IOI was represented at the Maritime Spatial Planning Cooperation Workshop held in Beijing by Dr Andrej Abramic (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), an IOI alumnus from the 2010 Malta class, who has been contributing his expertise on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as a member of faculty of the IOI Malta and Turkmenistan Ocean Governance Training Programmes since 2017.
The China Oceanic Development Foundation (CODF), established in 2015, aims to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, foster blue partnerships, and contribute to global ocean governance. In line with its mission, CODF has launched eight initiatives, including projects on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), blue economy development, ocean-related forums and research, capacity building, marine knowledge dissemination, marine cleanups, and the promotion of marine culture.
To put these initiatives into practice, CODF, in collaboration with governmental partners, organised this workshop to provide a platform for China to promote its vision for sustainable development within the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in marine-related projects.
The one day workshop brought together representatives from 60 countries and 10 international organisations. This collective approach emphasised the importance of international collaboration in the planning and management of marine spaces. More than 300 participants attended these sessions and it was held in parallel with more than 70 interventions.
During the Blue Economy Development session, Dr Abramic introduced the IOI capacity building network and presented the state-of-the-art research on MSP conducted by projects PLASMAR, PLASMAR+. He shared studies on Environmental Impact Analyses for aquaculture, fisheries, maritime transport, and offshore wind energy, and also outlined a conceptual approach to Cumulative Impact Assessment, which evaluates the combined impacts of various maritime sectors to support marine planning and sustainable blue economy development.
The workshop provided an invaluable opportunity to strengthen international networks and promote collaboration between stakeholders from various sectors. By sharing insights and best practices, the event fostered meaningful exchanges that will undoubtedly contribute to future advancements in marine spatial planning and blue economy development.
Prior to the workshop, Dr Abramic had a brief meeting, organised by IOI China’s host Institute, the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS), with Mr Pan Xinchun, Vice President and Secretary-General of CODF, where they exchanged gifts of mutual appreciation and briefly discussed potential collaboration between academia and the Belt and Road Initiative.