The Swedish Maritime Strategy - for people, jobs and the environment, is a policy document for socially, environmentally and economically sustainable development in the Swedish maritime sectors.
Questions this practice may help answer
- What conditions are necessary to achieve the sustainable development of the maritime sectors in Sweden?
- What is the vision for the Swedish maritime sectors?
Implementation Context
The Swedish Maritime Strategy is a policy document that should include a clear structure for follow-up. In order to achieve the vision the document sets out, continuous work is needed in the areas that are highlighted in the strategy. As such, the focus needs to be on dialogue, knowledge exhanges and collaboration between all actors involved (both public and private).
Aspects / Objectives
The Swedish government has set out to take a holistic approach to all maritime industries and aims to realise the following vision: 'A competitive, innovative and sustainable maritime sector can contribute to increased employment, reduced environmental impact and an attractive living environment.' In fact, as the strategy sets out the direction that is needed to achieve the vision, the strategy is more of a process, rather than an end product. As the strategy focuses on issues such as sustainability, innovation and development, one of the objectives is also to promote the Swedish image abroad. The vision for the Swedish maritime sectors is based on a balanced marine environment, competitive maritime industries and attractive coastal areas.
Method
The strategy will be developed by way of dialogue with relevant actors, through which the most relevant areas will be identified for which measures are needed to achieve the objectives of the vision. Good conditions for the development of the Swedish maritime industries include:
- a healthy and safe marine environment (integrated actions coastal and marine management, eutrophication, marine litter, emissions, economic incentives)
- knowledge and innovation (making accessible and disseminating existing knowledge, promoting innovation and strategic partnerships, facilitating commercialisation of innovative products)
- maritime spatial planning (update and renew the support that is available for municipal planning in the maritime areas)
- functional rules and efficient permit processes (viewing combined effect of regulations, simplifying international regulatory framework, development of goal-based rules, harmonizing, simplifying and streamlining permit procedures)
- international cooperation (promoting EU Blue Growth financing schemes, cooperation in North Sea and Baltic Sea, monitor Swedish interests in international bodies)
- conditions for the business sector and industry-specific measures (competition-neutral conditions, harmonised rules and good terms)
The Swedish Maritime Strategy takes into account several maritime sectors:
- transport (strengthening the competitiveness of Swedish ports, improving infrastructure in coastal areas, equeal competitive conditions)
- maritime technology and production (development of platforms for marketing and communication for exports, investing in opportunities for new technologies)
- the sea as a natural resource: marine foodstuffs (identifying suitable areas and technologies, investing in farming of micro- and macroalgae)
- energy (continue investments in marine-based windpower)
- minerals and bioresources (review prospects and consequences of marine-based extractions, research potential use of bioactive substances for biomedicine and biotechnology)
- leisure and tourism (product development to prolong the tourist season, invest in collaboration between actors, recreational boating, angling, cultural maritime heritage)
- service (improve rules that enable companies operating in Sweden to provide services)
Main Outputs / Results
The summary of the Swedish Maritime Strategy is available in the English language. The full document is only available in Swedish. A process for the follow-up and evaluation will be initiated by the Swedish government. Such a process will include a continuous dialogue with relevant actors on the necessity of certain measures.
transferability
The Swedish Maritime Strategy contains elements that are of interest to other countries that are developing a Maritime Strategy, insofar as it addresses general conditions that are necessary for the sustainable development of maritime industries.
Responsible Entity
Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation