Science-Industry Collaboration: Sideways or Highways to Ocean Sustainability?

Abstract

There is substantial and unexplored potential for scientists to engage with the private sector for a sustainable ocean. The importance of such cooperation is a frequent emphasis of international dialogues and statements, it is embedded within the Sustainable Development Goals, and has been championed by prominent business leaders and scientists. But an uncritical embrace of science-industry collaboration is unhelpful, and candid reflections on the benefits and pitfalls that marine scientists can expect from actively engaging with the private sector are rare. In this Perspective, we draw on our collective experiences working with ocean industries in different parts of the world to reflect on how this has influenced our work, the effects these collaborations have generated, and the barriers to overcome for such partnerships to become more common. In doing so, we hope to help empower a new generation of marine scientists to explore collaboration with industry as a way to develop and scale up solutions for ocean sustainability.

The Ocean 100: Transnational corporations in the ocean economy

“…Given that high concentration in the ocean economy is the current reality, identifying the Ocean 100 provides a basis for informed engagement, which can help to prioritize interventions and ensure that they are framed in the best available science ( 16 ). Illustrating to the primary corporate beneficiaries of ocean use that mainstreaming stewardship across their planning and operations is crucial for the long-term viability of their industries could spur large-scale change, reflected perhaps in (i) uniform reporting toward SDG 14 targets, (ii) leadership toward a low-carbon ocean economy, and (iii) additional financing for ocean public goods (e.g., through establishment of a global ocean funding mechanism such as a global ocean tax).…”

“…Aligning the activities of the growing ocean economy with global policy goals for more sustainable ocean use and conservation will require not only improved governmental regulations ( 8 ) but also increased cooperation among governments, civil society, scientists, and the private sector ( 15 , 16 ). The context for such engagement with the private sector is a global economy in which consolidation among a small number of transnational corporations (TNCs) has become a dominant feature and where relatively few corporations control a large market share of the overall output or sales for a particular product or service ( 15 , 17 , 18 ).…”

Charting a course for genetic diversity in the UN Decade of Ocean Science

“…The Decade Implementation Plan does emphasize the importance of fair and equitable access to marine resources, knowledge, and technology, and genetic resources are directly mentioned in this context (IOC, 2020; Österblom et al, 2020). The Nagoya Protocol has given recognition and a legal framework for fair and equitable access to genetic resources and the benefits arising from their utilization since 2014 (CBD, 2011; Smith et al, 2018), and there are ongoing negotiations to extend the application of these principles to marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) (Blasiak et al, 2020; Santo et al, 2020; Rabone et al, 2019).…”

Towards transdisciplinary decision-support processes in fisheries: experiences and recommendations from a multidisciplinary collective of researchers

“…Finally, the lessons learnt from the case studies presented should be further explored through systematic cross-study and cross-scale comparisons and practice-based approaches favouring mutual learning (Ely et al, 2020;West et al, 2019;Österblom et al, 2020). Assessment of advantages and benefits of interactions between scientists and stakeholders (including fishing industry and managers) in SciPaDe reflects only the scientific point of view.…”

“…The consideration of different interests, characterised by diverse underlying goals, requires making trade-offs (Funtowicz andRavetz, 1993, Berkes andFolke, 2000). This diversity and the complexity of the systems to be managed calls for crossdisciplinary research incorporating social sciences in natural resource management (Robinson et al, 2012) and transdisciplinary approaches towards integration of academic and practitioner's knowledge (Mauser et al, 2013;Lang et al, 2012;Mason et al, 2017;Blythe et al, 2017;Tress et al, 2004, Cvitanovic et al, 2015, Tengö et al, 2014Ely et al, 2020;Österblom et al, 2020). In this context, stakeholder engagement in both the decision-making and the decision-support system is essential (Gray, 2005;Berghöfer et al, 2008;Wilson, 2009;Mackinson et al, 2011;Reed, 2008;Röckmann et al, 2012Röckmann et al, , 2018Thebaud et al, 2014;Sampedro et al, 2017;Macher et al, 2018a;Gray and Hatchard, 2008;Jentoft and Chuenpagdee, 2009;Steins et al, 2020).…”