Lab 3: Blue Economy
The Blue Economy combines the views of oceans and seas as areas of entrepreneurial growth and economic development, on the one hand, and as vulnerable spaces that need to be protected, on the other hand. It goes beyond the traditional notion of the marine (or ocean) economy because of its emphasis on sustainability. The Blue Economy is mainly associated with SDG 14 Life Below Water, but it cannot be separated from other SDGs addressing societal challenges, such as poverty, inequality, consumption and pollution.
Although the Blue Economy highlights economic motives for the exploitation of marine resources, it indicates a shift towards sustainability, affecting society, economy, technology and education worldwide. The “Blue Economy” lab addresses the critical challenges and opportunities within the Blue Economy, combining enterprise and entrepreneurship in ocean-based industries, such as shipping, fishing, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology or renewable energy, with practices aiming to achieve environmental and social sustainability.
Lab Leader and Co-Leaders
Lab Members
Research Interests
The "Blue Economy" Research Lab is envisioned as a dynamic hub focusing on interdisciplinary research, innovation, and education in the field of the Blue Economy, with a specific emphasis on sustainability, entrepreneurship and responsible resource management.
- Interdisciplinary research: This includes marine entrepreneurial ecosystems, marine policies and transnational governance, sustainable management practices, and the sustainable use of finite marine resources.
- Sustainable business models in ocean-based industries: This includes the design and implementation of sustainable business models (e.g., feedstock business models, regenerative business models), ocean start-ups, and entrepreneurial ventures that are both profitable and environmentally responsible in the marine and coastal sectors.
Current Projects/Activities
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Achieving Sustainability in the Blue Economy Sustainability,
- Circular Economy Principles in the Blue Bioeconomy
Recent Projects
- Globalization from below: Labour inequality in the German shipbuilding industry, 1960-2000 (with Katharina Bothe, German Maritime Museum, Bremerhaven, Germany)
- Historiography in Management Research: Studying the German Shipbuilding Industry from Below (with Katharina Bothe, German Maritime Museum, Bremerhaven, Germany)
- Business model change in the Leibniz research museums – the German Maritime Museum as a case in point (with Noelle Singer and Florian Schrader, University of Bremen, Germany)
- Problem- and inquiry-based learning in alternative contexts: Using museums in management education (teaching project at the University of Bremen in collaboration with the German Maritime Museum, Bremerhaven)
External Partners
- Dr Katharina Bothe, Deputy Head of Programme “Seafaring and Society”, German Maritime Museum – Leibniz Institute for Maritime History, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Dr Paul Caussat, Lecturer in International Business, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway University of London, UK
- Dr Knut Lange, Associate Professor in Strategy and International Business, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK
Other
Past workshop series on the Blue Economy:
Phd Opportunities
We would welcome the opportunity to work with PhD students in the following areas:
- Innovation Processes in Sustainable Business Models within the Blue Bioeconomy.
- The Role of Digital Innovation in Developing Circular Blue Bioeconomy
- Governance Structures and Regulatory Influences on Blue Bioeconomy Businesses.
- Economic Viability and Profitability of Business Models in the Blue Bioeconomy.
- Case Studies of Successful Sustainable Initiatives in the Blue Bioeconomy: Lessons and Best Practices.