UW is part of the "Green Meets Blue Project"

The University Centre of the Westfjords (UW) is a part of the “Green Meets Blue Project” financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (NCM FJLS). The project is led by Nordregio, with UW, and the University of Highlands and Islands (Scotland) as collaborators. Matthias Kokorsch, academic director at UW, is the project leader for the Icelandic case study. He is supported by Research Assistants Rebecca and Tabea, both current UW master’s students, as well as UW alumn and instructor Maria Wilke, who wrote her PhD on public participation in marine spatial planning.

About the project
Nordic countries have ambitious climate and energy goals, with offshore renewable energy playing a key role in the green transition. The European Green Deal emphasizes minimal environmental harm, and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 sets higher targets for protecting marine areas. The Nordic seas are also vital for food supply. Offshore renewable energy is crucial but presents challenges, including space conflicts with sectors like fishing and aquaculture. Marine spatial planning is essential for managing these conflicts and promoting sustainable coexistence.

The Nordic Council of Ministers has initiated several projects to address sustainable marine economy and coexistence issues. The “Green Meets Blue project”, financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (NCM FJLS) is running for two years (2024-2025), and aims to contribute to a common knowledge base for the Nordic countries, by contributing with an increased understanding of sustainable coexistence between renewable energy (focusing on offshore wind energy) and marine food sectors (focusing on fisheries and aquaculture).  UW will receive approximately 1300000 ISK from the overall funding.