https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/436 2026-11-06T13:15:47Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150715 Title: Innovation systems in the blue economy : emergence, coordination and sustainable development Authors: Pace, Lisa A.; Lazaric, Nathalie; Carraresi, Laura Abstract: Innovation has become a key organising principle in the development of ocean-related economic activities within the blue economy (Chaminade & Lundvall, 2026; Persson et al., 2025). Innovation is seen as advancing the sustainable development of coastal and marine activities across several domains, including port electrification and shipbuilding (Spaniol & Rowland, 2022), blue biotechnology (Doussineau et al., 2020), offshore renewable energy (Turschwell et al., 2022), and sustainable aquaculture (Ruis-Chico et al;, 2020; Chico et al., 2022).Across these settings, innovation is expected to respond to ecological constraints, create new forms of economic value, and sustain the long-term productivity and resilience of oceanbased activities (Almeida et al., 2025; Choudhary et al., 2021; Gourvenec et al., 2025). The blue economy therefore offers a distinctive context for examining how innovation systems are organised around blue economy innovations and how they evolve in response to technological opportunities and sustainability challenges (Amran et al., 2025; Magnusson & Berggren, 2018; Ni et al., 2024). Innovation for sustainable development has acquired greater policy relevance through initiatives such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the European Commission’s Ocean Pact, which seek to orient innovation towards sustainable ocean solutions and improve coordination across sectors and scales (Cook, 2010; Hoarceau, 2025). The blue economy encompasses economic activities connected to oceans, seas and coastal areas that aim to generate value while supporting the sustainable use, conservation and regeneration of marine ecosystems (EC, 2025). Its sectoral breadth is considerable. It includes established activities such as fisheries, maritime transport and coastal tourism, as well as rapidly developing fields such as marine renewable energy, blue biotechnology and ocean data infrastructures (Karruppiah et al., 2025). This sectoral diversity places the blue economy as a heterogeneous economic space in which different knowledge bases, regulatory regimes, infrastructures and resource dependencies intersect. From this emerges a challenge of collective governance in terms of how priorities for innovation and sustainable development are established, how to coordinate innovation activity across sectors and actors, and how to balance competing economic, ecological and societal claims (Pietronudo et al., 2025). 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150709 Title: Oops! I did it again : learning modes and innovation novelty in a small island destination Authors: Christensen, Kristina; Pace, Lisa A. Abstract: Purpose – Learning is often positioned as a precondition for innovation in tourism; however, it is frequently treated as a broad construct. This study examines how different modes of learning shape innovation in boutique hotels in Valletta, Malta and it investigates whether these modes of learning stimulate novelty or imitation. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with 25 respondents, including nine boutique hotel owners and 16 managers from 14 boutique hotels in Valletta, Malta. Findings – Cumulative, vicarious, exploitative and experiential learning were found to support adaptation, problem solving, operational refinement and incremental improvement. However, the reliance of respondents on prior experience, visible market practices and established routines, constrained novelty by reinforcing imitation and reactive adaptation. Exploratory and creative learning were less prevalent; however, they were more closely associated with differentiation and novelty. Covid-19 further intensified adaptive and crisis-driven learning. Practical implications – Hoteliers seeking distinctiveness should look beyond local competitors and routines, and encourage staff generated ideas. Destination stakeholders should promote ideational diversity by broadening hotel knowledge sources. Originality/value – This study advances a granular understanding of the relationship between learning and innovation by illustrating the impacts of different modes of learning on novelty. It also demonstrates how vicarious learning amplifies knowledge circulation while constraining distinctiveness in a small island destination. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150707 Title: Integrating foresight and resilience strategies for a sustainable blue economy Authors: Pace, Lisa A.; Walker, Thomas J. Abstract: Climate change, biodiversity loss and socio-economic transformation are placing growing pressure on the sustainable development of the blue economy and on the marine and coastal systems that support it. Although resilience has become a central concept for addressing these pressures, its application has largely focused on reactive responses to disturbances, with limited attention to how environmental governance systems can engage proactively with long-term uncertainty. This article addresses this gap by examining how foresight can be integrated into resilience approaches to enable more adaptive and anticipatory governance. Based on an analysis of published studies, the article develops a framework that shows how foresight supports resilience-building through four core functions: detecting signals of change, exploring future possibilities, preparing for disruption and adapting to new conditions. These functions structure how governance systems can enhance anticipatory capacity by linking knowledge of emerging trends and uncertainties with decision-making processes. The article highlights current limitations in practice, including the insufficient integration of social and behavioural dimensions, as well as institutional constraints that hinder the systematic use of foresight in policy contexts. Finally, the article offers actionable recommendations for embedding foresight within policy and planning processes to support a resilient blue economy. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150706 Title: Challenges for a sustainable blue economy : a comparative analysis of resilience and coastal governance in Southern Europe Authors: Pace, Lisa A.; Pinto, Hugo Abstract: Coastal blue economies face intensifying pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss and systemic uncertainty, making resilience a central concept in coastal governance. This article advances a socio-ecological-technological (SET) system framework to analyse how resilience is interpreted and operationalised in practice, drawing on a comparative study of Malta and the Algarve (Portugal). Based on interviews with public, private, academic and civil society actors, the study examines how governance arrangements shape resilience across system dimensions. Empirically, resilience is predominantly framed as the capacity to sustain economic continuity under uncertainty. Ecological systems are valued for buffering and recovery functions, and technological innovation is directed towards efficiency gains and infrastructural optimisation, reinforcing incremental adaptation rather than systemic transformation. The study conceptualises resilience as both a process and an outcome of institutional interactions and governance across system components. For policy, the findings highlight the need to institutionalise anticipatory planning, cross-sectoral coordination and long-term investment strategies that move beyond recovery towards transformative blue economy strategies. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z