Lancaster University Management School
23 April 2026
Lancaster University is to lead a major project that will help corporations across ocean industries improve safety, protect workers and strengthen their social and environmental impact.
The £500,000 initiative, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, will create the first corporate‑focused reporting and accountability toolkit designed specifically for ocean‑related sectors.
It will bring clarity, consistency, and practical guidance to companies operating in complex maritime environments.
The two-year project will focus on three core areas:
- Worker protection, which will reduce and prevent harm to workers by focussing on health and safety, labour conditions, equality, diversity and overall wellbeing.
- Community impact, making sure communities affected by ocean industries have access to their traditional resources (such as fishing grounds and navigation routes for example), are informed about corporate activities, and engage in benefit-sharing schemes.
- Strengthening due diligence, making sure human rights are to the fore and that risks of forced labour are mitigated.
The project responds to the need for coherent, practical standards that help companies track and improve safety and social performance across the ocean economy, tailored to the realities of the sectors they operate in.
It will focus on seven major ocean industries – from container shipping and cruise tourism to marine equipment and construction, offshore wind, port operations, seafood, and shipbuilding and repair – examining how each currently reports on these issues.
