Lloyd’s Register Foundation release Foresight Review of Ocean Safety

This month, Lloyd’s Register Foundation released their Foresight Review of Ocean Safety.

SMMI hosted one of three international workshops to collect the evidence and views that underpin the review. A team of 30 ocean professionals and academics from various ocean sectors, from across the UK and Europe, came together for a two day workshop at the Lloyd’s Register offices on the University’s Boldrewood Innovation Campus, to map out and discuss future ocean engineering challenges. Other workshops took place in Singapore and Canada. The SMMI hosted workshop comprised invited talks from government, academia and industry on the future use of the world’s oceans and technology developments and transfer, with the rest of the two days dedicated to break out groups and discussion sessions.

You can read more about the SMMI hosted LRF workshop here.

While long awaited, the release of the Foresight Review of Ocean Safety is timely, coinciding with the first year of the Decade of Ocean Science and increasing public awareness of our dependence on the oceans and their critical role in mitigating climate change.

The press release notes "This review looks at how can we keep our oceans safe and sustainable as the economic activity they support grows. Established and emerging industries require ocean infrastructure – and it is estimated that $90 trillion will be invested over the next decade on infrastructure alone. Blue finance can support solutions that address rising sea levels, climate change, pollution, labour and safety challenges and opportunities related to a sustainable ocean. But financial, policy and regulatory frameworks need clear principles, data, standards and metrics to catalyse responsible policy and business practices, across land and ocean interfaces."

The review presents issues which will drive demand for new engineering approaches including  emerging ocean industries, climate change and coastal development, energy needs, marine biotechnology and nature sensitive engineering to strengthens and protect natural capital.

Ocean engineering must overcome the challenges associated with a relatively unmapped, unexplored and poorly understood environment, and the dynamic nature of the ocean space. International cooperation, underpinned by better public awareness, will be needed to strengthen governance and ensure engineering accounts for the interests of a wide set of stakeholders across international boundaries.  The new jobs that are created must be safe and decent, and not propagate existing inequalities nor create new ones.

You can read the full press release and download the LRF Foresight Review of Ocean Safety here.