Marine research funding tripled in ten years

Funding for marine research has almost tripled in the last ten years. Norway now commits almost NOK 3 billion annually to research within the marine sector.

”Figures like this are very satisfying,” comments Norway’s Minister for Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. ”Without investments in knowledge, the growth we have seen in the seafood industry would not have been possible. Access to knowledge is a critical key factor in strengthening the future competitiveness of the industry within an environmentally sustainable framework.

”However, the report also shows that we must keep working to further increase the industry’s commitment to research and development within the marine sector,” concludes Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.

The Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education has been mapping resource funding for marine research in Norway since 1999. The report for 2009 is now available.

For further information, please visit the Research Council of Norway’s website