WP leader
Jessica Hjerpe Olausson
To enable data-driven innovation by commercial and non-commercial actors, both data and a data acquisition infrastructure are needed. This programme will enable data collection on marine ecosystem parameters, atmospheric parameters incl. air pollution and GHG-emissions, as well as economic and human activities, and other relevant indicators. One means to achieve this is by re-imagining blue economy sectors as data collection platforms. Existing blue economy sectors (e.g., shipping, fisheries, offshore installations) can serve as key contributors to data collection about offshore ecosystems above and below the surface on numerous parameters, especially when combined with emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, and autonomous drones above and below the water. For example, collaborative mechanisms for data collection already exist on a relatively small scale for fisheries and shipping. Swedish shipping company Stena Line is world leading in using ships as sensor platforms together with operational agencies, such as SMHI, in the Ferrybox programme. Other mechanisms include ‘fishing for data’7 initiated by Berring Data Collective, now being implemented on the Swedish West coast. Further offshore installations (e.g., wind farms and subsea cables) can be made open-by-design. New data collection platforms will work in tandem and complement dedicated monitoring platforms, such as research vessels, scientific marine drones and buoys. The new platforms will contribute to unique datasets, which until now have proven very costly and complex to obtain. Of paramount importance is the integration of any new data acquisition into existing databases and aggregation efforts. Further, an open innovation approach (as prescribed in ISO 56002 and 56003) will be promoted, in which users, competitors and other stakeholders may collaborate from early stages of the innovation process. Marine data stewardship will provide subject-specific support to ensure the availability of marine data in line with the FAIR data principles (Findable, Available, Interoperable, Reusable), open data management and integration into existing aggregators.
WP2 will help re-imagine blue economy sectors – that have traditionally operated to deliver specific services – as platforms for hosting multiple activities. WP 2 does this by enabling data-driven innovation and technology development based on offshore presence of energy harvest, fisheries and shipping. The specific objectives are:
- To provide benchmarks for open by design, multifunctional system solutions
- To engage commercial and non-commercial actors within the blue economy sectors in multifunctional solutions and new data collection platforms during the open innovation process within and beyond the LivingLabs
- To generate and foster innovative approaches related to the potential of new, open by design approaches to data collection and knowledge co-creation via an Open Call for Solutions (public procurement)
- To coordinate, integrate and soundly manage data via marine data stewardship