Closure of the Center for Maritime Health and Society (CMSS) at the University of Southern Denmark: A Serious Loss for Danish Maritime Research, the Business Community, and Research in the Southern Region

The Center for Maritime Health and Society (CMSS) is crucial for Danish maritime jobs, which are a key cornerstone of both the Danish and global economies. Focusing on employees' work life, health, well-being, safety, and socioeconomic and environmental issues is essential to ensure the stable and effective operation of this vital industry.

September 10, 2024, by Head of Research, Senior Researcher Lisa Loloma Frohold

The government proposes to phase out the annual grant of DKK 4.6 million for the Center for Maritime Health and Society (CMSS) at the University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg campus, in its draft budget for 2025. This puts the center at risk of closure.

In 2019, Danish Shipowners' Association presented an overview of Danish maritime research, with CMSS being the research unit that produced the most research articles and had the highest impact factor, with more than twice the number of citations compared to the OECD average. The research area covered by CMSS is considered one of the primary strengths in Danish maritime research. According to a new external evaluation, the important research under CMSS appears strong and necessary (2024).

Additionally, the center has recently played a significant role in the following research projects and activities:

• The bullying and harassment project, which had a substantial impact on UN organizations, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Nationally, the study has led to eight new initiatives for the industry to work on.
• Health promotion projects in the offshore industry, including diet, stress management, and social isolation.
• Investigation of fishermen’s psychosocial working environment in a time of many political upheavals.
• Projects with Radio Medical Denmark aimed at reducing health inequalities among seafarers.
• Analysis of the economic and societal conditions for sustainable shipbreaking.
• Collaboration with maritime schools regarding research, development skills, and projects.

The closure of CMSS could lead to a significant knowledge gap in Denmark, potentially compromising future capacity building and development of independent maritime knowledge in the field. Maintaining CMSS is crucial for preserving Danish maritime research in the Southern Region and Denmark Blue as well as protecting the many people who work daily on the world’s oceans. Additionally, it is important to ensure that these issues remain high on the agenda for Danish seafaring workplaces.

For 32 years, this research center has been a central player in improving working conditions and safety for thousands of seafarers, fishermen, and offshore workers who work under often challenging and risky conditions. Closing CMSS would be a decision with serious consequences, akin to closing the National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA) on land, thus eliminating the possibility of conducting any research and development on working conditions at sea. The short-term financial savings from a closure would quickly be overshadowed by far more serious and costly consequences in terms of deteriorated safety, health, and working conditions in the maritime sector.

Over the past five years, CMSS has gained significant visibility and relevance in the sector and built a strong reputation. The industry increasingly views CMSS as a crucial knowledge partner and frequently reaches out to the center for collaborations.

Regarding regionalization, it seems contradictory for state jobs to be moved to the provinces while CMSS is proposed to be cut. In light of the current regionalization strategy, where state jobs are relocated to the provinces to strengthen local growth and decentralize decision-making, it appears paradoxical and counterproductive to propose cuts to CMSS. Cutting CMSS would not only undermine efforts to strengthen professional environments outside the capital region but also reduce the state's capacity to maintain a qualified and geographically broad workforce.

Regionalization aims to create balance between the capital region and the rest of the country. However, closing CMSS in the province would have the opposite effect, concentrating expertise and jobs again in larger cities. This would undermine the overall goal of ensuring regional development and diversification of the labor market. Therefore, CMSS should not only be preserved but also strengthened as an important element in the state’s regional presence and as a catalyst for knowledge sharing and innovation across the country in core areas such as health, safety, working environment, and socioeconomic and environmental conditions in the maritime sector.

CMSS is ready to listen and engage in constructive dialogue and negotiation to secure the future of the research center.

Facts about CMSS

• CMSS has been in existence for 32 years and is part of the Department of Health Services Research and the Department of Business and Sustainability at the University of Southern Denmark.
• CMSS is located at SDU Esbjerg campus in the Southern Region.
• CMSS has 17 employees.
• CMSS has a Steering Committee consisting of representatives from the industry.
• CMSS has a performance contract with the Danish Maritime Authority, established in 2011 and negotiated annually. CMSS has achieved a positive result each year.
• The state grant for CMSS amounts to DKK 4.6 million.