Many from the overall constituency of countries participating in IIOE-2 have relatively well advanced skills, infrastructure and general capacities for scientific research, related technologies in ocean and associated climate observations, processing techniques (including numerical) for processing data thereof, and knowledge and methods to apply the benefits for societal well-being. However, many countries from the Indian Ocean rim per se still lack adequate competencies and capacities in this realm.

The IIOE-2 offers an opportunity to help redress this divergence by enhancing capacity and thereby contributing to the creation of more knowledgeable societies in this context of science.
Capacity development (CD) actions within the IIOE-2 will focus on the IIOE-2 Science Plan and will build on the existing relevant CD strategies and frameworks of its core sponsors (IOGOOS, SCOR and UNESCO IOC). In this context, capacity development that connects the science to its downstream societal applicability is also a major priority for many IIOE-2 stakeholders, and is a major cross-cutting objective of IIOE-2. In order to enhance its proposed CD efforts, for example in support of imperatives relating to the linking of the science with policy, IIOE-2 will seek partnerships beyond the core sponsors. This Working Group will also oversee the IIOE-2 Early Career Scientists Network.