Henrik Österblom

With a background in marine ecology and having served as strategic advisor to the Swedish government in the environmental advisory council, I have explored how diverse actors collaborate to solve complex challenges in the Southern Ocean.

Drawing in these experiences, I took part in developing the SeaBOS initiative, where scientists and seafood business representatives – from Japan, Norway, Korea and Thailand – collaboratively explore solutions to ocean challenges. The SeaBOS project represents a transdisciplinary experiment that has helped me reflect on behavioral change, norms, collective action and cultural evolution, the power of firms and the market, as well as equity and equality.

At the Beijer Institute, I will work with colleagues to explore how scientific collaboration, dialogues and new technologies can support norm changes and a transition to biosphere stewardship, with a particular focus on the private sector.

I am also the Science Director of Stockholm Resilience Centre.

My work has funding from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

I have a master’s degree in behavioural ecology from the Department of Zoology, Uppsala University (1998) and a PhD in marine ecology from the Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University (2006).

I did my post doc at the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC), University of Tasmania and at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre in 2009-2010 and was a  visiting researcher and visiting professor at Tokyo University in 2017 and 2021 respectively. Between 2002 and 2007 I worked as commissioner and special advisor for the Swedish government.