Blue Garden

Blue Garden was conceived at a 3-day Sandpit (Idelab) workshop organized by the Norwegian Research Council in June 2016. Sandpits are interactive workshops with a highly multidisciplinary mix of participants, some active researchers and others potential users of research outcomes, to drive lateral thinking and radical approaches to address research challenges. In this case the Sandpit was dedicated to the transformation of Norwegian marine industries. Blue Gardens vision is based on the hypothesis that, in order to create an effective transformation, most people must feel ownership of the problem and be allowed to contribute. So the group proposed to create a new concept: not a research consortium nor a corporate network, but a knowledge consortium for cooperation between research and business. The Blue Garden knowledge consortium will contribute to growth in the Norwegian seaweed industry, specifically in the cultivation and processing of seaweed for human consumption based on many actors across the coast. Seaweed use CO2 and produce oxygen, and they reside far down in the food chain; therefore, they can contribute to a more sustainable diet than an animal-based diet does. Neither fertilization nor vaccination is needed - all that is needed is cold, clean water. Interest in seaweed cultivation has grown enormously during the year since the Idelab, and several of the new players are members of the Blue Garden consortium. Although the original funding of Blue Garden has expired, the consortium has formulated several joint projects to address questions relating to regulatory frameworks, smart technologies, health and environmental impact, innovative products and funding. There exist a wide range of issues that need to be high on the agenda, both for the industry, the research communities and the authorities, if this industry is to become as big and successful in Norway as many hope for.

Å utvikle og kommersialisere mangfoldet av spiselige marine planter langs Norskekysten gjennom et nettverk av små, privateide andelshavbruk - «blå hager» - organisert som et kooperativ, med et forskningssenter som nav i organisasjonen, der erfaringer deles, arter studeres og videreutvikles («avles»), standarder utvikles, etiske, rettslige og samfunnsvitenskapelige aspekter analyseres, konsekvenser utredes, brukergrupper involveres og finansiering koordineres. En underliggende hypotese er at for å oppnå suksess er det viktig å utvikle et rikt mangfold av arter, både for å tilfredsstille den menneskelige gane, men også for å legge til rette for lokalt engasjement, noe som vil skape mange arbeidsplasser og eierskap til det blågrønne økonomiske skiftet langs hele Norskekysten. En annen underliggende hypotese er at gjennom å samarbeide i et kooperativ vil man kunne samle så mye ressurser og kompetanse at konkurransefortrinnet for nye «blå hager» blir ubestridt.