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A closer watch. As part of her master’s degree, Rakel Thorell is taking a closer look at C2B2’s LivingLabs. “It’s interesting to see how they approach the issues there,” she says.
EVALUATION. C2B2’s LivingLabs are now under the microscope. Rakel Thorell, a master’s student in Sea and Society at the University of Gothenburg, will spend six months evaluating them.
– I’ll be looking at how well they have worked as a method for collaboration and co-creation, and what solutions have emerged, she says.
When the newsletter meets Rakel Thorell, she is entering the third week of her project. She has just made contact with the leaders of C2B2’s three LivingLabs.
“I’ve asked about their thoughts and ideas, and I’ve also been given a practical overview of the material they have collected so far,” she says.
Hands-on
So how does Rakel Thorell describe the general thinking behind the LivingLab methodology? She sees it as a form of social learning aimed at creating a more democratic and inclusive governance model.
A good way to work?
– It’s a broad and interesting format that can be applied in different ways – an arena where different actors and stakeholders come together to understand and develop solutions to complex issues, she says.
Rakel Thorell’s background is in economics. But a strong interest in the sea led her to the Sea and Society master’s programme last year. There, she saw an opportunity to combine her interest in society with a more natural-science-based perspective, with the sea as a common denominator.
– The sea has always been a part of my life, she says.
Long-standing relationship with the sea
Home districts for Rebecka Thorell, that is in Nacka, just east of Stockholm, close to the water.
– My parents also have a summer house on the coast, just north of Kalmar.”
She has spent a lot of time sailing, experiencing the sea primarily as a form of recreation. But Rakel Thorell also approaches the subject from an academic perspective.
– The sea shapes the conditions we live under. Our economy, our society and the planet as a whole – much of it is connected to our relationship with the sea.
When she was looking for an internship last spring as part of her master’s programme, she wanted to find something that brought together her various interests in nature, science and society. That was when she came across C2B2.
– I follow various platforms on LinkedIn, and that’s where I came across a post from C2B2. Given my background, it seemed like a very good fit. So I contacted the programme director.
A rewarding assignment
She will now evaluate all three LivingLabs within the programme. Rakel Thorell will study each of them individually, while also looking at how the overall approach works.
– I’ll be looking at them from a broader perspective. The idea is to see how everything has worked, and how they have co-created and found solutions in the labs, she says.
Has the work made it easier to achieve C2B2’s goals for the Swedish blue economy? Have the labs contributed to a deeper understanding of the more complex issues?
The assignment – she finds it both fun and exciting.
– The stakeholders involved come from so many different backgrounds, and it’s interesting to see how they approach the issues. How they come together and try to find solutions, she says.
For her personally, she finds it rewarding to gain a deeper understanding of the context surrounding the country’s blue economy, as well as the specific problems involved.
– What possible solutions are there? How do different actors relate to their own interests and to one another?
Have you had any aha moments?
– Yes. It’s becoming increasingly clear to me just how incredibly complex the sea is as a habitat, and how little we actually know about it. It’s such a dynamic medium, constantly in motion. That makes everything so much more difficult.
Are you considering doing a PhD after your master’s?
– I’m open to it, but we’ll see in June, when my thesis is finished.
Facts: Rakel Thorell
Age: 27.
Lives: Central Gothenburg.
Interests: Sailing and skiing.
Listens to: Kate Bush.
Rides: A 21-speed Scott hybrid bike.
Photo: Thomas Drakenfors