COAST Secures Major Funding for Nordic Offshore Energy Transition Project
The Coast Law Center at the University of Bergen’s Faculty of Law has been awarded NOK 4.3 million from NordForsk to support a four-year collaborative project. The funding will strengthen networks and ongoing research on oceans and the green energy transition.
Published: (Updated: )
The new project, titled Governance Frameworks for the Nordic Energy Transition at Sea, will bring together the University of Bergen, the University of Gothenburg, the University of Copenhagen, and Åbo Akademi in Finland.
Strengthening Nordic Collaboration
According to COAST director Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui, the funding will primarily be used to enhance existing research networks.
“This will allow us to join a skilled cluster of institutions working on similar issues related to energy, oceans, and environmental and climate challenges. It will raise the academic standard and foster cross-border collaboration, offering different perspectives on solving the same problems,” Herrera Anchustegui explains.
The project will also create new PhD and postdoctoral positions, facilitate researcher exchanges among partner institutions, and support outreach and communication activities.
Addressing Regulatory Gaps
The COAST Law Center was recently established to investigate legal frameworks and challenges arising from the offshore green transition. This includes questions related to spatial planning, infrastructure, conflicts of interest, and marine conservation.
Currently, clear regulations for the green energy transition at sea are either lacking or difficult to interpret. Legal research will play a key role in shaping how the transition can proceed sustainably and effectively.
“It’s particularly important that these funds will support younger researchers entering the field, opening doors for them across the Nordic region,” says Herrera Anchustegui.
Annual Workshops Across the Nordics
From now until 2029, the project will host annual workshops and networking events in each partner country. The first workshop, titled Licensing, Climate Implications & Project Financing, will take place in Bergen in 2026, followed by Gothenburg in 2027, Åbo in 2028, and Copenhagen in 2029.
Interdisciplinary Approach
The project will also increase COAST’s international visibility while highlighting Bergen as a hub of knowledge and research. The Faculty of Law’s strategy toward 2030 emphasizes strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration in climate and energy transition initiatives. The project brings together experts in law, comparative politics, biology, and maritime spatial planning.
“Our research goes beyond law alone, aiming to help this emerging field grow and thrive in the years ahead,” says Herrera Anchustegui.