Public evening lecture by Professor Dr Patrick Heidkamp (Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven)

This lecture explores the contested development of a proposed open-net salmon farm in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland, as a case study of blue transitions. It highlights how sustainability initiatives in the ocean economy are shaped by multi-scalar conflicts between national ambitions, regional governance, and local community values. Using assemblage theory and critical pragmatism, it explores how stakeholders negotiate resilience and place-based futures. The lecture emphasises how space, scale, and local imaginaries influence governance, environmental risk, and community identity, demonstrating both the challenges and opportunities of navigating sustainable ocean futures.

Patrick Heidkamp is an environmental economic geographer whose work advances just and sustainable transitions through a theoretical framing grounded in critical pragmatism. He is Professor of Geography at Southern Connecticut State University, holds a recurring teaching appointment at the University Centre of the Westfjords (Iceland), and is affiliated with the High North Center for Business and Governance at Nord University (Norway). His current research explores just transitions in the blue economy, with a strong focus on Arctic and sub-Arctic coastal regions.

Moderation: Dr Alica Repenning