IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i13p10026-d1178576.html

Bridging Knowledge Gaps towards 2030: The Use of Foresight for the Strategic Management of a Sustainable Blue Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Lisa A. Pace

    (The Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation, University of Malta, MSD2080 Msida, Malta)

  • Kristian Borch

    (Department of Planning, University of Aalborg, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark)

  • Alan Deidun

    (Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, MSD2080 Msida, Malta)

Abstract

There is need to better understand the trends and future challenges influencing the marine and coastal environments and identify the opportunities to develop innovative sustainability-oriented solutions to address these. Alongside mainstream decision support tools used in environmental management and conservation sciences, foresight techniques provide comprehensive and well-rounded information and knowledge about likely developments in the long-term future. This study uses a horizon scanning exercise to explore emerging signals and trends of future developments and innovation for the sustainable development of the blue economy looking towards 2030. It derives a series of global developments, challenges and opportunities relating to the blue economy from a review of high-level international reports and studies. Through a workshop conducted with 29 scientists and researchers based in maritime universities in six countries in Europe, the study identifies and prioritizes emerging signals and trends considered of high impact for a sustainability transition. The outputs include a synthesis of 11 global developments in the blue economy and 7 cross-cutting trends and trend projections. These may be valuable to marine scientists as a source of inspiration for a future research agenda or can be used as evidence for decision- and policymakers to deal with future uncertainties about the growth of the blue economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa A. Pace & Kristian Borch & Alan Deidun, 2023. "Bridging Knowledge Gaps towards 2030: The Use of Foresight for the Strategic Management of a Sustainable Blue Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10026-:d:1178576
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10026/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10026/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kerstin E. Cuhls, 2020. "Horizon Scanning in Foresight – Why Horizon Scanning is only a part of the game," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(1), March.
    2. De Smedt, Peter & Borch, Kristian & Fuller, Ted, 2013. "Future scenarios to inspire innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 432-443.
    3. Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor & Marcia Moreno-Báez & Gabriel Reygondeau & William W. L. Cheung & Katherine M. Crosman & Pedro C. González-Espinosa & Vicky W. Y. Lam & Muhammed A. Oyinlola & Gerald G. , 2021. "Enabling conditions for an equitable and sustainable blue economy," Nature, Nature, vol. 591(7850), pages 396-401, March.
    4. Andersen, Per Dannemand & Hansen, Meiken & Selin, Cynthia, 2021. "Stakeholder inclusion in scenario planning—A review of European projects," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    5. Effie Amanatidou & Maurits Butter & Vicente Carabias & Totti Könnölä & Miriam Leis & Ozcan Saritas & Petra Schaper-Rinkel & Victor van Rij, 2012. "On concepts and methods in horizon scanning: Lessons from initiating policy dialogues on emerging issues," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 39(2), pages 208-221, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jennifer Elston & Hugo Pinto & Carla Nogueira, 2024. "Tides of Change for a Sustainable Blue Economy: A Systematic Literature Review of Innovation in Maritime Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Stevovic Ivan & Hadrovic Sabahudin & Jovanovic Mihailo, 2024. "Green Economy And Holistic Planning By Artificial Intelligenceapplication," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 5, pages 184-188, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amber Geurts & Ralph Gutknecht & Philine Warnke & Arjen Goetheer & Elna Schirrmeister & Babette Bakker & Svetlana Meissner, 2022. "New perspectives for data‐supported foresight: The hybrid AI‐expert approach," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(1), March.
    2. Spaniol, Matthew J. & Rowland, Nicholas J., 2022. "Business ecosystems and the view from the future: The use of corporate foresight by stakeholders of the Ro-Ro shipping ecosystem in the Baltic Sea Region," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    3. Gill Ringland, 2013. "Future as Unexplored Domain: Ñonnecting Foresight to the Making Strategic Decisions," Foresight and STI Governance, National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 7(4), pages 60-69.
    4. Riasad Amin & Deepika Mathur & David Ompong & Kerstin K. Zander, 2024. "Integrating Social Aspects into Energy System Modelling Through the Lens of Public Perspectives: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-33, November.
    5. Radisti A. Praptiwi & Carya Maharja & Matt Fortnam & Tomas Chaigneau & Louisa Evans & Leuserina Garniati & Jito Sugardjito, 2021. "Tourism-Based Alternative Livelihoods for Small Island Communities Transitioning towards a Blue Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-11, June.
    6. Coenen, Tom B.J. & Wiarda, Martijn & Visscher, Klaasjan & Penna, Caetano C.R. & Volker, Leentje, 2025. "Mission-Oriented Transition Assessment as a reflective approach to mission governance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    7. Rick Szostak, 2024. "Restoring democratic stability: A backcasting wheel approach," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(3), September.
    8. Karner, Katrin & Mitter, Hermine & Sinabell, Franz & Schönhart, Martin, 2024. "Participatory development of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways for Austria’s agriculture and food systems," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    9. Atte Ojanen, 2025. "Comparative Analysis of Long‐Term Governance Problems: Risks of Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(1), April.
    10. Beatriz Barros & Ana Fernández-Zubieta & Raul Fidalgo-Merino & Francisco Triguero, 2018. "Scientific knowledge percolation process and social impact: A case study on the biotechnology and microbiology perceptions on Twitter," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(6), pages 804-814.
    11. Jialiang Ni & Xiaodong Zheng & Yuman Zheng & Yunhe Zhang & Huan Li, 2023. "Coupling Coordination Development of the Ecological–Economic System in Hangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Sarah Elizabeth Mohabir & Yogesh C. Joshi & Darshana R. Dave, 2025. "A bibliometric analysis of the knowledge base on blue economies and sustainability," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 5(7), pages 1-27, July.
    13. Tuomas Mauno & Päivi Pelli & David N. Bengston & Jouni Pykäläinen & Teppo Hujala, 2025. "Interactive Horizon Scanning of the Forest Bioeconomy With a Nested Business Environment Framework," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(2), August.
    14. Per Dannemand Andersen, 2023. "Constructing Delphi statements for technology foresight," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(2), June.
    15. Bernardino Romano & Lorena Fiorini & Alessandro Marucci, 2019. "Italy without Urban ‘Sprinkling’. A Uchronia for a Country that Needs a Retrofit of Its Urban and Landscape Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    16. Kim, Hyunuk & Ahn, Sang-Jin & Jung, Woo-Sung, 2019. "Horizon scanning in policy research database with a probabilistic topic model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 588-594.
    17. Trumbo, Jennifer L. & Tonn, Bruce E., 2016. "Biofuels: A sustainable choice for the United States' energy future?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 147-161.
    18. Max Priebe & Sylvia Veit & Philine Warnke, 2025. "Understanding Foresight‐Policy Interactions: The Role of Institutionalization," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(1), April.
    19. Mariya Dobryakova & Zoya Kotelnikova, 2015. "Social Embeddedness of Technology: Prospective Research Areas," Foresight and STI Governance, National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 6-19.
    20. Fleming, Aysha & Jakku, Emma & Fielke, Simon & Taylor, Bruce M. & Lacey, Justine & Terhorst, Andrew & Stitzlein, Cara, 2021. "Foresighting Australian digital agricultural futures: Applying responsible innovation thinking to anticipate research and development impact under different scenarios," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10026-:d:1178576. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.