WP1 Open ecosystem and climate science (Lead: UGOT)
T1.1 Synthesise ecosystem and climate science and knowledge gaps M1-48 (Lead: SIME; participants: UGOT, UMF)
This task will initially and continuously present the best available data, information, and knowledge of the ecosystems and the climate in the three case study areas. This includes producing integrated assessments, readily accessible to non-natural scientists, incl. various stakeholders in the LivingLabs in WP4. These will be data rich and regularly updated as well as openly available online and actively promoted. Furthermore, the task will identify uncertainties and the most important knowledge and data gaps of the ecosystem and climate science. This will be done by querying the science community and the literature, and by participating in the co-creation process in the LivingLabs. A small international workshop with experts will be convened in M6, by invitation only, to produce a widely accepted list facts, uncertainties, and most urgent knowledge gaps. The focus will be on identifying biodiversity components of central importance to ecosystem functions and services. In particular, we will look at impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change on the resilience of ecosystems. The extensively investigated effects from fisheries and shipping will be reviewed and summarized, while the effects from the rapidly expanding offshore installations are covered in a separate task (T1.3).
T1.2 Tools & models for assessments and simulations M1-24 (Lead: UGOT; participants: SIME, UMF, Chalmers, SND)
In order to feed relevant scientific knowledge into the discussions in the LivingLabs, this task will present a set of tools for assessments and simulations of the ecosystems and climate of the case study areas. The tools will be suitable for various types of quantifications of developments and impacts. The tools will have different levels of complexity, representing a balance of ease-of-use and detailed presentations of results.
These tools/models will be set up and used to deliver outputs in a relatively fast mode, which will be an important requirement to support the co-creation process in the LivingLabs. Some of these tools/models require training to set up and use, others can be used by experts only. Therefore, this task will also strengthen the capacity of relevant LivingLab participants (e.g. local/regional authorities) to use selected tools.
T1.3 Land-sea interactions in the offshore blue economy M1-36 (Lead: CIT; participants: SEI, SIME, UMF)
This task will explore relevant land-sea interactions of the offshore blue economy in the LivingLabs. Activities offshore are strongly conditioned by characteristics of the coast and its usage, related infrastructure and flows, and the growing competition for space and access to coastal areas is also affecting the offshore space (Kidd et al., 2019; Morf et al., 2022). For example, recreation and real estate development compete with infrastructure, supply and maintenance needs for industry. Moreover, while economic values may originate offshore in terms of, e.g., biomass or energy extraction, the value chain continues onshore, where the larger part of the economic and societal value may be created. This task will therefore, in coordination with WP3 and the LivingLabs in WP4, investigate relevant connections generated between the onshore and offshore in terms of interactions and values, and the balance between onshore and offshore. This will be done by mapping key interactions and value chains (e.g. generated value, job opportunities) relevant for the cases, in total 1-3 chains. Sources and methods will include scientific and grey literature, spatial data, statistics, interviews with key informants, which will be processed through document analysis, flow and interaction chain analyses, spatial & actor analysis. This task will deliver a description of relevant interactions and value chains to be used and complemented in the LivingLabs and from a governance perspective in Task 3.2 and Task 3.3.
T1.4 Quantifying effects of offshore installations on biodiversity M1-48 (Lead: UGOT; participants: Chalmers, CIT)
Ship-based human activities (fisheries and transport) have been part of the offshore blue economy for centuries and more. Currently we are in period of fundamental change, with the rapid expansion of permanent offshore installations, today mostly represented by offshore wind farms. What this will mean for the marine environment, for the blue (and wider) economy, and indeed for humankind’s relation to the ocean, remains to be investigated. Existing knowledge of the environmental effects from offshore wind farms can only been considered as preliminary and limited. A recent report from SEPA (Bergström et al., 2021) raises both issues of concerns and some cautious optimism. This task will use existing and novel data sources (incl. from T2.2), as well as numerical tools and models (in collaboration with T1.4) to quantify the effect on biodiversity from permanent offshore installations, and especially wind farms. This includes local impacts in the vicinity of individual installations as well as larger-scale impacts related to differences in management regimes between wind-parks and areas designated to conservation or other types of use. Benthic and pelagic biodiversity will be quantified using data types including traditional monitoring techniques as well as eDNA and video images. The data analysis will include machine learning algorithms developed by the Ocean Data Factory Sweden partners. Effects will be quantified and assessed from a perspective of the whole expected lifecycle of the installations, from exploration-construction to decommissioning. Preliminary results will be produced during the C2B2 programme period, based on data from already commissioned installations. The task will establish methods and protocols (incl. for data streams) for biodiversity quantifications around offshore installations, incl. baselines in areas of planned explorations.
WP2 Open, data-driven innovation & emerging technologies (Lead: RISE)
T2.1 Open and multi-functional offshore installations by design – SoA M1-36 (Lead: SEI; participants: RISE, CIT, IHE, UGOT, Chalmers)
We explore how three system characteristics could increase effectiveness in the delivery of marine services. First, drawing on global examples and dialogue with key agencies (e.g., SMHI, SMA, SGU) we investigate whether and how multifunctional use can turn offshore installations (permanent, floating, grided, off-grid) and vessels into sensor platforms for ocean monitoring and seabed mapping. Second, we qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the extent to which modularity – the construction of systems through independent components – can reduce investment risks, capital and operational costs (CAPEX and OPEX). Third, we look for evidence to assess whether and how semi-permanent, mobile, floating structures could reduce environmental impacts and increase system redundancy and flexibility particularly related to critical service provision like water or energy (Xylia et al., forthcoming). This work draws on a combination of systematic reviews of white and grey literature globally and primary data collection derived from the discussion and reporting in the LivingLabs to understand the conditions that can enable this type of solutions and outline potential risks. We carry out assessments of costs and an overview of benefits for a selected number of solutions. We look into business models and financing mechanisms for deployment and upscaling. The results of this task will contribute to establishing benchmarks for comparing emerging multifunctional marine solutions, and they will inform distinct sessions during the co-creation process in the Living Labs (WP4), engaging multiple stakeholders in reimagining offshore infrastructures.
T2.2 Requirements for open data collection M1-48 (Lead: RISE; participants: Chalmers, UGOT, IHE, CIT, SND)
In order to enable an open innovation climate in C2B2, this task will start off by developing an Innovation Management Plan for the programme and its participants (including associated partners and procured developers/SMEs) in month 6. This will contain programme policy on Open Innovation and IPR as well as a strategy for establishing partnerships with relevant Open Innovation platforms internationally (the Sargasso Maritime Open Innovation platform does presently only have a Scandinavian reach). It will also contain suitable programme specific Innovation KPI’s which RISE will use to monitor innovations in the programme and their optimal management, incl. based on partners’ IPR analyses.
At its core, this task will explore the potential of new, open by design approaches to data collection, in combination with existing data streams and knowledge co-creation on ocean ecosystem parameters, atmospheric parameters incl. air pollution and GHG-emissions, as well as economic and human activities, and other relevant indicators. Building on the requirements from the scientific community extracted by WP1 and the stakeholder demands from the user-centred co-creation process in the LivingLabs (WP4), this task will create an overview of scientific and case-specific data and knowledge gaps. Requirements will be registered in a requirements management tool and ordered in terms of priority. Also, the existing technological set up in each LivingLab will be mapped (e.g., data models, system architecture, decision support systems, data sources and data flows). The requirements will inform the search for existing data sources, solutions or relevant advances among the C2B2 partners (Chalmers, RISE). Searches will be done via various channels and platforms (e.g. SARGASSO, existing needs & solutions hubs) and identifying whether existing Earth Observation and emerging sensors and technologies, being developed in Sweden or internationally, can address these gaps. Also, the increasing number of past and present marine citizen science projects may constitute relevant additional/complementary data sources. These will be identified from the elaborate inventory of marine citizen science developed by IHE which to date contains >730 projects. Unmatched needs will be clustered, if appropriate, and, formulated into concrete specifications for the Open Call for Solutions in T2.3.
T2.3 Innovation in open data collection platforms for knowledge co-creation M6-48 (Lead: Chalmers; participants: RISE, UGOT, IHE, CIT, SND)
Based on the consolidated requirements and specifications produced by task T2.2, this task will deliver technological development and advances of open data collection platforms in two distinct ways.
- Lead Chalmers: C2B2 partners Chalmers and Rise will advance relevant existing activities in emerging technologies (AI, machine learning, and autonomous drones; integration of new data sources into existing decision support systems), including via a PhD student. The specific focus will be on deploy-and-forget systems, with no (or low) demands of attention during operations. This requires both carefully balanced performance and a very strong robustness, not only in terms of physical integrity and safety (including autonomous navigation for moving robots), but also for automated energy management, fault detection, data communication and cyber security.
- Lead: UGOT: The remaining specifications from T2.2 will be used for an Open Call for solutions (public procurement) from SMEs, start ups and industry actors, using the extensive experience of various partners (UGOT, RISE, IHE). The Open Call will be disseminated strategically via various channels, especially Sargasso. Sargasso is the Maritime Open Innovation Platform hosted by the Swedish Maritime Technology Forum which connects business cluster member organisations from both the maritime domain and other sectors. Sargasso enables intersectoral innovation for maritime related opportunities and challenges. This cascading funding will be financed from the secured C2B2 cash co-funding of 4MSEK. All procurement will be supported administratively by UGOT’s procurement office.
The resulting prototypes (by the C2B2 partners and those procured) will be fed into the activities of WP1 and those of the LivingLabs in WP4 and iteratively adapted, based on user feedback collected via the co-design methodology of T4.1. The integration of new data streams into major existing data environments will be done in T2.5. Also, the solution providers will have the opportunity to test, demonstrate and exploit their prototypes and solutions via the C2B2 open innovation events in T2.4 and they will be promoted via the C2B2 dissemination activities in T5.4.
T2.4 Open Innovation events for technology development and data exploitation M8-48 (Lead: RISE; participants: UGOT, IHE, CIT, SND, Chalmers)
In order to engage technology developers, solution providers as well as blue economy sectors in new data collection platforms during the innovation process within and beyond the LivingLabs, this task will run 10 open innovation events (three different types of events).
Hackathons (lead RISE): Three hackathons will be used to create sensors, tools, and systems for the collection, processing and visualisation of data collected via multifunctional platforms and fused with other (in-situ and EO) data, in response to the needs identified in WP1 and in the LLs. These events will have technology developers, scientists and data aggregators (public and commercial) interacting at early stages of the innovation process, incl. with potential competitors, at a technical level. This will help promote standardization through the identification of common technical requirements as well as interoperability between (legacy and current) data collection, processing and visualisation technologies. The hackathons will be held in M24, M30 and M36.
Two Open Data Exploitation Challenges (lead: RISE) will be held (M32 and M42) to encourage the uptake of the new data streams and technologies amongst the SME community and provide exploitation opportunities. Building on the Data Bakery methodology of the Ocean Data Factory Sweden, a 48 hour kick-off event will allow matchmaking between developers and people ‘owning’ specific challenges, followed by a period of development.
Offshore test days (lead: UGOT) using UGOT’s research vessel Skagerak, or other vessels or relevant marine infrastructure. These events will allow technology developers and entrepreneurs to test the multifunctionality of their sensors, platforms, robots and other hardware in any Swedish offshore water, and beyond. Successful new data streams will feature in the Open Data Exploitation Challenge. The test days will be a yearly C2B2 event (5 in total), supported by technical staff and scientific marine experts from UGOT, RISE and Chalmers.
Where possible, these events will be integrated with existing conferences, LivingLabs meetings and other relevant events that take place during the lifetime of the C2B2 programme to open up participation to as wide an audience as possible. We aim to engage 10 – 30 participants in each event. The dual reporting about these open innovation events will generate insights for recommendations on open innovation that will feed into a policy brief in WP5 for planning agencies, innovators, and financers.
T2.5 Marine data stewardship – FAIR & Open data management and integration into existing aggregators M1-48 (Lead: SND; participants: RISE, UGOT, Chalmers, IHE)
The generation of new data sources about the ocean and their combination with existing data is accelerating the need to coordinate, integrate and soundly manage such data using the FAIR data principles. Yet many research institutions and/or groups collecting marine data are too small to afford a Data Steward. All Swedish universities can obtain advice on data management from SND, but subject-specific support to ensure the availability of marine data is not yet available and there is no direct support yet with file management, which in many cases is needed to maximize data utilization. Data stewardship is also recognized by SIME as critical for effective environmental monitoring (Emmerson et al., 2018).
This task will keep track of and provide direct support to C2B2 and other projects that collect marine research data. This will ensure that new data streams (incl. those created in T2.2) will be integrated into major existing data environments (major data aggregators such as Copernicus, the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and widely used sector specific systems) in order to maximize their uptake and utilisation.
We will do so by creating an inventory to keep track of past, running and new projects that collect marine data (e.g. checking new grants from Swedish and European research funders; web pages and social media for project announcements; and direct contact with researchers in marine institutions). The PIs of those projects will be contacted early on to find out what data is being collected, and to inform them, if needed, on open data and requirements from the funder, whether the infrastructure used has an open data policy, relevant legislative frameworks. For example, the Open Access Infrastructure for Research in Europe (www.OpenAire.eu / www.Zenodo.org) can be used for data sets that can be freely shared. This requires researchers to be made aware of EOSC/Zenodo, the FAIR Guiding Principles and to actively ensure use (legally and technically sound) of their data for others to be able to validate their conclusions. Crucially, the PIs will be advised about the large possible benefits to their research by making their data openly available and widely used.
C2B2 will announce and communicate that the programme can be contacted by researchers both during the application process to help them with their data management plan, and during the project lifetime to help them publish their data using the FAIR data principles. The guidance materials, project inventory and lessons learned generated by this task will feed into the efforts to build a national coordination framework for marine research data led by SMHI and SND, funded by Formas.
WP3 Ocean governance and adaptive management (Lead: SIME)
T3.1 Assessing preparedness of Sweden’s ocean governance to climate and earth system change M1-46 (Lead: SIME; participants: SEI, SU, UGOT, IVL, IHE)
This task assesses the preparedness of Sweden’s current ocean governance to address both, accelerated climate and wider earth system change, and increasing and competing demands from multiple and emerging blue sectors. The analysis will cover two policy levels: i) whether and how international commitments are implemented into national actions; ii) whether and how national action trickles down to regional and local level implementation. We analyse five lenses of ocean governance: architecture and agency, democracy and power, justice and allocation, anticipation and imagination, and adaptiveness and reflexivity (Burch et al., 2019) by reviewing academic literature, analysing key policies documents, interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders across the three cases. The analysis will cover policies, regulations, strategies and resources created or (re)directed to operationalize commitments, and the actors and networks with influence in the system. For the local level, relevant management practices and concerns will emerge from the co-creation processes in the LivingLabs (WP4). This will provide an overview of discourse and commitments in relation to actual implementation, helping to identify progress, gaps and level of preparedness of Sweden’s ocean governance to systemic changes. Results will feed into the discussions in the LivingLabs (WP4) and the other WP3 tasks.
T3.2 Exploring the governance and legal framework for multifunctional ocean governance M1-36 (Lead: SU; participants: SIME, SEI, IVL, CIT)
Multifunctionality has been proposed as a possible strategy to overcome competing claims at sea through the combination of economic, conservation, and monitoring activities. But multifunctionality requires conducive regulations, procedures and incentives. Currently these do not exist or hamper the deployment of multifunctional solutions. Legal obstacles include conflicting goals, regulatory gaps, jurisdictional overlaps and the lack of a clearly defined social and ecological balance between goals. Other possible obstacles include lack of awareness, contacts, forums, procedures, knowledge, mandates, practice or capacity. Relevant obstacles and enablers need to be identified and addressed to develop a more efficient governance framework and processes that can e.g. facilitate private-public or cross-sector cooperation. This task first explores how multifunctionality – through co-use, co-location and coexistence – can be made compatible with an ecosystem approach (Barquet & Green 2022; Przedrzymirska et al., 2021). We identify what legislation, policies, processes and institutional characterists promote or obstruct multifunctional ocean governance and also map the relevant actors and their mandates, forums and networks. While taking a systems perspective, the main thematic and geographical focus will be shaped by the LivingLabs. One starting point to address the complexity of the legal framework will be the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, another will depart from spatial planning and integrated management. As necessary, and in coordination with T1.3 and the cases, the analyses of this task will include land-sea interaction aspects of specific uses. Key sources and methods will include scientific and grey literature, regulatory and policy documents, interviews and workshops with key informants, to be analysed and synthesized using standard legal and policy analysis methods. The results from this task will outline the potential and current obstacles to more multifunctional interventions in marine areas, will contribute to Task 3.3 co-creating scenarios for transitioning towards a sustainable blue economy in and will inform recommendations for promoting multifunctionality to be captured in one of the policy briefs in WP5.
T3.3 Scenarios for transitioning towards a multifunctional and sustainable blue economy M1-40 (Lead: SEI; participants: SIME, SU, IHE, CIT)
Using transition management as analytical starting point (Loorbach 2010), this task will explore through a scenario approach the policy changes that could lead to possible incremental changes – shallow adjustments that within the current state of affairs could lead to beneficial outcomes for marine ecosystems, society, biodiversity and climate – and which ones could lead to radical or deep change – often requiring restructuring. A set of qualitative exploratory scenarios will be constructed using inputs from Tasks 3.1, 3.2 and from WP1 and WP2, along with socioeconomic and environmental drivers/factors. Each scenario will describe a distinct alternative future. For identifying the most important and relevant drivers and further constructing the narratives of future scenarios, we will consult key stakeholders, including marine and coastal planning experts on national, regional and local levels. Stakeholders will also be invited to discuss the results and ways to address them in a Swedish context. Insights and results will be transferred to task T3.5.
T3.4 Comparative International Practices in the Blue Economy M20-46 (Lead: SEI; participants: IVL, IHE, SU)
The main objective of this task is to identify and critically analyze (national, transboundary, and international) good international practices that support managing goal conflicts across sectors within the blue economy. The task will collaborate with T5.5 International cooperation and liaison with relevant initiatives. A combination of methodologies —literature reviews, document analyses, and first-hand data collection via online surveys and semi-structured expert interviews— will be employed to explore the following:
Part A: How do countries balance conservation and use in the offshore blue economy? This task will identify and categorize existing collaborative frameworks and approaches for a sustainable offshore blue economy. This includes mechanisms that promote participatory ocean governance and stakeholder engagement across various sectors. Special attention will be given to Marine Spatial Planning initiatives.
Part B: will focus on documenting and comparing good practices in selected countries (global scope) across two areas:
- Data and information sharing: Which international best practices can Sweden learn from to enhance data sharing and strengthen maritime data management within the blue economy? Explore how digital technologies and partnerships, can enhance data transparency and accessibility across sectors and stakeholders in Sweden’s blue economy, including government agencies, industries, and organizations like IHO.
- Strategies that enhance National Security and Operational Safety in the blue economy: In what ways can operational safety in offshore activities strengthen national security? How are security frameworks structured to enable, rather than restrict, a sustainable blue economy while prompting resilience? Examine how global best practices in risk management, insurance, and liability regimes contribute to enhanced safety and security in offshore operations. Provide examples across sectors that have enabled more effective responses to security risks.
T3.5 Governance recommendations: reimagining ocean governance M42-48 (Lead: SIME: participants: SEI, SU, IHE, IVL, UGOT, CIT)
Synthesising the results from WP3, this task will reflect on the outputs of T3.1-T3.4 against relevant literature and other areas of expertise. Gaps for future research will also be identified. For a wider planning and management audience, it will distil recommendations and governance lessons on transitioning to participatory ocean governance and sustainable blue economy in a changing climate, resulting in different, targeted products.
WP4 Co-creation of participatory ocean governance in LivingLabs (Lead: IHE)
T4.1 Methodology for co-creating participatory ocean governance in LivingsLabs and implementation guidance/mentoring (incl. gender and inclusive solutions) M1-48 (Lead: IHE; participants: SEI, SIME)
The task will provide an approach for establishing and running the LivingLab in each case study. It will create process guidance for the expert teams that support the LivingLabs throughout the implementation stage (T4.2-T4.4) consisting of a generic compendium as well as tailored coaching. The co-creation process in each LL will be preceded by a rapid screening and stakeholder analysis (link with T3.1) to identify, per case, which stakeholders should be involved and existing conditions. The co-creation in each LL will be planned, tailored and implemented by a dedicated team of C2B2 partners per case (T4.2-4.4), guided by IHE.
Carefully designed workshops will engage relevant key stakeholders in the context and challenge of each case and in the identification of required data, knowledge, decisions and actions. In this co-creation process, it is key to integrate expertise, knowledge and insights from the three thematic pillars of ecosystems-based ocean governance, also including stakeholders’ knowledge, needs and preferences. Also, iterations and validation points during the co-creation process will ensure that co-created plans are realistic, accepted, and legal, and avoided designs dominated by one stakeholder group, or based on assumptions of one group about the motivations of another. Moreover, workshops are designed to create spaces for social learning among participants.
The expertise to conduct the co-creation activities will be shared by IHE with key programme partners who have complementary hands-on facilitation expertise. Advanced knowledge management routines will ensure consistency of the C2B2 co-creation approach via detailed guidance and feedback mechanisms, while supporting tailoring of interaction methods to case-specific contexts, culture, and other particularities.
The mentoring of the LL expert teams will include F2F guidance as well as regular, frequent online meetings, incl. guidance on how to recruit, interact with and maintain interest of key stakeholders of each LL. The outputs of each LL interaction session will be analysed (in collaboration with T1.2, T2.2 and T3.2) and synthesized resulting in agreed challenges, requirements, changes and objectives (reported in each case’s compendium). The task will also contribute to the quality assurance of the programme by implementing ethics procedures and facilitating structured RRI-related discussions (incl. inclusiveness, justice and gender equality) as part of the LivingLabs planning and design processes. This will ensure that all innovative products, services and activities embody RRI (Responsible Research & Innovation) principles and actively support the deconstruction of implicit biases and structural inequality.
T4.2 LivingLab North (Lead: UMF; participants: IHE, SIME, UGOT, CIT)
This task will establish and run the LivingLab in the case study North. This will be done under the guidance of T4.1 and with a dedicated team of C2B2 partners. The details of this case study are presented in Part A section 2.3.
T4.3 LivingLab East (Lead: SEI; participants: IHE, SIME, UGOT, CIT, Chalmers)
This task will establish and run the LivingLab in the case study East. This will be done under the guidance of T4.1 and with a dedicated team of C2B2 partners. The details of this case study are presented in Part A section 2.3.
T4.4 LivingLab West (Lead: RISE; participants: IHE, SIME, UGOT, CIT, Chalmers)
This task will establish and run the LivingLab in the case study West. This will be done under the guidance of T4.1 and with a dedicated team of C2B2 partners. The details of this case study are presented in Part A section 2.3.
T4.5 Peer learning and capacity building (Lead: IHE; participants: all partners)
The task will facilitate the regular knowledge exchange between different groups to ensure continuous learning and adaptive decision-making during the implementation stage in each LL and the consolidation of insights and lessons learned in the finalisation stage of the programme. Specifically, peer learning will be facilitated at three levels: 1) among the LivingLabs teams, 2) among participants across the three LivingLabs (quadruple helix stakeholders incl. programme partners and associated programme partners), and 3) with external reference case studies (such as EBMM Pilot Stockholm Archipelago; EBMM Pilot Southern Bothnian Sea; Fisheries co-management 8-Fjords project). We will carefully structure the interactions for each of these distinct groups to facilitate meaningful dialogue and reflection depending on the constellation of participants. Moreover, based on the results of a structured capacity needs analysis in stage 3 (Sustainability) of the program, joint tailored trainings will be held to strengthen the capacity of (local) actors in all LivingLabs as well as key actors identified in WP3, ensuring sustainability of the implemented technologies, data and knowledge flows and participatory procedures.
T4.6 Evaluation and impact assessment (Lead: IHE; participants: SEI, SIME, CIT, UMF)
Building on existing expertise and proven assessments, the task will tailor and implement the methodology for the integrated and participatory Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning process of the project activities in the three LivingLabs and of the project impacts at large. It will measure and monitor progress towards achieving the C2B2 aims (see Part A section 1) according to identified indicators and outputs and using a range of information sources (e.g. LivingLab compendia and workshop logbooks, project reports, structured interviews with key stakeholders in each LivingLab). It will validate the viability of co-creating evidence-based participatory ocean governance in the three LivingLabs, against both the requirements of various local stakeholders and the broader objectives of the Mistra blue economy call. To assess the impacts of the co-created ocean governance in the LivingLabs, state-of-the art impact assessment methods, incl. co-evaluation with participants, will be used and assess the extent to which the social innovation processes in the LivingLabs have resulted in social learning (Wehn et al., 2018). The results of this task, incl. the elaboration of specific success stories, will regularly feed into the communication and dissemination activities of T5.2.
WP5 Programme Management and Communication (Lead: UGOT)
T5.1 Programme coordination and reporting (Lead: UGOT; participants: RISE, SIME, IHE, CIT, SEI, UMF)
This task will deliver the overall programme planning and consortium coordination and ensure administrative, contractual and financial project management as well as obtain a good dialogue with Mistra and the Advisory Board. Within this task, the Programme Director will make sure that activities performed by each consortium member are properly executed. The Programme Director will ensure proper and timely information related to each Work Package is provided and consolidated into high-quality reports. Advice and inputs of the Mistra project officer will be taken into consideration and work plans and budgets adjusted if mutually agreed. Specific project coordination tasks implemented include: i) managing project progress and responding to important changes; ii) controlling manpower resources with running costs, risk analysis; iii) timely submission of reports, deliverables, cost statements, financial certificates etc. to Mistra; iv) financial and legal administration (e.g. transfer of Mistra payments to the partners, maintenance of consortium agreement); v) distribution of documents/ information among the consortium; and vi) external representation of the project. This task will also coordinate the interactions with the Advisory Board and relay their recommendations to the consortium. Annual progress reports will summarise progress against the work plan and meetings of the consortium and with the Programme Board.
T5.2 Quality assurance, risk management and data management plan (Lead: UGOT: participants: RISE, SIME, IHE, CIT, SEI, UMF)
A Quality Assurance Plan will be prepared to include QA procedures to be applied to all internal and external activities, services and deliverables. The goal is to ensure the detection of errors and deviations as early as possible, to enable the consortium to apply corrective actions or contingency plans. This includes the production and implementation of the gender-equality plan; it will form part of the Programme Handbook that will serve to guide programme activities and ensure consistency throughout the programme life time, especially in view of potential programme staff turnover at any of the C2B2 partners. A risk management plan will be prepared at the very beginning of the programme and then updated continuously. The task will monitor risks initially identified, report to the programme management group on the status of such risks and seek actions from the management group as a result of any changed circumstances associated with a specific risk. Actions identified in such instances will be recorded in the risk management register. The Programme Director will keep track of any changes and unforeseen issues affecting the planning of the project in a Change Management Register and will communicate these, as appropriate, to the respective WP and task leader who will report major issues to the programme management team (i.e. problems that may affect activities in more than one WP). The Programme Director ensures that this is communicated to Mistra, especially when changes may impact on the quality of deliverables. The task will also produce the Data Management Plan which will based on standard templates, e.g. H2020 Online Manual and other available guidance resources. This plan will describe the lifecycle and sustainability of all data collected, generated and processed within the programme. This task will also address the legal aspects related to citizen-based data such as privacy, data rights and ownership.
T5.3 Communication and dissemination (Lead: UGOT; participants: All partners)
This task will develop a detailed Communication and Dissemination strategy (M3), which will function as an evolving and living document, throughout the programme lifetime. The draft C2B2 communication and dissemination strategy, including a list of potential dissemination and communication activities, is presented in section 2. At the very beginning of the programme, the visual identity (logo, a set of graphic elements and images, templates for presentations and publications, programme video) based on the material of the proposal documents, and the programme public website containing a portfolio of materials and contents, will be established. The programme website will be constantly updated with the programme’s latest activities, especially in the LivingLabs, and outcomes. This task will also coordinate the communication and dissemination of the C2B2 activities and results via social media (including at least 4 short videos) and the development of digital and printed dissemination materials (including 4 policy briefs); via high quality, open access papers in reputable peer-reviewed journals; the presentation of C2B2 results at relevant conferences and the organisation of workshops and conference sessions. The task will also monitor the progress and impact of the C2B2 communication and dissemination activities, resulting in adaptations to the strategy and activities if needed. Finally, this task will select, via a collaborative process among the C2B2 partners, distinct programme results that should be exploited and devise strategic exploitation plans, using (non)profit business models and plans, as appropriate.
T5.4 C2B2 showcase event M32-M38 (Lead: UGOT; participants: All partners)
A C2B2 showcase event spanning several days will be held in the final stage of the programme (Sustainability) to showcase the C2B2 approach, the activities, outcomes and impacts of the LivingLabs and to promote the wider implementation of participatory ocean governance via co-creation and LivingLabs. Aside from showcasing the major outcomes of C2B2, the event will also serve to help to embed and sustain the C2B2 co-creation approach to ocean governance by further networking key stakeholders in ocean governance in Sweden as well as internationally.
T5.5 International cooperation and liaison with relevant initiatives (Lead: UGOT; participants: IHE, SEI, SIME, RISE)
This task will coordinate the cooperation and liaison with relevant initiatives such as the UN Decade on Ocean Science, International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES), Oslo and Paris Convention (OSPAR Commission), Helsinki Committee (HELCOM) Marine Spatial Planning Working Group and existing networks (e.g. Innovation Platform for Sustainable Sea & Ocean Solutions (ISSS), ASTRIIS Digital Twin, Ocean Knowledge Action Network, ongoing and newly funded EU projects (e.g. ILIAD – Digital Twin of the Ocean). Starting with an initial inventory of participation of C2B2 partners in these initiatives (cross-checking also with T3.4), the task will ensure that C2B2 will interact and cooperate with these initiatives where relevant and maintains an international outlook in its activities. The task will also organise dedicated meetings with relevant projects and initiatives relating to C2B2 activities and results and feed the results into relevant C2B2 tasks and meetings.