Innovation workshop for Marine Spatial Planning: Norway 2050

Cesar Jung-Harada from MakerBay / Scoutbots supported by Ken Chew and Eddie Yung, went to Bergen to co-deliver a 2-days intensive workshop, for about 20 students from different backgrounds and different parts of Norway. They gathered at the Marineholmen Makerspace, on the invitation by Bergen University to invent together the future of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), or “Norway Blue Growth 2050”.

Norway is a fascinating and diverse place. Stretching from 57° and 81° North, Norway has over 50,000 islands and a coastline of 83,000 kilometers. The historical relationship from land and ocean is as deep as its many fjords. It is no surprise that the nation has been forever dependent on the ocean. Currently, Norway’s economy heavily relies on offshore petroleum and natural gas, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and manufacturing. Norway already busy waters are in the process of accommodating emergent industries: offshore wind power, large offshore aquaculture and in a more distant future controversial deep-sea mining, arctic petroleum exploration and the “Northern sea route“, connecting Europe to Asia through the ice-free Arctic ocean.
As the requirement to limit carbon emissions become more stringent, yet economic development is seen as a prerequisite, Norway is struggling to make a plan for its ocean management.

The Challenges: A Crowded Sea

Link to Google Slides

The Making of Norway Blue Growth, 2050

Making of (4 minutes video): https://youtu.be/5bDaXwnt7Lw

Originally, the leaders of the workshops expected that the students would DIVIDE the map is specialized activities.
Instead, early on, the students aimed for a MULTI-USE synergistic approach.

The Vision: “Ocean City” Renewable Energy and Sustainable Aquaculture

Performance (13 minutes video): https://youtu.be/D0Z0u3ctaI4

Taking advantage of emerging technologies, the students designed a complex modular system that would repurpose the existing infrastructures such as soon-to-be-decommissioned oil rigs and convert them into floating renewable energy hubs, combined with large offshore aquaculture. The workforce from the fossil industry would take little time to be trained and transition to new safer jobs in offshore wind, solar and wave energy.

Guided by the mentors, the students performed a vision of what Norwegian youth wants for their future, how they intend to be part of solving global warming.