In the #18 episode the Founder and Executive Director of Noventus Foundation, Koen Vriesacker, sails close to the winds of ocean collaboration with Jan Maisenbacher 🌊. Koen is an belgian-based expert inter-organizational in networks who's spent 16 years mastering the art of wicked collaboration.

It is a discussion on the relevance of interorganisational collaboration, and why this is needed to move forward in our current world. The dialogue emphasizes the need for structured approaches to foster trust and engagement among stakeholders, as well as the role of innovative solutions in addressing complex issues like deep sea mining.

First real ocean collaboration possiblity: You are professionally involved in Deep Sea Mining? Get in touch! We need you for a follow-up collaboration discussion on that wicked ocean challenge: info@janmaisenbacher

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Why this episode matters for ocean regeneration:⛵ No mess, no magic – True collaboration requires friction, diversity, and courage to engage unlikely allies (yes, including the “evil other side” 🏢)⛵ Trust the structure, not just the people – Trustworthy frameworks outlast individual relationships and create long-term collaborative success⛵ The Mediterranean merchant approach – Selective connections between diverse knowledge bubbles drive innovation faster than full connectivity

What ocean changemakers need to unlearn:⛵ Collaboration ≠ working only with people like us⛵ We can’t skip steps on the collaboration staircase (from competition → coexistence → communication → coordination)⛵ Measuring collaboration health is as crucial as measuring environmental impact

The path forward for 2030:⛵Bottom-up, on-site multi-stakeholder collaborations (fishermen + NGOs + tourism + business)⛵Small teams of 10 trusted bridge-builders tackling challenges like deep sea mining⛵Relational structures over transactional ones—because wicked problems need adaptive frameworks, not fixed answers

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Background

05:34 Collaboration in Ocean Conservation

08:30 The Role of the Ocean and Human Responsibility

11:25 Transitioning from For-Profit to Non-Profit

14:42 Theories of Collaboration

17:27 Challenges in Ocean Collaboration

20:40 Philanthropy and Ocean Conservation

23:33 The Dilemma of Economic Growth vs. Ocean Health

26:33 Future of Collaboration in Ocean Conservation

30:47 The Role of Regulation in Ocean Conservation

31:25 Collaboration at the Ocean’s Edge

32:47 Breaking Down Barriers to Collaboration

34:15 Navigating Wicked Problems in Collaboration

36:00 The Importance of Human Capacity in Collaboration

36:36 The Power of Unlikely Alliances

38:35 Building Trustworthy Frameworks for Collaboration

40:13 Steps to Effective Collaboration

45:27 Deep Sea Mining: A Collaborative Roadmap

Connect with Koen on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/koenvriesacker

More information about Noventus (www.noventus.org):

* The Noventus Foundation advances collaboration for impact. It offers the expertise and effort that is needed to create and develop interorganisational collaboration and networks. Through initiatives in science, education, philanthropy, art and culture, the Noventus Foundation offers support to NGOs, non-profits and impact organisations.

* Noventus has a solid track record in a broad range of sectors, all across the world, involving many organisational settings (SME’s, corporates, foundations, non-profit, governmental institutions, research, education, ...)

Follow Noventus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/noventusfoundation/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit janmaisenbacher.substack.com