This report has shown that integrating ILK into increasingly digital MSP processes is not simply a technical challenge but a governance one. It requires attention to power dynamics, institutional conditions and the diverse values that shape how different forms of knowledge are recognised and used in decision-making. As planning processes across the North Atlantic become more data-driven, there is a risk that knowledge held by Indigenous and local communities is overlooked, not through deliberate exclusion, but because the systems and tools shaping these processes are not designed with it in mind.
The cases and reflections presented here highlight that digital tools can both support and complicate this work. They offer new opportunities for transparency and participation, but risk privileging standardised data over the place-based, experiential knowledge of Indigenous and local communities if applied without sufficient reflexivity. Addressing this requires not only better technical skills but stronger institutional capacity, clearer roles and responsibilities and a commitment to continuous engagement with the communities whose knowledge could enrich these processes.
The key messages offered in this report are not a blueprint. Given the considerable variation in institutional, ecological and cultural conditions across the North Atlantic region, no single solution will fit all contexts. Instead, the report offers a foundation for dialogue and adaptation, contributing to a broader effort to strengthen reflexive, inclusive and learning-oriented approaches to MSP. We hope it serves as a useful resource for those working towards more just and equitable marine governance across the region.