In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher speaks with Thomas Egli about the importance of participatory science and Thomas dedicaded and decade-long impact work. Thomas and Jan share reflections from the One Ocean Science Congress, the Blue Economy and Finance Forum and 3rd UN Ocean Conference with a focus on the impact of the 10 days Ocean Hackathon. They discuss the challenges of the role of finance and the new A.G.I.L.E Framework for finance collaboration from Geneva Foundation for the Future. The conversation emphasizes the potential for positive change through innovative funding models and citizen involvement in science.

Sound Bites

* “Everybody wants to act together”

* “We need to reinvent our models”

Takeaways

* Participatory science can empower citizens to take action leading to impactful solutions.

* Innovative funding models are essential for sustainable projects.

* The new A.G.I.L.E framework can facilitate project evaluation and selection

* A whitebook about the framework is published after the summer break

* There will be an event 8 to 12 December 2025 in Geneva reflecting on the 10 first use-cases of the framework

* The United Nations remains a crucial platform for global cooperation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Thomas Egli

02:49 Reflections on Recent Ocean Conferences

05:07 Thomas as the voice of the Ocean

07:57 State of the Ocean seen by Thomas

10:49 Insights from the Blue Economy and Finance Forum Monaco

13:49 The Role of Participatory Science in Ocean Conservation

16:45 The Impact of the Ocean Hackathon

19:49 Collaboration and Citizen Involvement in Science

22:56 The Future of Ocean Projects and Funding

25:44 Geopolitical Perspectives on Ocean Collaboration

28:33 The Role of the United Nations in Ocean Governance

31:37 Innovative Funding Models for Ocean Projects

34:47 The Agile Framework and Future Collaborations

37:41 Conclusion and Future Directions for Ocean Initiatives

Additional links from and about Thomas Egli:

* Découvrir l’impact Diplomacy: https://www.thomas-egli.org/Impact-Diplomacy-in-the-continuation-of-Scientific-Diplomacy-and-Cultural.html?lang=en

* Hackathon Participatory Science for Ocean (Nice June 2025) with all projects: https://www.training-for-development.com/In-June-2025-in-Nice-Special-Participatory-Science-for-Ocean?lang=en

* Geneva Forum: https://geneva-forum.com

* The A.G.I.L.E tool from Geneva Foundation for the Future:https://www.geneva-for-future.foundation

* Video on YouTube – Participatory Research explained by Thomas EGLI at Swiss television (French with automatic subtitles)

* The book “Les idées du vivant” written in 2001 by Thomas EGLI, on the bioinspired organisations: https://thomas-egli.org/M-Thomas-EGLI.html

Thomas Egli on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-egli-geneva

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