The 2025 Intergenerational Dialogue Session was organised as an integral part of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Forum, held in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2025. The session was supported and co-organised by the OKEANO Coordination and Support Action (CSA) in close collaboration with Sigi Gruber.
The intergenerational dialogue aims to facilitate meaningful engagement of Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) within the framework of the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA), fostering exchanges between generations and promoting mentorship and knowledge transfer with senior ocean professionals and policymakers. Most importantly, these sessions ensure that early-career voices and their innovative ideas are represented in ocean-related decision-making processes across AAORIA’s priority areas.
By convening intergenerational dialogues at each All-Atlantic Forum, the Alliance seeks to strengthen the systematic engagement of ECOPs across the Atlantic community, support their contribution to ocean science diplomacy, and provide mentorship opportunities that extend from pole to pole and from coast to coast of the Atlantic Ocean. These sessions serve as conduits for ECOPs to broaden their networks, showcase their expertise, present actionable policy ideas, and contribute to a sustainable and equitable future for the Atlantic Ocean.
The main objectives of the 2025 session were to:
- Facilitate intergenerational exchange: Provide a platform for dialogue where leaders, policymakers, and practitioners—including ECOPs from diverse backgrounds and expertise—can share insights, challenges, and opportunities in addressing thematic priorities.
- Promote collaboration: Encourage cooperation among All-Atlantic countries and between generations of ocean professionals to address shared challenges and foster collective action in priority areas such as climate change resilience, ocean observation, and modelling.
- Empower ECOPs as leaders: Engage ECOPs in policy discussions and ensure their ideas and recommendations are taken forward under the framework of the Alliance, with continued support and mentorship from senior experts and policymakers.
In dialogue with and supported by their designated discussion coaches (10 in total) and five ECOP mentors from previous editions of the dialogue, 41 ECOPs developed five recommendations to decision-makers proposing innovative solutions aligned with the All-Atlantic Declaration priorities. The concrete proposals put forward by the five groups can be found on the AAORIA website here.
Together, the five ECOP-led recommendations to decision-makers present a suite of tangible, innovative, and actionable solutions to key challenges facing the Atlantic Ocean — from strengthening governance of the High Seas and integrating diverse knowledge systems, to enhancing sustainable fisheries, advancing ocean observation, and promoting collaborative innovation through hackathons.
These proposals align closely with the priorities of AAORIA and offer concrete pathways to advance its shared objectives on ocean governance, resilience, and inclusion. By integrating these ideas into ongoing and future AAORIA activities, the Alliance can further strengthen its role as a platform for co-creation, science diplomacy, and evidence-based policymaking across the Atlantic basin.
Importantly, the 2025 Intergenerational Dialogue has demonstrated that such collaborative intergenerational approaches not only enrich the Alliance’s policy and content agendas, but can also serve as a cornerstone of the AAORIA Intergenerational Programme, ensuring that early-career voices remain central to shaping the future of Atlantic cooperation.
