional products while local fishers, researchers, and chefs share the stories behind the ingredients.Lunch: From Ingredient to Meal
Qaaqqutsiaq Fenger and students from Atuarfik Mathias Storch host a communal meal.From Kayak to Dataset
Introduction by Sascha Schiøtt and Mike KeenResearch and stories from fieldwork, kayak expeditions, and encounters with people along Greenland’s coasts.
A presentation about curiosity, collaboration, and the stories that rarely make it into research reports.
Discussion: What Knowledge Will Greenland Need in the Future?
Panel discussion with researchers, students, and participants.Participants (TBC):
- Paninnguaq Boassen
- Mike Keen
- Sascha Schiøtt
- Trine Louise Jul Larsen
Shared Dinner
Greenlandic ingredients, storytelling, and community around the table.Evening Stories
Mike KeenStories from kayak expeditions, fieldwork, and life in Greenland.
Saturday 7th November.
From Tradition to Future
How can cultural heritage, local resources, and traditional knowledge be transformed into businesses, jobs, and new opportunities?The Future of Business in Greenland
Visit Ilulissat: Director Karsten Høy (TBC)What opportunities and challenges shape business development in a country with vast distances, small markets, and strong local resources?
Businesses with Roots
TBC
How can culture, hunting traditions, and Greenlandic craftsmanship be transformed into modern products?Halibut Greenland
How can growth be created through fishers, local communities, and shared ownership?What impact will the new airport have on local businesses and emerging markets?
Lunch
Taste local products and meet the producers behind them.Into the Landscape
What does the future of Greenland look like from the sea?Participants will follow the process from harvest to meal and experience the resources, landscapes, and lived experiences that have been at the center of discussions throughout the three days.
Closing Session
What Do We Take Home With Us?
A shared reflection on the most important insights, new relationships, and ideas for future collaboration and communities.Practical Information.
Registration: coming shortly
Venue: Illu – Science and Art, Ilumiut 18, Ilulissat.
Travel: Early arrival in Ilulissat is encouraged - weather can change rapidly. There are weekly direct flights to Ilulissat from Copenhagen, as well as daily from Nuuk with AirGreenland.
Accommodation:l will have to be arranged individually. Hotels in Ilulissat include Hotel Arctic, Hotel SØMA, Hotel Ilulissat, Hotel Icefiord, Hotel Hvide Falk and Hotel Nuka. There are also other alternatives, such as Ilulissat Guesthouse.
Program Committee: Dorthe Olander dortheolander@gmail.com Elisabeth Momme elisabethmomme@gmail.com, and Kerim Hestnes Nisancioglu kerim@uib.no
Monday 2nd - 8th of November: Art Exhibit and Workshops.
We are open for side-events during the forum, please email illu@uib.no
Participants are ecouraged to join excursions while visiting Ilulissat (Ilulissat Icefjordcenter, Disko Bay boat trip, Icefjord hike). Contact illu@uib.no for recommendations.
Community events with art exhibits and workshops in collaboration with local community and organizations in Ilulissat.
Note that Illu is also open before/after the Science Forum with times announced on the Illu Facebook page, or by appointment, please contact us at illu@uib.no
Partners in Ilulissat Science Forum:
Foreningen ILLU - a non-profitt run locally in Ilulissat.
ILLU Science & Art Hub
Avannaata Kommunia
Universitetete i Bergen
Thanks also to the support from:
The Research Council of Norway
Hotel Arctic