CRAFT

Knowledge Integration and Blue Futures

About us

The Research Group CRAFT leads research activities integrating various disciplinary perspectives and academic/non-academic knowledge, aiming to provide science, solutions, and advice for societal, industrial, and political adaptation to complex future challenges in the marine and coastal areas. The keywords of the group are critical futures thinking, inter-/transdisciplinarity, and new technologies and competences in the Blue Sector.



Member of:

* The Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Ships (NFAS)

* The Ocean Autonomy Cluster (OAC)

* The European Social Simulation Association (ESSA)

Organisational partner:

* CRAFT/ENCODE movie series at Verdensteater Cinematek, 2023-2024, Tromsø, Norway

* Review of Social Simulation and Artificial Societies (RofASSS)

* Social Simulation Festival 2021, 2022, 2023

IDEA – International Workshop on Interdisciplinary Design of Emotion Sensitive Agents, 30 May 2023, London, UK

Research Group leader: Melania Borit.

Members


Enter (and critique) the future!

CRAFT Lab & ENCODE network presentseries of film screenings in cooperation with Verdensteatret Cinematek on pressing issues such as automation and the development of autonomous technical systems, the implications of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the societal, political, cultural, and economic ramifications of digitization, and the changing relations between humans and machines. Each film will be introduced by a scholar associated with the groups. After the screenings there will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues taken up in the movies.

Next screening: 20 February 2024, 18:00, Verdensteatret. More information here.

The Terminator (1984) - IMDb

Previous screenings:

Projects

AI-EDU 
AI-Based Tools in Education: Challenges, Possibilities, and Reflected Implementation (UiT, 2024).

Towards modelling Autonomous Fishing Operating Systems (Postdoc project - Timo Szczepanska)
A critical futures-informed study of conceptualizing and simulating the various variables and factors that are at play when fishing becomes autonomous  (Research Council of Norway, 2023-).

Thinking Co-Futures: Exploring Imaginaries of Emerging Technologies in Aquaculture Production (PhD project - Èva Cossette-Laneville)
A study of possible futures regarding the development of the Norwegian aquaculture sector as made possible by technological innovation (Research Council of Norway, 2023-).

The future control and surveillance of the Norwegian commercial fishing fleet from a legislator perspective (Postdoc project - Guri Hjallen Eriksen)
A study of the internal legal regulation of the commercial fishing fleet in Norway, with the main emphasis on how we can and should in the future control commercial wild fisheries given the rapid technological development in society (Research Council of Norway, 2023-).

Imagining "technology for tomorrow": Co-shaping the next-generation technology in a multi-agent socio-technological network (PhD project - Marianna Osokina)
A study of sociotechnical imaginaries of the small-scale fisheries in Northern-Norway (Research Council of Norway, 2023-).

Safeguarding just ocean futures in the Arctic through empowering stakeholders’ creativity and future imaginaries (PhD project - Krisztina Jónás )
A study of how to raise awareness about various uncertain futures through creativity. (Research Council of Norway, 2022-).

FLOW - Future Lives with Oceans and Waters
Transdisciplinary foresight study for strengthening the relation of the young generation with the ocean. (HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-05-02, 2023-2024).

FUTURES4Fish
Adaptive socio-technological solutions for Norwegian fisheries and aquaculture (Research Council of Norway, 2022-2026).

Blue Route of Discovery
Doctoral school with focus on distance supervision and advancement of professional skills through collaboration with marine research institutes and industry in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean (EEA Grants Portugal, 2022-2024).

AnxsAI - Anxiety-Sensitive Artificial Intelligence
Study of Artificial Intelligence-based systems that can replicate or account for human anxiety (Umeå University, 2022-).

Autonomous technologies and the future of the Norwegian Small Scale Jigging Fleet (PhD project - Lakshika Hasini Kahanda Kanaththege)
An analysis of possible impacts, needed workforce skills, and future business models (Research Council of Norway, 2021-).

Technological development and innovation in the Norwegian small-scale jigging fleet - an autonomous systems approach (PhD project - Helene Skjønhals Jensen)
An analysis of past and future technological developments of the fleet, using service design methodology (Research Council of Norway, 2021-).

Centre for Coastal Culture
Advancement of local culture and economy through collaboration among fishers associations, museums, and researchers (EEA Grants Portugal, 2021-2024).

SAMAKI
Capacity building through postgraduate education and research collaboration in fisheries, nutrition, livelihoods, gender and rights in Tanzania (NORAD, 2021-2027).

GEDAI
Education and training for ethical designers of responsible Artificial Intelligence (Umeå University, 2021-).

AFO-JIGG
Service design thinking to improve welfare and product quality in the Norwegian small-scale fishing fleet (Research Council of Norway, 2020-2024).

Nor-Lanka Blue
Network in Aquatic Innovation, Norway-Sri-Lanka (DIKU, 2019-2023).

Size-spectra in marine eco-systems (PhD project - Cristiane Paraletti Bernardo)
A statistical and modelling analysis of how marine ecosystems have changed and may change in the future (UiT, 2018-).

Using games and Agent-Based Models for research (PhD project - Timo Szczepanska)
Defining a methodology to combine games and Agent-Based Models to address issues raised by complex adaptive systems (UiT, 2018-2023).


News


January 2024 - Exploratory workshop on AI and education

On January 22, CRAFT and ENCODE arranged a 1-day exploratory workshop on Large Language Models (LLMs) and chatbots in higher education. The event featured seven talks by scholars from UiT and other Norwegian universities and, among others, covered themes such as student attitudes towards ChatGPT, effects of LLMs on student learning, and implications of the technology for society and politics. Plenary discussions, group works, and a round-table enabled productive scholarly exchange and networking. The workshop served as a kick-off event for the project AI-EDU that is aimed at developing an in-service teacher training course on LLMs-uses at an upper-secondary level and three shorter modules to be integrated in teacher training programmes at UiT. (Text: HP / Photo: Christina Lentz)



 

December 2023 - Let’s GAM, everybody!

Is your research about complex systems? If yes, have you ever thought of combining games and agent-based models in your studies? You can find out how in Timo Szczepnska’s PhD thesis. Timo has successfully defended his PhD degree on the 4th of December. The two external members of his evaluation committee, Christophe Le Page (CIRAD, France) and Brian Castellani (Durham University, UK), were happy to travel to Tromsø for this unique event in the life of a researcher. Also in the picture, Bjørn-Petter Finstad (UiT; internal member of the evaluation committee), Eva-Stina Isabella Edholm (Vice-Leader Education, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, UiT), and two of his supervisors, Melania Borit (Craft Lab) and Tobias Schröder (Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, Germany). Well done, Timo! (Text: MB; Photo: Cornel Borit)




November 2023 - CRAFT present in Sjømatløftet to create awareness of digital technology

Hasini and Jorge travelled to Finnsnes, for the Sjømatløftet seminar, as a part of the communication activities for projects AFO-JIGG and FUTURES4Fish. This was also a contribution to the professional development plan for bachelor students developed by the BFE faculty (UiT) and the Blue Competence Centre, a state-industrial partnership. Jorge presented simple examples of the mechanics of AI, some of the applications of digitech in different stages of the fishing and aquaculture value chains, as well as some of the dilemmas CRAFT Lab is disclosing. He also voiced the need to attract Norwegian students to this field. (Text: JS; Photo: HKKL)





November 2023 - Thinking the futures. The outreach sessions in Tromsø schools

In keeping with the tradition during Forskningsdagene / Bestill en forsker, Melania and Jorge are out again meeting pupils and teachers in different schools in the Tromsø area and beyond. The topic is the same, Thinking the Futures, but we are making small tweaks to adapt it to the different age groups, activity levels, team sizes, and time availability in schools. New for 2023 is that we have as starting points for discussion video cuts from different sci-fi movies. These are based on literature and plots written since the 17th Century to recent days. Working with engaged pupils and teachers is rewarding, and they seem to appreciate an experience out of the ordinary. (Text: JS; Photo: MB)





October 2023 - Fresh off the press!

Krisztina, one of the CRAFT-lab members, has co-authored a paper on bioregionalism that has just been published! While it might sound like a new term, bioregionalism has been around for decades as a sustainability movement. The interdisciplinary authors team of this paper were curious to hear what leading bioregional thinkers can share about contemporary bioregionalism. Thus, the paper reflects on insights from interviews made with key bioregional thinkers and explores what it can offer to sustainability challenges. If you want to learn more, take a look at the paper, which can be accessed free of charge here. (Text: KJ)





September 2023 - CRAFT goes to Glasgow

Lab members Melania, Zoheb, Timo, and our affiliated members Bruce, Loïs, and Tobias ventured to the Social Simulation Conference 2023 in Glasgow, UK. The conference is a highlight of the year for the agent-based modelling community in Europe. For us, the conference was a beautiful experience with fascinating presentations, meetings with friends, and evening dinners where we discussed new project ideas and future cooperations. CRAFT made its mark by hosting two special tracks (Qual2Rule and Sense & Sensibility) and having four presentations. (Text: TS)





August 2023 - CRAFT present at AquaNor

Several CRAFT Lab members visited AquaNor in Trondheim, an aquaculture conference and fair. The conference revolved around aquaculture's challenges and possibilities in contributing to the green shift in Norway and globally and its role in global food production. But the color of this shift is not only green; it is also a turquoise revolution and that of seaweed, as Thierry Chopin (University New Brunswick, Canada) talked about its immense potential. The fair showcased hundreds of aquaculture innovations, from cage technologies to automated and remote-control systems, to ensure this emerging industry's environmental and social sustainability. Nevertheless, challenges remain, as Rachel Tiller (SINTEF Ocean, Norway) reminds us: we indeed want more food from the ocean, but not at all cost. One of the CRAFT researchers, Zoheb Mashiur, shared his insights at the conference: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwNwSTWMBUK/ (Text: KJ; Photo: MB)





August 2023 - Keep safe when at sea!

CRAFT members Hasini, Kriszti, Zoheb, and Èva took part in the Arcos STCW basic safety training for seafarers! They learned to extinguish different types of fires with the appropriate equipment, to save each other at sea, and to be a first aid responder. It was a challenging and physically demanding training which made them work together and strengthened the team spirit. Not forgetting the beautiful weather, they were lucky to have during that week! They are now qualified to go on board fishing vessels for their research. (Text: ECL)





For more news, scroll down the page.

Grants

The CRAFT Research Lab announces grants for students (Bachelor’s and Master’s) and PhD candidates interested in training and/or research related to the core topics of the lab: inter/transdisciplinarity, transformative research, or futures perspective, all in the context of marine and coastal development. The grants are of up to 5 000 nok, but, if there are good reasons, one can apply for more.

Interested persons must submit an application of max 500 words explaining: 1) how the training/research is related to the core topics of the lab (as indicated above); 2) how the grant  contributes to the development of the applicant; and 3) how the money will be used (e.g. participation fee for course/conference/workshop; travel and/or accommodation for conference/workshop/course; membership in an association; research and/or training material etc.).

There is no application deadline; incoming applications will be processed continuously.

Requests for information and applications can be sent to melania [-dot-] borit [-at-] uit [-dot-] no.

Grantees...


...and their story

 


Spring 2023 - Travelogue: sharks, rays and people in Sri Lanka

February 2023, Kalkudah. A letter from Johanne Knutsen, a student from the Bachelor program on Fisheries & Aquaculture at UiT, who is doing her research with the Blue Resources Trust. “BRT does research on coral reefs, fisheries, sustainable livelihoods, marine protected areas, and the development of domestic and international marine policy. In these last weeks, I have participated in their survey work on fisheries and sustainable livelihoods on sharks and rays in local landing sites. It’s interesting to see how the fishermen work, and how different the catch is here compared to what I am used to in Norway. I have learned so much during my stay here and this has sparked my interest in international fisheries.” Johanne is partly sponsored by CRAFT Lab at UiT. (News taken from Nor-Lanka Blue.)




Education

Arktis2030 Project Proposal Contest
Aquiring and practicing skills in project organisation and collaboration through writing a grant proposal for the Arktis2030 call by the Troms og Finnmark County (2023). Photo: Kelp Conservation and Urchin Management Group (winners of the contest) and two memebrs of the evaluation panel.

Museum Exhibition Challenge
Aquiring and practicing skills in project organisation and collaboration through conceptualising a museum exhibition in connection with the Centre for Coastal Culture project (EEA Grants Portugal) (2022).

SimFish
Inovative teaching and learning in fisheries and aquaculture (2016-2019).

Wikifjord
A digital storyline roleplaying game with the aim of training media and communication students in tasks relevant for their later jobs (2015-2016).

 Simulated Internship in a Virtual Environment (SIVIR)
 Preparing students for real life: learning modelling and data analysis  through virtual internship in fisheries management    (2015-2016).

IFM Club
Growing organisational skills through practice in a real-world context (2014-2022).

Graduations (PhD) & Theses (BSc)



In the media

22.10.2021 - Centre for Coastal Culture

This EEA funded project has assembled a city council, a fishery cooperative and a fisher association, museums, and researchers in Portugal and Norway.

Read more.

03.03.2021 - Nor-Lanka Blue

– Korona kunne ikke stoppe oss!

Sulakkana og Shobiya fra Sri Lanka er to heldige utvekslingsstudenter som fikk komme til UiT i koronatiden.

Read more.

Contact

melania [-dot-] borit [-at-] uit [-dot-] no

Previous news

July 2023 - Getting concepts right

Understanding what concepts your collagues are using is crucial in interdisciplinary research. "Sustainability" might not mean for a social sceintist the same as for an economist. In order to facilitate exchanges on the topic of “changing human-water relations” from both a domain- and critical-perspective, the research team of the FLOW project put together a compendium that clarifies a series of concepts and theories: the FLOW Encyclopædia. Anyone interested to learn about terms spanning natural resource management, socio-ecological systems, futures studies, science and technology studies, critical theory, literature studies, and arts can download this document from here. (Text: MB; Photo: FLOW)





June 2023 - Students, fish, and cultural exchange in Sesimbra

We got a postcard from Cecilie Backer, a student and travel leader who visited our partners in Sesimbra. “We were a batch of 34 students from Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences who traveled to Portugal in June, after graduation from the Norwegian College of Fishery Science. We stayed most of the time in Lisbon. But we could hardly miss the sea and spent one day in Sesimbra. There we met Iolanda Ávila and Andreia Conceição, from the municipality, who welcomed us and guided us through the day. We started at Sesimbra Maritime Museum, where we learned about the history of the town, and were later invited for a traditional seafood meal at a local restaurant. After lunch, we attended a fish auction and ended the tour with a round of a production hall. It was a very educational day, thank you for welcoming us!” (Text: CB)





May 2023 - Center for Women's and Gender Research hosts a CRAFT seminar

The Center for Women's and Gender Research at UiT collaborated with CRAFT to organize a seminar titled "Sex, Gender, and Intersectional Analysis". The seminar was led by Lilli Mittner, an expert from the Center for Women's and Gender Research. During the seminar, Mittner covered various aspects related to power, gender, and intersectionality dynamics. She also discussed transformative research approaches that incorporated gender awareness, intersectional analysis, and feminist posthumanist theories. This seminar offered an interactive and engaging setting for insightful discussions and will aid us in integrating gender lenses into our own research. (Text: HKKL; Photo: JS)



May 2023 - New postdoctoral researcher joins the CRAFT team

Guri Hjallen Eriksen was raised in a fisheries community in Lofoten and returned to Kabelvåg in 2018 after 18 years away for studies and work in Tromsø and Oslo. «I loved growing up by the sea and always knew I was going to move home eventually. I am very excited for the opportunity to do postdoctoral research based in Lofoten». She holds a PhD in law from the University of Oslo (UiO) and a master’s degree in fisheries science from UiT The Arctic University of Norway. She has practical experience with ocean governance from working eight years in the Norwegian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Fisheries and two years in corporate law. This spring she started her postdoc at UiO, as part of the FUTURES4Fish project. She combines the postdoc with a part time position as a researcher in the company SALT (in the main office in Svolvær). The topic of her postdoctoral project is how the future monitoring and control of commercial fisheries can and should be carried out, with emphasis on the role of technology. (Text: GHE; Photo: Snorre Sklet).






April 2023 - "Hello!", says our newest colleague

Zoheb Mashiur has joined the CRAFT group as a researcher in the FLOW and FUTURES4Fish projects. "I’ve worked and studied across a range of fields, and I bring what I know and love into everything I do. I’ve worked as an author, poet, editor, journalist, and illustrator. I have my qualifications in economics, migration, and security studies, and I've just defended a thesis on colonial discourses in the Indian Army during WWI under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action MOVES jointly under the University of Kent and Charles University, Prague. My current passion is the cultural critique of new media, such as video games and tabletop roleplaying games. How is 21st century media representing 21st century discourse? How do we imagine and play our future with ourselves and our planet? How does the past inform the future via the technologies and cultural products of today? I’m very excited to answer these questions." (Text: ZM; Photo: ECL)






March 2023 - CRAFT diversifies its crew

Èva Cossette-Laneville recently started as PhD candidate in the FUTURES4Fish project. She moved from Canada to Denmark in 2015 where she acquired a BA in Global Humanities and a MA in Cultural Studies and International Development Studies at Roskilde University. During her studies, Èva developed an interest in decolonial work, previously focusing on migration and systemic racism within Europe and later on to Indigenous decolonization in the Canadian Arctic. She is interested in resource extraction and governance, Indigenous sovereignty, and place-making in the Arctic. She is looking forward to delving more into these issues in a Norwegian/Arctic context. (Text: ECL) 






February 2023 - Anthropologist on board!

The CRAFT team is happy to welcome Marianna Osokina as PhD candidate in the project FUTURES4Fish. "Having a socio-economic background linked to the fishing industry, I moved to Tromsø in 2017 to study International Fishing Management at UiT", says Marianna. She continues: "During the study, I developed a special interest to the social and cultural dimensions of fisheries and decided to continue my education in the field of Social Anthropology. During the masters, I had a great opportunity to expand my knowledge in the fields of my interest and get experience with fieldwork in indigenous and local fisheries dependent communities. As a PhD candidate at NFH I hope I will be able to integrate all my previous experience and knowledge." (Text: MO) 






February 2023 - Students from the country of the rising sun

After two rounds of covid-related postponements, the time finally came for Jorge (CRAFT) and Astrid Brokke (UiT international section) to visit our partner university, the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) in Japan. This is a national university with common interests in marine science and technology. One of the goals was to develop the exchange of students and staff. Apart from the visits and formal meetings, Jorge enjoyed holding lectures on science and cultural awareness to graduate students. The same sessions were repeated at the Faculty of Fisheries of the University of  Nagasaki. These were also actively attended by international students. (Text & Photo: JS) 






January 2023 - Worldwide marine science education

CRAFT and colleagues Mari Walquist and Keshav Paudel from the Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NFH) travelled south, to Algarve (Faro,Portugal). The purpose was a working meeting of the EEA - BlueRoute project with our partners at the University of Algarve, IPMA aquaculture research institute, Science Center of Lagos, and industries. We worked with the standardization of our online PhD program. NFH will contribute with modules on GIS, biotechnology, and simulated virtual internships. This will add to modules on oceanography, fisheries, aquaculture, and business management offered by our colleagues in Portugal. (Text: JS)






January 2023 - The Centre for Coastal Culture takes shape

During our EEA-project meeting in Sesimbra, Portugal in January, we visited the hull of the old building that will host the galleries and workshop of the maritime museum. By summer, the metal beams and the wooden flooring and walls will be in place. This year, we will have the opportunity to host in Tromsø and Ålesund a delegation of partners. They represent the local fishing industry, administration, as well as the museum and other members of the Sesimbra municipality. (Text & Photo: JS) 






December 2022 - New crew member on board!

CRAFT has a new crew member on board, Krisztina Jónás. She started her PhD on natural resource governance and futures studies recently, as part of the FUTURES4Fish project. Previously, she worked at the BEN program of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, where she explored the connection between human behavior, transformation, and biosphere stewardship. She also worked with anticipatory governance of aquatic ecosystems and complex-adaptive systems at the SES-Link team of Stockholm Resilience Centre (2020-2022) and with a wide range of sustainability challenges in public and private sectors for over a decade. Krisztina holds a BA (2012) in Foreign Affairs and an MA (2015) in International Relations and European Union from the Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary and an MSc (2019) in Social-Ecological Resilience for Sustainable Development from Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden. Welcome onboard!






November 2022 - Meeting the past of Norwegian fisheries

CRAFT organized its popular late-autumn seminar in downtown Tromsø this year. The event included a visit to a fishery exhibition, listening to tales of coastal people, customs, and industries, as well as a taste of traditional products. This was preceded by a session where we hosted a guest speaker and discussed the progress of the group and possibilities for development. For a toddler, the research group is growing rapidly and this was an excellent opportunity for reflection and cementing our future plans.






November 2022 - Exhibition Challenge 2022

How do you design a museum exhibition meant to motivate the young generation to take jobs in coastal fisheries? How do yoy make the same exhibition inspire the audience about the future of fisheries and coasts? Difficult questions! However, the 1st year master students in Fisheries and Aquaculture Science from the Norwegian College of Fisheries Science took the challange to answer them and learned about project organisaiton at the same time, as part of the course FSK-3014. They worked in teams throughout the semester and proposed their designs to the Maritime Museum from Sesimbra, Portugal, the coordinator of the Centre for Coastal Culture project that the CRAFT Lab is a part of. Both the students and the project members got to vote their favourite proposals and the harworking winners got to enjoy their prizes before the end of the semester!






October 2022 - Life in estuaries of East Africa 2000 km apart

Following the concept of Estuarize-Europe initiated by the CRAFT Lab, the project Estuarize-East Africa, coordinated by Prof. Johan Groeneveld (Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban), was launched in 2016 with the sponsorship of the MASMA program of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association. The project made an innovative comparative analysis of the aquatic ecology, livelihoods, and land use in estuarine areas. It was the work of an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Kenya to South Africa and of communities in three countries. The project resulted in several master’s degrees and a special issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science. CRAFT Lab led the final modelling of these important socio-ecological systems. This synthesis highlighted the complex effects of near and distant influences and remediation measures.






September 2022 - Schools break on through to the future with the CRAFT Lab

How will Tromsø look like in 2050? We asked this difficult question to ten 9th-graders in a classroom at Steiner School, Tromsø. We used futures methodology and focused on specific aspects of their daily life. We received and discussed their contributions, which came in the form of drawings, notes and statements (many). This is part of our activities in “Bestill en forsker / Invite a researcher” promoted by the UiT /BFE under the Forskningsdagene / Research Days, which we greatly enjoy. Next on the list are high-school students in Skjervøy, whom Melania and Jorge will visit in November.







August 2022 - Going Nor-fishing!

Taking advantage of the COVID restrictions being lifted, a strong CRAFT Lab delegation attends the Nor-fishing exhibition in Trondheim. August 2022 is the first edition of this fair after four years, and 44 countries are represented. “Nor-fishing is the fishing industry’s largest and most important meeting place, thus we are very glad that we can attend this event in person”, says Helene, who used to work as a fisher herself. “It is also interesting to compare technological development in the digital domain in this industry with the one in the shipping industry, as we also attended Nor-shipping in April this year, in Lillestrøm”, adds Hasini, whose research on the impact of autonomous fishing technologies builds on a review of advancements in autonomous shipping.





July 2022 - Time to go with FLOW

CRAFT Lab and partners have just been awarded a new EU grant, under the mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030". FLOW is a research and innovation action that will bring together diverse young people from all across Europe with interdisciplinary academics. A foresight study on changing human-waters relations (which will capture evidence for signals, drivers and expectations, hopes and fears of the young generation in cultural sources) and experiential futures workshops with young people from seven regions across Europe are two of the main activity streams in FLOW. CRAFT will be mainly involved in the conceptual development needed for implementing these activities.




June 2022 - Wanted: next-generation ocean and coastal developers

We can hardly predict how life will be in 2040. One likely development is a continuation of the trends observed in the last 40 years. In a high-technology scenario, how will autonomous fishery and aquaculture agents interact and be monitored, how will their vessels and platforms be designed and constructed, and what sort of regulations will be required? But are there other possible and desirable scenarios for natural resource exploitation and cultural expression, and how is the present discourse shaping and possibly locking us into such futures? These are just a few of the questions raised by the interdisciplinary project Futures4Fish, a collaboration between faculties at UiT and the Univeristy of Oslo that we announced earlier (see Previous news - December 2021). We are announcing four exciting new PhD and postdoc positions - see https://uit.no/project/f4f/news.



May 2022 - Excuse me, what do you mean by "fisheries"?

An analysis of the concept of "fisheries", an exploration of mental models of fisheries, and a thorough look at fisheries textbooks - you can find all these in Theodora Sam's PhD thesis. Theodora has successfully defended her PhD degree as part of the project SAF21 - Social Science Aspects of Fisheries for the 21st Century. The two external members of her evaluation committee, Anthony Charles (Saint Mary's University, Canada; see picture - first on the left, upper row) and Tiffany Smythe (United States Coast Guard Academy, United States; first on the left, lower row), were happy to travel to Tromsø for this unique event in the life of a researcher. Also in the picture, Svein Jentoft (UiT; internal member of the evaluation committee; first on the right, upper row) and Mette Talseth Solnørdal (Vice-Dean Education, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT). Well done, Theodora!




April 2022 - Fresh restart in Sri Lanka

After an unintended break of two long years, the project NorLanka Blue resumed the yearly workshops in Sri Lanka as soon as travel restrictions eased. This year the topic was Blue Environment and socio-economics. The disciplinary coverage was wide, from toxicology and environmental genetics to political sciences and career development. Placement in this intensive, residential workshop was highly competitive. Twenty undergraduates from universities all over Sri Lanka and four from the University of Tromsø worked in six case studies, ranging from urban planning to coastal conflicts and maritime disasters. Sixteen lecturers from the UiT and universities and research institutes in Sri Lanka, South Africa and Japan gave their contributions, online, in-campus and in the frequent outings and fieldwork. Owing to the current political and economic situation in the world and in Sri Lanka, the organization of the event needed daily contingency plans and adjustments. The students and the organizers at the university of Ruhuna, deserve applause for their great flexibility and perseverance.




April 2022 - Mixed-methods in action

Our Craft Lab members Timo Szczepanska and Bruce Edmonds co-hosted the international Workshop "Complex Dynamic Interactions: Synergies between ABM and QCA" at the Lorentz center in Leiden. For four days, 18 senior and junior researchers of nine nationalities huddled up. The interdisciplinary group set their minds on creating three prototypes for new mixed-method approaches that combine case-based research with computer simulation models. The combination of both methods shows a great potential to support scientists in answering research questions regarding causal mechanisms working in dynamic complex adaptive systems. The integration of both methods is especially needed in the face of future challenges and crises science aspires to help solve.


February 2022 - Back into business!

Cristiane Palaretti Bernardo, one of the CRAFT Lab biologists, is back at the university after a joyful parental leave time. Originally from Brazil, Cristiane graduated from the University of California, San Diego (US) with BSc in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution with a minor in Marine Science. Her MSc was conducted at Scripps Institute of Oceanography (US), where she studied Small Scale Fisheries with a case study from Tonga’s Archipelago. After graduating, Cristiane  sailed around the Caribbean Sea and Latin America, filming a documentary about climate change. Currently, her main interest as a PhD researcher is to understand the responses of the fish community from the Barents Sea to the spatial and temporal environmental changes, using empirical analysis of trait-based models on scientific surveys. Welcome back, Cristiane!

CPB for Craft

January 2022 - Should Aritifical Intelligence be used for grading students?

Exciting teaching method implemented by one of the CRAFT affiliate members. At Umeå University in Sweden, around twenty students and practitioners from computer science, pedagogy, philosophy, informatics, and law have joined their forces to discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI) and grading during the AutogrAIde Hackathon, on the 19th of January. AI systems have the potential for fundamentally changing the purposes and processes of grading. But when, why, and how can we use AI in the next generation of grading? Read more here.


December 2021 - CRAFT’s Futures4Fish gains exceptional evaluation

After a hard and competitive process, the CRAFT submission for Large-Scale Interdisciplinary Research projects has been selected for joint funding by the UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the Research Council of Norway. Using next-generation technology, creative thinking, and futures studies techniques, the project will assist Norwegian fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders prepare for both desirable and un-desirable futures. Inter-university and industrial collaboration are central in our proposal. At this very moment, the form and scope of funding is being discussed by the authorities. Our own desirable future includes new researchers and the marine industry creating new visions for the sector.


November 2021 - The Blue Route of Discovery joins CRAFT lab to partners in the Atlantic and India Oceans

CRAFT and partners have just been awarded a new EEA grant, under the funding line for Education. Blue Route is a doctoral school with online and on-campus elements, spawned from the difficulties of supervision across continents during the corona pandemic. This network emulates the trade, cultural, and scientific exchanges of the past across the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. In addition to the University of Algarve (coordinator), universities in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, and Japan will be involved, but the network extends to partners in research institutes and the industry. The topics of research are related to the global Blue economy, including innovative fisheries, digitalization and optimization of aquaculture. Blue Route is a concept development project with emphasis on hybrid, inter-disciplinary, multilingual, and networked solutions, to build capacity on site. CRAFT will be most involved in the showcasing of new marine technology and on a virtual professional internship for marine scientists.


October 2021 - One more crew member on board the CRAFT Research Lab!

CRAFT is happy to announce a new member of the research team: Lakshika Hasini from Sri Lanka. She has a socioeconomic research background that has a special focus on the fisheries supply chain, value chain and value networks. During her Masters, Hasini got an opportunity to come to Tromsø as an exchange student of the UiT under the Erasmus+ Global Mobility programme in 2018. As she said, “I grew up in a coastal region of the Southern part of Sri Lanka. Since my childhood, I loved to stay on the beach looking at the fishing activities of the local fishers and small fishing boats sailing along the coast. It gives me the same kind of pleasant feeling to see the fishing boats sailing in the fjord surrounding Tromsø and its outstanding beauty". In October, she started her PhD at NFH, UiT, affiliated to the AFO-JIGG project. Hasini will study the future of the Norwegian small-scale jigging fleet, focusing on three different research perspectives: impacts of autonomous technologies, future skills, and future business models.


September 2021 - Autumn is the time for social simulation

The month of September always brings additional motivation to social simulation enthusiasts, as it is the time when the annual conference of the European Social Simulation Association (ESSA) is organised. As during the previous editions of this event, Timo and Melania are involved in arranging several sessions: a workshop for consolidating the community of social simulation newcommers, two special tracks, and a roundtable. Timo has also presented his research during this edition of the Social Simulation Conference (SSC). At the end of his presentation, Frank Dignum from Umeå University in Sweden exclaimed: "This kind of methodological work is crucial for the development of the games and agent-based modelling field!". Keep up the good work, Timo!


August 2021 - CRAFT Research Lab welcomes a new crew member!

Our team expands with a new member: Helene Skjønhals Jensen. She grew up on different islands along the coast of Norway, due to her family working in fisheries. Originally from Sørøya in Finnmark, she has also lived on Lovund in Nordland, Frøya in Trøndelag, and Kvaløya in Troms. "I’ve worked in different parts of the industry from a young age, from cutting cod tongues to unloading trawlers at dock, but most of my experience stems from the shrimp industry and the coastal fisheries using jig, line, and net", tells Helene. Aligned with the objectives of the AFO-JIGG project, in which she's taking her PhD, Helene's research interests are the past and future technological development of the small-scale fisheries and fishing gear technology. Welcome on board, Helene!


July 2021 - The xPress Pearl case study

In June 2021, the X-Press Pearl, a large container ship caught fire and sunk off the Colombo harbor in Sri Lanka. The accident took place outside one of the major bio-diversity sites, the lagoon of Negombo, and in an important fishing area, creating great disruption and concern. The ship carried oil, plastics, heavy metals, acids, and other chemicals that were spilled out at sea. Students and researchers affiliated to our research project NorLanka Blue started a case study and an outreach initiative called PEARL-IN-BLUE. On this site, we want to publish short popular-scientific chronicles about different aspects of ecology and pollution, remediation, socio-economic impact, law, and risk management relevant to this type of accidents. If you are a student, researcher, professional or technical staff anywhere in the world and have interest and knowledge about these topics, please take contact with our editors. Sharing your knowledge in a simple chronicle is a great contribution, not only here but in similar emergency situations around the globe.


June 2021 - CRAFT Research Lab joins the Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Ships!

The Norwegian Forum for Autonomous Ships (NFAS) is an interest group for persons or organizations that are interested in the subject of autonomous ships, as well as other autonomous and maritime applications of the technology. As a NFAS member, CRAFT will contribute to the development of common Norwegian strategies for use of autonomous ships (e.g. e.g. research and innovation strategies, rules and approval principles and national test facilities).


May 2021 - CRAFT Research Lab has joined the Ocean Autonomy Cluster!

The Ocean Autonomy Cluster is Norway’s leading hub for expertise on ocean autonomy. Consisting of both companies and R&D institutions, the cluster combines research and technological development, suppliers of technology, components and systems, as well as forward-leaning investors. Through cooperation, the cluster’s participants pursue safer, more efficient and precise operations at sea, contributing to a more sustainable use of the world’s oceans. CRAFT members are looking forward to contribute to the activities of the cluster with their interdisciplinary, critical futures thinking perspective.


April 2021 - NORHED II funds for marine collaboration in Tanzania

UiT, through the CRAFT Research Lab, is the coordinator of "SAMAKI: Fisheries, nutrition, livelihoods, gender and rights in Tanzania". The project's main aim is to build capacity through postgraduate education and research collaboration. An overarching interdisciplinary and holistic approach will integrate five specialised components, which include fisheries (especially small-scale fisheries), nutrition (micronutrients from small fishes), livelihoods (incomes and food security), gender (women's rights and gender equality) and rights (including human rights and governance), the project has multiple partners from Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Norway.


March 2021 - EEA funds for Blue activities in Portugal

The CRAFT Research Lab is part of a Portuguese-Norwegian consortium that has just been awarded funds to renovate a heritage building in the city of Sesimbra, Portugal. The infrastructure will be used as a cultural gallery, (visitable) storage of maritime artefacts, and a boat building workshop. Our group will be involved in promoting capacity building in fisheries for the Portuguese partners and stakeholders and building a student-led interactive exhibition on the Futures of Fisheries and Coasts. The project is a collaboration between the municipality of Sesimbra, which is competing for the European Museum of the Year Award, two faculties at the UiT (BFE and UMAK), and the Norwegian Maritime Museum.


March 2021 - Welcome to a festival of social simulation!

The CRAFT Research Lab is co-organiser of the Social Simulation Fest 2021. Besides bringing their contribution to the organisation of the entire week, Melania and Timo are involved in four special tracks. As co-chair of the track on games and agent-based models, Timo is very happy with the turnout: "Almost 70 participants logged in our session! This high participation reflects the trend of games increasingly being used as a research tool in social simulation."


February 2021 - CRAFT is born!

The CRAFT Research Lab was created in February 2021 after an initative by Jorge Santos and Melania Borit, who have a background in biology and law respectively. Their goal is to grow a lively and diverse meeting place for those interested in the future of the Blue Sector. "Although we are a science-based group and often work with fishery topics, we are looking forward to collaborate with people from other domains, such as urban developers, writers, cooks, or teachers", says Jorge. According to Melania, "the important thing is that we keep an open mind and create ideas together".

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