Building the Blue Society
Funded by the EU, the SFS (Sea for society) project engaged stakeholders, citizens and youth in an open discussion to share knowledge about societal issues concerning the sea. This has enabled SFS to develop the concept of the Blue Society, while preparing mechanisms for cooperation. At the heart of the process was public engagement in research and how it relates to EU maritime policy. In addition, SFS engaged with existing initiatives such as the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP), the European Fisheries Technology Platform (EFTP) and the Waterborne Technology Platform. These offered key channels for engaging with the European public and stakeholders and leveraging and adding value to previous and current funded projects. SFS took the form of a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Plan (MMLAP), which is associated with the EU's 'Science in Society' theme. This brought together 20 partners from 10 countries representing a range of stakeholders. They included marine research institutes, funding agencies, science museums and aquaria, civil society organisations, higher education institutes and business networks. The aim of SFS was to shape the Blue Society concept and improve governance of marine research. The Blue Society combines the desire and need for progress while respecting the sustainability of resources. Work conducted by SFS represented the first step in a cross-sectorial dialogue within Europe about the relationship between the sea and citizens' daily lives. Researchers carried out a comprehensive review of the state of marine research in each of the subject areas covered by SFS. These included food supply, human health, a place to live, transport, energy, and leisure and tourism. The consortium also mapped the key types of stakeholders to be involved in the consultation process and reviewed existing studies, identifying the main issues for stakeholders, citizens and youth. Visual materials and detailed guidelines were prepared for the consultation process and a methodology known as collective intelligence was selected. Area teams were then trained in how to run the consultation process in each country. The consultation was conducted in nine geographical areas: France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The results were compiled and analysed. The project succeeded not only in engaging citizens and stakeholders in dialogue on the ocean, but also in mobilising them and feeding into the Blue Society concept, resulting in concrete outcomes across Europe on many levels. SFS has therefore laid foundations for blue growth, which will support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors, and also for making the Blue Society a reality.
Keywords
Blue Society, SFS, maritime policy, marine research, blue growth
