Images: Rebecca Eriksson, Nordregio

1. Introduction

How can marine spatial planning better serve all those who depend on the oceans, and whose knowledge shapes these processes?

Mounting pressures are challenging how we govern and manage our coastal and marine areas. Offshore energy developments compete with traditional fishing grounds (van Hoey et al., 2021), melting Arctic sea ice is opening new shipping routes through already fragile ecosystems (Liu et al., 2024) and deep-sea mining proposals are emerging alongside calls for expanded marine environmental protection (Singh & Jaeckel, 2024). In turn, these converging pressures are creating complex trade-offs and increasing the need for methods and tools that can bring stakeholders and their interests together. To this end, marine/maritime spatial planning (hereafter MSP) has become the primary approach in the North Atlantic region. Often defined as a process for “analysing and allocating parts of three-dimensional marine spaces to specific uses, to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives that are usually specified through the political process” (Douvere & Ehler, 2009, p.18), it helps governments balance multiple and sometimes competing priorities in increasingly crowded and changing oceans. Yet, for many coastal communities, such as fishers, Indigenous peoples and local residents, the ocean is not an abstract governance challenge. It is a source of livelihoods, cultural identity and knowledge passed down across generations. The processes used to manage and plan marine space often struggle to reflect this reality, and while this challenge is not new, it is becoming increasingly consequential as MSP continues to develop.

As MSP has seen widespread adoption, its implementation is also evolving. Driven by the need for more efficient and adaptive planning, there is a growing reliance on digital technologies and data – a shift that has been described in research as the “digital turn” of MSP (Davret et al., 2024). This digital turn is evident in the expanding use of new technologies and digital tools, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other mapping tools, geospatial platforms, decision-support systems (DSS), digital twin technologies and applications using artificial intelligence (e.g. Miedtank et al., 2024; Pınarbaşı et al., 2017; Schwartz-Belkin & Portman, 2022). These tools provide new ways to collect, analyse and communicate information, supporting more informed and adaptive decision-making and reshaping how planners work with information and make decisions about marine spaces.

While creating new opportunities, this digital turn also raises important questions about whose knowledge shapes MSP and how this influences decisions and outcomes. As digitally driven processes tend to favour information that can be easily digitalised, standardised, mapped and quantified, there is growing concern that Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK), often intangible, experiential and place-based in nature (UNESCO-IOC and UNESCO-LINKS, 2024), may be overlooked in MSP processes. This risks losing local perspectives and experiences that scientific data alone cannot capture. Consequently, a key challenge lies in ensuring that digital transformation of MSP processes supports rather than undermines the integration of diverse knowledge systems, which are essential for achieving more just and equitable MSP outcomes.

This policy brief is produced as part of the “Local Knowledge in Marine Spatial Planning, Green Transition and Digital Transformation” project and funded by the Working Group for Fisheries (AG-Fisk) under the Nordic Council of Ministers. It examines these dynamics across the North Atlantic region, primarily focusing on Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Scotland. Drawing on findings from the project, the brief explores the challenges these countries have faced in integrating ILK and local data into MSP and presents seven key messages for improving knowledge integration as digital transformation continues to reshape MSP processes.

Who is this brief for?

This brief is intended for policymakers, marine governance and planning authorities and professionals working in and with coastal communities across the North Atlantic region. It also aims to support decision-makers, particularly at the local level, in integrating ILK into MSP in ways that promote meaningful involvement. While not all North Atlantic countries have developed formal MSP, many engage in marine management that addresses similar challenges, making MSP a useful lens for understanding how digital tools, ILK and marine governance intersect in practice. The insights generated are therefore relevant not only to MSP but also to broader marine management approaches both within and beyond the North Atlantic region.

Research methods

This policy brief builds upon multiple sources:

A systematic literature review synthesised existing research on MSP, ILK and digital transformation. The findings were compiled into the workshop report “Integrating local knowledge and data in marine spatial planning and management - Challenges and opportunities in the North Atlantic Region”.
A two-day physical workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland brought together researchers, practitioners, planners and local community representatives from the North Atlantic region to examine: (1) current MSP approaches; (2) practices of ILK integration into MSP; (3) the influence of digital tools and data use on the integration of ILK into MSP.
A one-day digital workshop with experts from the region focused on presenting the progress made, discussing the direction of the project, future outputs and gathering input to inform the design and content of the final workshop.
A two-day hybrid writing workshop in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, gathered practitioners and researchers from the region both in person and online to collaboratively produce a workshop report (published in spring 2026) documenting case studies and developing key messages for better integration of ILK into increasingly digital MSP processes. The case examples presented throughout this brief are drawn from this workshop report. Readers wishing to explore individual cases in greater depth are encouraged to consult the full report once available.

This brief draws on extensive collaboration across the North Atlantic region and beyond, with a particular focus on knowledge exchange between researchers, planners and stakeholders. Throughout the project, a stakeholder advisory board provided continuous guidance, offering feedback on outputs and shaping the project's direction. As such, this brief represents the input of numerous contributors from the region who helped realise this project.