Marine Institute’s Dr Niall McDonough talks about the upcoming Ocean Knowledge 2030 Conference and a new national marine strategy.
Ireland’s ocean and marine environments are some of the country’s most important assets. With one of the largest marine environments in the EU, at nearly 10 times its land area, Ireland’s ocean and marine resources hold considerable potential for industries such as aquaculture, tourism and renewable energy.
As well as the economic and renewable capabilities of Ireland’s waters, it’s vital that these areas are adequately protected and managed in order to preserve and benefit the country’s biodiversity.
The importance of Ireland’s ocean and marine environments cannot be understated, which is why later this month, the Marine Institute is holding its Ocean Knowledge 2030 Conference at the RDS in Dublin on 20-21 November.
The conference will feature various leading policymakers, ocean scientists, academics and industry experts in a programme of panels and discussions focused on shaping Ireland’s strategic priorities for marine research. Among its keynote speakers will be Dr John Bell, the European Commission’s ‘Healthy Planet’ director, Prof Karen Wiltshire, CRH chair of climate science at Trinity College Dublin, and Prof Jan Mees, general director of Flanders Marine Institute.
Ocean strategy and climate concerns
The Ocean Knowledge 2030 Conference, as explained by Dr Niall McDonough, is a “must-attend for anyone interested in shaping the future of Ireland’s ocean”.
McDonough, director of policy innovation and research support services at the Marine Institute, tells SiliconRepublic.com that one of the main events of the conference will be the launch of Ocean Knowledge 2030 – Ireland’s new national strategy for marine research, knowledge and innovation for the period 2025-2030.
The strategy, which has been developed under the coordination of the Marine Institute, has been created in partnership with the multiple Government departments, state agencies and other stakeholder bodies that set, inform or implement marine policy and associated policy domains such as environment, energy and food.
“The strategy identifies some of the most critical marine scientific and societal challenges that Ireland is facing and also the enormous opportunities presented by our extensive maritime domain and its rich resources,” explains McDonough.
“It also documents the existing, recent or forthcoming legislation and policy developments, whether at national or EU level, that will require a knowledge-based response and the associated questions that should be the focus of our research programming and investments over the coming six years.”
Unsurprisingly, the climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges faced by the ocean and marine industry. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the level of environmental stress on Ireland’s coastal waters has increased in recent years due to effects of the climate crisis, such as marine heatwaves and increased acidification.
“Fisheries and aquaculture operators are faced with changes in ocean conditions such as ocean warming which are affecting the distribution and availability of commercial species,” says McDonough. “Sea-level rise coupled with extreme weather events present growing challenges for ports and coastal infrastructures.”
Meanwhile, conversations persist around the great potential of offshore wind infrastructure in Ireland’s waters. The Irish Government aims to deliver 20GW in offshore wind energy by 2040 and “at least” 37GW in total by 2050. However, there are still no operational ports in Ireland capable of deploying offshore wind infrastructure.
Despite this, McDonough is optimistic about Ireland’s offshore wind potential, as he believes offshore wind will be a “game-changer” for Ireland’s ocean economy by creating jobs and assisting the country in achieving its ambitious climate targets.
Economy and science
According to Marine Institute statistics, Ireland’s ocean economy generated a turnover of €7bn in 2022 while also supporting nearly 34,000 jobs. With this economic importance in mind, McDonough tells us that one of the marine industry’s key challenges is reducing the risk for operators and investors, which he says can be best achieved through the provision of ‘ocean knowledge’.
Ocean knowledge, McDonough says, is an umbrella term that includes ocean data, data products and services, analytical services and expertise, met-ocean forecasting and predictive capacity, and the generation of new knowledge through research and innovation.
“The more information available to policymakers and ocean business, the more informed we are to make decisions around the deployment of expensive infrastructures and operational planning, and in turn reducing risk and cost,” he says. “Data and knowledge are also crucial to enable conservation and protection of the marine environment which is an intrinsic component of a sustainable blue economy.”
McDonough believes that Ireland has a “strong capability and track record” when it comes to marine science and technology. The Marine Institute has been collecting data on competitive research and innovation funding in Ireland’s marine industry since 2017, revealing more than 1,000 projects undertaken with combined funding of €350m.
The highest proportion of this funding – half of which comes from Horizon Europe – went to higher education authorities at 57pc, while 24pc was awarded to industry and 17pc to public sector bodies.
Another goal of the Ocean Knowledge 2030 Strategy is to assess Ireland’s performance in comparison to other countries and improve its international standing. “As a small EU country, we have very significant levels of engagement in EU and international marine R&I projects and a strong voice and influence in EU and international ocean science and policy forums,” says McDonough.
“Ocean Knowledge 2030 seeks to enhance that position further, meeting one of the goals of our national research and innovation strategy, which is to ‘make Ireland an international leader in marine science and technology’.”
Blue future
Going forward, McDonough highlights the importance of laying out clear strategies to secure our marine and ocean environments.
“As we face growing environmental and economic challenges, advancing our understanding of the ocean is essential to making informed decisions based on data and evidence,” he says.
“A well-defined research strategy for ocean knowledge is critical to Ireland’s future, and it must be shaped through collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. By working together – scientists, policymakers, industry and communities – we are setting a focused research agenda to unlock the full potential of our ocean while safeguarding it for future generations.”
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