Established under the aegis of the CNRS Foundation, the Global Seaweed Coalition now has the legal and financial framework to deepen its mission over the long term.
The Global Seaweed Coalition (GSC) is pleased to announce a landmark step in its development: the creation of a dedicated foundation established under the aegis of the CNRS Foundation. Creation of the Foundation provides the Coalition with full legal status as an independent entity, a long-standing goal since the Coalition’s inception. This new legal status will provide the Coalition with the ability to receive donations and grants in its own name, to employ its Secretariat staff directly, and to manage its finances with rigor and transparency.
Founded under the CNRS, the Coalition built the scientific foundations that made it an authoritative voice on seaweed science and policy. It then spent two years hosted by the UN Global Compact, where it deepened its engagement in global regulatory dialogues and contributed to major international forums. Today, strengthened by that experience, the Coalition is coming home.
“This transition builds on the Coalition’s defining strengths: the combination of global scientific expertise and broad connection to the sector,” said Dr. Philippe Potin, co-founder and scientific director of the GSC. “It gives us the framework to pursue our vision to represent the sector’s interests globally with greater ambition and independence.”
The Foundation’s governance structure will rest on a Foundation Board that will be the decision-making body of the Coalition, resting on the strong expertise of the Coalition’s Scientific and Strategic Advisory Councils. The Foundation Board’s initial members include our Co-Founder Dr. Philippe Potin, Dr. Catherine Boyen (former Head of the Marine Station at Roscoff, appointed by CNRS as its institutional representative), and Michel Mortier (Director of the Fondation CNRS). The Board is expected to expand by welcoming international members in the near future.
This new step in our long institutional journey is the expression of a collective conviction — shared by the Coalition’s founders, its scientific and strategic advisors, its Secretariat, and its global membership — that the seaweed sector is at a pivotal moment, and that independent, science-grounded institutions have a vital role to play in shaping its future responsibly.
Anchored in the scientific excellence of the CNRS, equipped with a strengthened governance structure, and informed by years of experience at the interface of science, policy, and industry, the Global Seaweed Coalition is now positioned to pursue, with renewed resolve and on a longer time horizon, its founding mission.
About the Global Seaweed Coalition: The Global Seaweed Coalition (GSC) is a global partnership founded in 2021 by the CNRS, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and UN Global Compact. With more than 2,000 members from research, industry, civil society and intergovernmental organizations worldwide, the Coalition promotes the sustainable development of the seaweed sector through science, policy advocacy, project funding, and stakeholder engagement.
About the CNRS Foundation: The CNRS Foundation, recognized as a public utility foundation since 24th June 2026, aims to contribute, directly or indirectly, to the development and promotion of scientific and technological research, in France and internationally. It is dedicated to the promotion of scientific research, with influence in a wide range of scientific fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space, human, social, and digital sciences. It hosts and supports foundations committed to advancing scientific research and knowledge for the benefit of society. It focuses its efforts on funding fundamental exploratory research topics, high-risk or high-stakes projects requiring swift support, as well as attracting and supporting new talents. It also funds scientific awards.
