Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are, by definition, highly dependent on shipping and other forms of connectivity. As geographically small land masses, SIDS have a high propensity to import things, and as islands, all imports, exports and travel must be done by sea (or air). However, SIDS are at the mercy of the global shipping industry, over which they have little control – an industry prone to shocks, spikes in prices and rapid technological change.

In this episode of "Small Islands, Big Picture", Emily and Matt discuss: why SIDS are so dependent on shipping; how these small states are experiencing recent transformations in inter-island and international maritime industries; and whether changing patterns of ownership and control, multilateral governance of the high seas, or technological innovation – for example, through Artificial Intelligence – represent positive or concerning developments for SIDS.

In “Island Voices”, Viliame Kasanawaqa talks about the importance of sea connectivity to Pacific nations. In the “Explainer” section, Professor Liam Campling, co-author of the prize-winning book Capitalism and the Sea, discusses why SIDS are so vulnerable to corporate concentration in the global shipping industry. In “The Big Picture”, Captain Orlando Allard tells us how small states have done much to shape global maritime governance. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions” Matt and Emily answer “Why don’t SIDS just set up their own shipping lines to reduce dependence on the global shipping lines?".

Featuring:

• Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Senior Research Fellow at ODI
• Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield
• Viliame Kasanawaqa | RESI Affiliate and Director of ShipWrecked Lab, Fiji
• Liam Campling | Professor of International Business, Queen Mary University of London
• Captain Orlando Allard | Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua, Panama and Former Panamanian Ambassador to the International Maritime Organization

Resources:

• Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
• SIDS Future Forum | Recordings of Future Forum sessions at Island Innovation
• Liam’s Book | Capitalism and the Sea (Verso, 2021, co-authored with Alejandro Colás)

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