Business Challenges and Opportunities Linked to Marine Spatial Planning
The World Ocean Council (WOC) report on Ocean Industries and Marine Planning provides the first multi-sector, industry-oriented review and analysis of the value, challenges and opportunities of marine spatial planning (MSP) for the ocean business community.
Building on this work, the 4th WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) to be held from 30 Nov-2 Dec 2016 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will address MSP and ocean industries. Its theme will be ‘Ocean 2030: Sustainable Development Goals and the Ocean Business Community’.
There are sessions scheduled on:
- Marine Planning and International Waters: Shaping High Seas Sustainable Development Through Spatial Planning
- Marine Planning and the North Sea: Multiple Ocean Use and Sustainable Development in a Heavily Used, Transboundary Sea Basin
- Multi-use Offshore Infrastructure: Creating Synergies in Ocean Industry Facilities
As MSP grows around the world, WOC is working to ensure that both the ocean business community and MSP proponents understand and address the need, value and opportunity for industry to be informed of, and engaged in, MSP.
Based on several years' work of active engagement with both ocean industries and those advancing MSP, the WOC report shows that there are a variety of perspectives on MSP - its definition, need, use, evolution and implementation - within the diverse ocean business community.
The WOC CEO, Paul Holthus, is presenting these results on industry and MSP at the EU Maritime Spatial Planning Worldwide conference this week (Azores, 23-24 June, 2016).
Since 2010, WOC has conducted industry outreach on MSP, organised industry/MSP conferences and forums, and shared industry perspectives with marine planners. WOC gratefully acknowledges the support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in conducting the research and outreach that led to this report.
