SafeSeas holds Ideaslab

For a number of years the SafeSeas network has been holding bi-annual events at which ongoing or planned research projects are discussed. These so-called Ideaslabs have the primary purpose to discuss, explore and advance early ideas for maritime security related research.

At the winter 2020 ideaslab, held on the 3rd of December, four ideas were discussed. Felix Mallin, National University of Singapore, introduced a range of ideas why we need to take a critical stance towards the idea of the blue economy, and argued for the need to pay more attention of how participates in blue economy debates and benefits from it.

Katja Lidskov Jacobsen, University of Copenhagen, introduced her work on capacity building for maritime security. Drawing on some of the first insights of the AMARIS project, she called for particular attention to the dark side and potential negative impacts of current capacity building initiatives.

Kristian Søby Kristensen and Lin Alexandra Mortensgaard, both University of Copenhagen, introduced their work on the politics of icebreakers. They argued that the status given to icebreakers as a tool for foreign policy and strategy in particular in relation to the Arctic region is puzzling.

The last presentation was by Christian Bueger and Tobias Liebetrau. Presenting the first insights of the ongoing project on submarine data cables, they argued that current research pays insufficient attention to the broader questions of the geopolitics and security of the global cable infrastructures.

The next ideaslab will be held in Spring 2021.