Vries, Jort de (2022) Integrating knowledge and policy in an uncertain world: the case of Offshore Wind Farm planning in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Master thesis.
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Final version MA thesis knowledge uptake in OWF development and MSP. J.W. de Vries (1).pdf Download (2MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The Netherlands and many other countries are rapidly expanding the rollout of Offshore Wind Farms on the North Sea to attain sustainable energy targets and ensure energy security. This causes unprecedented interventions and conflicts regarding the use of space in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Marine Spatial planning aims to govern the use of space at sea, keeping in mind the specific context of marine environments, but struggles to govern the rapidly growing Offshore Wind sector. Therefore, the development of knowledge regarding impacts on the North Sea system is rapidly increasing to allow for well-informed marine policy. This results in an extremely dynamic situation considering the rapid development of Wind at Sea as well as related policy and knowledge. Problems arise with the uptake of knowledge into policy. Knowledge uptake, or the acquisition and comprehension of diffuse information and its subsequent interpretation, valuation, and application into policy, is limitedly considered in scholarly literature concerning Marine Spatial Planning and Offshore Wind Farm development. This thesis bridges the research gap on knowledge uptake by investigating the current effectiveness of knowledge uptake in processes of Offshore Wind Farm development and policy and decision-making in Marine Spatial Planning. The thesis employs theories of intellectual capacity to assess the ability of Dutch institutions to add value to a system by using the potential of skills and knowledge. These theories include the concepts of: system understanding, or the comprehension of systems under study; knowledge integration or the sharing of knowledge among disciplines, sectors, and epistemic groups and the bundling of knowledge for integration into policy; and learning or the process of creating, retaining, and transferring knowledge, leading to changes in behaviour, skill, and attitude. Learning is divided in single loop learning, or the adaptation of action strategies, and double loop learning, or the adaptation of policy goals and frameworks. These concepts allow for a broad and in-depth analysis on the presence of knowledge-related capacities and how they contribute to knowledge uptake. To perform this analysis, an in-depth single-case analysis of the Dutch part of the North Sea was performed using a literature review, document analysis, semi-structured interviews, observations, and focus groups. Findings show an expected presence of attention for system understanding and single loop learning in the policy debate. Considerable knowledge uptake was found, demonstrating the presence of intellectual capacity. However, political interests, difficult circumstances for research at sea, and sectoral approaches were recognized as main barriers to knowledge uptake. Knowledge integration was found to be unexpectedly well developed and increasing due to the novel development of the Dutch North Sea talks. Double loop learning was recognized to be exceedingly time-consuming and largely dependent on supranational goal setting in the EU. The most important finding was that intellectual capacity is best developed when all its aspects are developed in tandem. Recommendations include: (1) the earlier inclusion of scientists in the decision making process of OWF development, (2) the alignment of expectations between researchers and policy-makers through more detailed knowledge contracts, (3) the development of an overarching institution for the consideration of Offshore Wind Farm and Marine Spatial planning related knowledge, knowledge developers, and knowledge users. Additionally, this study contributes to the academic debate by developing the mentioned definition of knowledge uptake.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Degree programme: | Spatial Sciences (Research) |
| Supervisor: | Spijkerboer, R.C. |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Sep 2022 11:22 |
| Last Modified: | 30 Sep 2022 11:22 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4072 |
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