News & Events

Economics Students as Sea!

The M. Global Environmental Economics students recently took part in the seagoing training that has been part of the Masters programme for over a decade. The field trip took place on Thursday the 27st of February. Students and instructors are pictured below disembarking the national research vessel, the RV Tom Crean. The training focuses specifically on economic activities taking place in Cork Harbour and a hands-on examination of the methods by which marine scientists collect data that can be used by economists for bio-economic modelling, analysing the impacts of economic activities on the marine environment and valuation of marine ecosystem service benefits.

SEMRU to partner on new EU LIFE project.

The LIFE-MAPPER project seeks to consolidate current knowledge and best practices in marine habitat mapping and restoration. Recent research highlights that vast areas of EU marine habitats remain unmapped, with existing maps often lacking detailed biological data on species and communities. To address this, comprehensive guidelines are needed to systematize habitat information across EU marine regions and align efforts with directives like the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive, and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The LIFE-MAPPER project aims to develop guidelines for mapping marine habitats, selecting suitable restoration technologies, and conducting a cost/benefit analysis of mapping benthic habitat types. The project will recommend a framework for prioritizing conservation and restoration actions to maximize ecological benefits and optimize resource allocation. By working with EU Member States, the European Commission, and relevant agencies, LIFE-MAPPER will help advance the implementation of environmental directives, ensuring effective marine conservation and restoration across Europe. SEMRU will partner with six other research organisations from across Europe on the project and will be responsible for work package four that aims to understand the full suite of costs involved in marine restoration activities aimed at achieving the targets under the EU Nature Restoration Law. The National Research Council of Italy are the lead partner on the project. The project is due to start in July 2025.

Latest ocean economy report highlights post-pandemic recovery across the sector

SEMRU, in partnership with the Marine Institute, has published the latest report on the performance of Ireland’s ocean economy, providing a comprehensive analysis of the sector's economic contributions and trends.

The report reveals that Ireland’s ocean economy achieved a turnover of €6.5 billion in 2023, contributing €2.7 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and supporting approximately 39,000 jobs. Over the five-year period from 2019 (pre-COVID) to 2023, turnover increased by 20%, GVA rose by 31%, and employment grew by 8%, demonstrating the resilience and steady expansion of the country’s marine industries.

While the overall turnover and GVA showed moderate declines between 2022 and 2023, eight out of 13 marine sectors experienced growth, reflecting a robust post-pandemic recovery. Sectors such as Shipping, Sea Fisheries, Aquaculture, Seafood Processing, and the Gas industry faced specific challenges contributing to declines, but the broader trends point to a period of adaptation and innovation.

Welcoming the report, Dr Rick Officer, CEO of the Marine Institute, stated: “I am delighted that the Marine Institute, in partnership with the University of Galway, has published Ireland’s 2024 Ocean Economy Report. This report not only highlights the impressive economic contributions of Ireland’s marine industries but also underscores their strategic importance in shaping a sustainable future for our country. Capturing detailed insights and trends including measuring the economic value of our marine industries is an important element of our work in supporting Government with the best available evidence to inform policy. This collaboration, supported by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), provides a robust analytical framework to inform marine and maritime planning and deliver equitable and sustainable ocean and coastal economies.”

Commenting on the findings, Professor Stephen Hynes, Director of SEMRU at the University of Galway, said: “It is clear from the data and trends that there is a continuing post-pandemic recovery across most sectors. This remains a period of transition for Ireland’s ocean economy as marine industries innovate and respond to new policies and opportunities aimed at addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.”

The full report, Ireland’s Ocean Economy, 2024, is now available to download at http://hdl.handle.net/10793/1999.

WIN-BIG project presents results about gender inequalities in the blue economy

WIN-BIG project member Dr. Hasmik Grigoryan presented results from her work at the Economics discipline seminar (J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics) on January 23. 

The research results, carried out in the framework of the EU-funded WIN-BIG project, focused on the findings from a systematic literature review about gender discrimination in the EU blue economy sectors. Various gender inequalities, such as invisible status of females, occupational segregation, lack of capital and training opportunities, lack of efficient policies and safety issues were discussed during the seminar. It was highlighted that women in the blue economy sectors related to marine robotics and research lack training and funding opportunities. While, in the marine based sectors such as maritime transport and offshore occupations females may face safety issues. The research findings emphasized that data collection, policy and institutional changes are required to decrease the existing gender inequalities and improve the attractiveness of the sectors.

MASTS project visits the Central Bank for Nollaig na mBan event.

The Central Bank of Ireland held their annual Nollaig na mBan event this January 9^th in Dublin. As a part of the event the MASTS Project’s Dr. Julian Worley attended was able to showcase the progress made on the project so far. She was a part of a cohort of early career women researchers in Economics who were invited to present posters detailing their current work. It was a great event and provided opportunities for networking amongst colleagues in different economic subfields.