Laupheim, Germany, 15 September 2023
SMA, as an official partner in the SIEPPUR Sustainable Snow Management Project, joined the International Biathlon Union’s (IBU) Snow Network in an in-depth knowledge exchange on grooming and associated snow management topics in Laupheim, Germany from 13-15 September 2023.
Under its Snow Network, the IBU has now gathered three seasons of snow management related data from biathlon venues worldwide. This data provides an extensive basis that the SIEPPUR project will leverage for a comprehensive analysis of emerging challenges, such as the differences between climatological circumstances impacting future ability to secure snow for Nordic snow sports in different regions, such as alpine (high altitude – low latitude), low mountain (low altitude – low latitude), and Scandinavian/Northern European (high latitude – low altitude).
The Laupheim Seminar, hosted by the IBU’s Snow Tech Partner PistenBully and including a tour and presentation of the Kässbohrer Snow World, gathered 17 IBU Organising Committees along with all the seven SIEPPUR project partners and the 10 associated venues to discuss technical details around snow grooming and snow physics. The distinct characteristics of snow as an element, local conditions at the venues and the impact of climate change on snow management were highlighted.
‘The collaboration between the SIEPPUR Project and the IBU Snow Network enables a more comprehensive overview of learnings and data exchange around snow management. With climate change fundamentally affecting how we manage snow in a sustainable way, the exchanges between event hosts, technological partners and scientists is crucial.’
Erik Melin Söderström of Sweden’s Peak 63
About the SIEPPUR – Sustainable Snow Management Project
The SIEPPUR is a 30 month project launched in December 2022 and financed by the European Union Erasmus+ programme dedicated to identifying, developing, and promoting sustainable practices in snow management from production, storage, transport, grooming to handling. The project involves a consortium of six partners, including the IBU as project coordinator, Peak 63, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), Sustainable Mountain Alliance (SMA), and three IBU member federations; Svenskt Skidskytte AB (SSSAB), the Polish Biathlon Association (PZB), and the Slovenian Ski Association (SZS).
About the IBU Snow Network
The IBU Snow Network consists of the snow management experts at the IBU’s Organising Committees. A priority of the Snow Network is to determine how snow management can become more efficient and sustainable at IBU events. Data is collected on all phases of snow management on an annual basis.
For more information, please visit the SIEPPUR website at www.sustainablesnow.sport or e-mail sustainability@ibu.at