Impact: Department of Operations Management equip the European Commission with maritime knowledge
The European Commission recently launched a series of masterclasses about the maritime sector. Assistant Professor Christian Hendriksen from the Department of Operations Management kickstarted the initiative by leading the first masterclass of the series.
The class covered what businesses can and cannot influence in the IMO, and then moved on to a discussion about how to navigate the web of implicit rules that govern IMO negotiations. The masterclass had 50 participants from the Directorates-General DG Move & DG Climate, The Commission Cabinet and the EU IMO representation.
Christian Hendriksen’s masterclass was a deep dive into the inner workings of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Specifically, how businesses influence environmental regulation through the organization. “The IMO is special. Business actors participate in the policy discussions at all levels, even when negotiations take place behind closed doors. However, even if business actors have very strong access to the IMO policymaking process, they do not completely dominate the policymaking process. Rather, business representatives are enabled and constrained by a set of ‘invisible rules’ rooted in the particular culture of the IMO.” Says Christian.
“The invitation to participate in the kick start of the European commission masterclasses is a recognition of the research quality that the department and CBS Maritime have fostered. It underscores how important it is to include business knowledge in larger societal challenges. The work done at the department shows the necessity of understanding both the regulatory perspective and the business model perspective if one is to understand the IMO. It is a core part of our strategy to emphasize our relevance to stakeholders like the European Commission.”
Carsten Ørts Hansen, Head of the Department of Operations Management
For more information contact Christian Hendriksen at +45 38 15 22 17 or che.om@cbs.dk