Ocean Decade

Our work for the Ocean Decade is guided by a partnership agreement with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (IOC-UNESCO) and by our membership in the Ocean Decade Alliance.

IOC-UNESCO partnership

Fugro’s partnership with IOC-UNESCO includes tangible, in-kind support to the Ocean Decade via loan of experts to the IOC-Secretariat in Paris with the goal of scaling up private-sector participation in the Ocean Decade. These seconded staff are leading the establishment and administration of two key ocean science working groups:

• Ocean Decade Data Coordination Group: focused on the Ocean Decade’s ‘digital ecosystem’ which is needed to discover, access, share, manage, distribute and provide the interoperability of ocean science data.

• Ocean Decade Corporate Data Group: focused on the development of equitable frameworks and mechanisms for accelerating public access to privately-held ocean science data.

Both groups are essential to achieving one of the outcomes envisioned for the Ocean Decade: an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information and technology, and innovation.

Ocean Decade Alliance

The Ocean Decade Alliance is an eminent network of global leaders and institutions working to catalyse support for the Ocean Decade through targeted resource mobilization, networking and influence. As a member of the Alliance, Fugro is: collaborating and coordinating with other Alliance members to leverage existing commitments that will raise awareness about Ocean Decade objectives and activities worldwide; creating a platform for demonstrating the role and power of science in providing solutions for ocean sustainability; and establishing a broad international network that stimulates additional actions and commitments in the framework of the Ocean Decade across all levels of society.

Our leadership with the Ocean Decade Corporate Data Group is an example of the type of leveraging and scaling that is sought via Alliance members. Co-chaired by Fugro CEO Mark Heine and IOC-UNESCO Executive Secretary Dr Vladimir Ryabinin, we are collaborating to establish a broad, international network of leading private‑sector Geo‑data owners who together will develop the mechanisms and frameworks needed to properly incentivise and motivate businesses to incorporate their ocean science data within the Ocean Decade digital ecosystem.

Learn more about the Ocean Decade: