Report: Workshop on Prioritising research for Offshore Renewable Energy and Biodiversity at Sea in Ireland

This workshop brought together NGOs and academics to identify and prioritise the most urgent research needs. The goal is to provide government and research funders with a clear, stakeholder-driven list of evidence priorities that reflects the independent expertise of biodiversity, ecology and environmental specialists, free from potential bias or influence by government priorities. By ensuring these recommendations come directly from the NGO and academic community, we can present the government with a strong, objective, and evidence-based message: these are the research areas the expert community believes must be prioritised to strategically safeguard marine biodiversity as ORE development accelerates.

Workshop Aims

• To validate and prioritise evidence gaps identified in the IEN report and pre-workshop questionnaire.

• To explore, through group discussion, why particular evidence gaps matter, what research is needed, and how they should be communicated to decision-makers.

• To create a clear, strategic action list of research priorities that can inform national planning, funding, and future roadmaps.

The report will present the outcomes and recommendations resulting from the workshop.