The meeting of North Atlantic marine/ocean clusters held in Reykjavik May 24-25 was attended by leaders from marine/ocean clusters from Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands Greenland, Iceland and Norway.
The meeting is a part of the project “North Atlantic Ocean Clusters” which was initiated by the Iceland Ocean Cluster and supported by Nordic Innovation, NORA and members of the Iceland Ocean Cluster. The aim of the project is to increase cooperation among ocean/marine clusters in the North Atlantic region.
„This was a fruitful meeting with open minded debate and discussions about the possibilities, challenges, opportunities in business development, R&D, new technology, best practice, bench marking and sharing of knowledge and know-how“, says Steen Sabinsky Managing Director of the Danish maritime network. „The cluster managers agreed that the potential for growth and job creations is great, if we manage to build on existing strength at each Marine/Maritime Cluster and further develop new business opportunities, not yet discovered“.
A draft report was introduced which aims to map all marine/ocean cluster activities in the North Atlantic and evaluate strengths and possible weaknesses. The report will be published formally in July 2012.
Various topics were addressed an identified as potential for further evaluations at the meeting:
- New innovative products.
- Transport and Logistic – new shipping routes not yet discovered.
- R&D in creating sustainable development of processing of seafood and other resources from the ocean.
- Marketing the North Atlantic Seafood as one brand.
- Think-tank – Young People in the North Atlantic Countries – New business not yet discovered.
- Competence and education development.
- Full utilization of the fish.
- Mapping and bench marking strength and opportunities.
- Agriculture in the North Atlantic Ocean.
- Oil, minerals, offshore wind, wave energy.
The participants expressed interest in further developing the relationships among the clusters. At the next meeting in Scandinavia in the autumn 2012, a further discussion about establishing formerly the “North Atlantic Marine Cluster Alliance” will take place.
„After this meeting we are firm believers there are great opportunities in further cooperation among the marine clusters in the North Atlantic,“ says Thor Sigfusson, founder and Managing Director of the Iceland Ocean Cluster. „This meeting was very useful for the Iceland Ocean Cluster. We learned about the more developed clusters in Scandinavia and Canada. The relationships which were developed can also lead to more value creation for our members.”
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