The Arctic World Archive (AWA) has entered a new and exciting chapter in its history. What began in 2017 as a bold initiative by Norwegian tech company Piql to safeguard humanity’s digital heritage in the Arctic has now become a permanent global institution — the Arctic World Archive Foundation.
Preserving the World’s digital memory
For nearly a decade, AWA has stood as a global symbol of trust, neutrality, and long-term digital preservation. Deep inside a decommissioned mine in Svalbard, digital treasures from around the world — from the Vatican Library to the Norwegian National Museum and GitHub’s open-source codebase — are safely stored on ultra-durable piqlFilm, designed to last for centuries.
In 2025, this mission was secured for future generations through the establishment of the Arctic World Archive Foundation — an independent, non-profit, and self-owning foundation dedicated to the public good. This new structure ensures that AWA’s work remains neutral, sustainable, and independent from commercial interests.
A mission for generations to come
The Foundation’s purpose is clear:
- Preserve and protect the world’s digital heritage for all future generations.
- Ensure perpetual access to authentic data in a secure and neutral archive.
- Support those without the means to preserve their valuable data — such as cultural institutions, indigenous communities, and civil society organizations.
- Maintain both environmental and financial sustainability while contributing to global value creation and social benefit.
With this transformation, AWA’s long-term mission is now secured — ensuring that humanity’s digital memory remains safe, accessible, and authentic for millennia to come.
Join the next deposit
The Arctic World Archive continues to welcome new deposits from institutions and organizations around the globe that wish to preserve their digital heritage for eternity.
The next deposit will take place on February 27th, 2026.
Read the official invitation here.
