Organisers:

Frank Asche, University of Florida
Ragnar Tveterås, University of Stavanger

Description

The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet. But ocean based sectors have received limited attention in the geography of innovation literature. Around 60 million people are employed in primary production in fisheries and aquaculture. Both small and larger communities with many hundred million people around the globe rely on the ocean based food production economy. Oceans provide a great potential for increased supply of healthy food to a growing global population.

There is some evidence that the spatial organization of ocean based sectors will influence their growth, innovation capabilities and economic performance, but we lack insights on many aspects of the ocean based geography of innovation. There are knowledge gaps to be filled using insights and methodological approaches from e.g. territorial innovation models and agglomeration economies. We also need a better understanding of patterns and underlying conditions of innovation and growth along north-south and core-periphery dimensions.

The oceans represent an arena for a multitude of conflicts between different stakeholders, and provide numerous challenges for governments aiming to develop policies that can facilitate sustainable growth. There are significant biological and environmental externalities from marine production activities, where the economic effects are influenced by regulation, technology and the spatial distribution of producers and other agents.

Sustainable seafood production growth relies on a combination of policy innovations and technological innovation. This session will include contributions which fill knowledge gaps on issues presented above.