The IFISH Innovation Exchange: A Brief Update on Plans to Support Collaboration and Progress Between Conferences.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Seafood Industry Management
• Knowledge Management Systems

Background:

• The International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference (IFISH) has historically focused on research, training, and advocacy.
• Conferences occur infrequently, limiting continuous collaboration and information exchange among stakeholders.
• There is a recognized need for a persistent platform to bridge the gap between IFISH events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the development of a collaborative platform for the seafood industry.
• To gather participant feedback on the concept of an inter-conference collaboration platform.
• To outline the post-conference work undertaken to establish the IFISH Innovation Exchange.

Main Methods:

• A post-conference workshop was held at IFISH 6 in Rome.
• Participant feedback was solicited regarding the creation of a collaboration platform.
• The report details the conceptualization and initial development phases of the IFISH Innovation Exchange.

Main Results:

• The workshop successfully gathered valuable participant input on platform requirements.
• The concept for the IFISH Innovation Exchange was refined based on feedback.
• Initial post-conference work has commenced to bring the platform to fruition.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated platform is essential for sustained collaboration in the fishing industry.
• Participant engagement is key to developing a successful and relevant innovation exchange.
• The IFISH Innovation Exchange aims to enhance safety and health in the seafood sector through continuous connection.