MSC Datahub | Except Systemic Design

In collaboration with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Except developed a new data management program to support the growth of sustainable fisheries worldwide. The MSC is an international non-profit organization established to address unsustainable fishing and safeguard seafood supplies for the future.

The MSC's certification and eco-labeling program enables all parties along the fishing chain, from fisheries to supermarkets and consumers, to play a part in securing a healthy future for our oceans. Our work established a vision for the data ecosystem that would enable the MSC to scale its impact significantly.

The Problem

The MSC grew its certified fisheries by up to 16% per year, expanding from 256 fisheries to cover an increasing share of global ocean fisheries. This rapid growth strained the organization's data collection, processing, publication, and strategic decision-making capabilities.

The challenge was to develop a data ecosystem vision that could handle this exponential growth while serving diverse stakeholders, from upstream fisheries to downstream retailers and consumers, each with different data needs and technical capabilities.

Process

Stakeholder ecosystem mapping

We worked together with major stakeholders and MSC management in a full-day workshop with 23 participants. These included upstream and downstream partners and potential co-founders, mapping the complete data ecosystem and its interdependencies.

SiD methodology application

Using Symbiosis in Development, we analyzed the data ecosystem from all sides, formulated concepts, and combined these into a coherent vision. The methodology ensured that technical solutions serve the broader goal of ocean sustainability.

Data ecosystem architecture

The resulting concept connects data flows from fisheries through certification bodies, supply chain partners, and retail endpoints. Each node in the ecosystem both contributes and benefits from the shared data infrastructure.

Outcomes

Fisheries growth: 16%/year; Annual certification growth rate supported by new data systems
Stakeholders: 23; Workshop participants from across the fishing value chain
Scope: Global; Data ecosystem vision for worldwide fisheries certification
Methodology: SiD; Systemic approach to data ecosystem design

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