Creating Connections: Ocean and Marine Science in Policy and Industry
Creating Connections is a series of regional and national meetings that address the scientific and technical opportunities and challenges faced by the UK. Over 40 delegates including early career researchers, and representatives from industry and policy in Scotland attended a session on Ocean and Marine Science in Policy and Industry, chaired by Professor David Paterson, University of St Andrews and Executive Director of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland.
Delegates heard from four keynote speakers: Lucy Law (Head of Marine Climate Change, Marine Scotland), Rhiannon Lewis (Offshore EIA Manager, Buchan Offshore Wind), Dr Salvatore Aricò (CEO, International Science Council) and Moya Crawford (President, Society for Underwater Technology). Two workshops were held to identify and find solutions to the barriers preventing research applications into policy and industry decision making.
The workshops identified the following barriers to research application into business and policy decision-making:
- time & prioritisation
- data & research
- collaboration
- communication & language
- publications.
The event’s regional focus provided an opportunity for delegates to reflect and recognise the opportunities where science can effectively be used to inform policy and business decisions in Scotland. Communicating good practice and strengthening collaboration and research dissemination in areas of expertise such as marine energy and marine protected areas could contribute valuable insights into the deliberations around the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021 - 2030.