VIENNA, 03 October - In a dynamic and evolving world, the blue economy has emerged as a pivotal force driving sustainable development. Recently, UNIDO convened a ground-breaking portfolio sensemaking workshop at its Headquarters, held from 25-29 September, focusing on the contribution of the blue industry to the blue economy. The workshop brought together project managers and staff from the Organization’s various Divisions and Directorates to promote a “One UNIDO” strategic approach, facilitating enhanced coordination, efficiency and policy coherence between the Organization’s associated endeavours, as well as integrating new technologies and digitalization. This approach mirrors UNIDO’s strategic motto of “progress by innovation”.

The blue economy has become an increasingly relevant concept in international development in recent years, as evidenced by the inclusion of Goal 14 in the 2030 Agenda, “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.

The workshop was jointly led by UNIDO’s Innovation Lab (InnoLab) and SME Development and Job Creation Unit, and was facilitated by Gina Belle, Director and Chief Executive Officer at Chôra Design, who introduced participants to Chôra’s portfolio sensemaking methodology, which supports sustained, collaborative strategic learning and decision-making towards system impact and transformation effects. A number of UNIDO colleagues also introduced their technical cooperation and policy projects, aiming to familiarize colleagues with their blue economy outputs and to seek synergies and potential new avenues of collaboration, as well as mechanisms for scaling-up of existing initiatives, especially at the regional level.

Participants also undertook an analysis of UNIDO’s challenges and assets for blue economy industrial development, as well as making recommendations to increase organizational efficiency and resource mobilization to this end. A number of actions have been taken on foot of the workshop, with the announcement of the establishment of a UNIDO Joint Taskforce on Blue Industry, to steer coordination of future actions; the forthcoming production of an outcome document and Conference Room Paper for consideration at the UNIDO Industrial Development Board; and closer cooperation on the existing portfolio of blue industry projects, with the aim of maximizing impact and value added for project beneficiaries.

The workshop was coordinated by Alejandro Rivera-Rojas, Industrial Development Officer, and Adnan Seric, InnoLab Manager. Following the conclusion of the workshop, Mr. Rivera-Rojas said: “We are delighted with the outcomes of the UNIDO Portfolio Sensemaking Workshop on the Blue Industry contribution to Blue Economy, which aims to harness a collaborative approach to blue economy initiatives within our organization. We feel that the outcomes of this process will enable us to improve and scale-up the effectiveness of our interventions in UNIDO Member States, and we look forward to implementing this innovative approach in the very near future.”

As we navigate this era of interconnected challenges, UNIDO aims to pave the way toward a future where the blue industry not only thrives but also serves as a beacon of sustainability and prosperity for people and the planet.

To learn more about UNIDO’s current portfolio of blue economy industrial initiatives, visit our Open Data Platform via the following link: https://open.unido.org/projects/M2/projects/220045