MarTe: Marine Technology Excellence Hub for Sustainable Blue Economy in the Baltics

Project acronym: MarTe

Project duration: 01.01.2025. – 31.12.2028. (48 months)

Total project funding: The project’s total budget is €4,999,823, of which the Kurzeme Planning Region’s contribution amounts to €241,033.

Project financing:  EU Horizon Europe programme’s Excellence Centers subprogram Hubs (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07-01)

Project objective: promote sustainable growth of the blue economy in the Baltic region by establishing a joint Estonian and Latvian Centre of Excellence for Marine Technology (Excellence Hub). Its creation will be based on close cooperation between academia (A), industry (I), government (G) and local communities (S), strengthening the connection between research, innovation, legislation and entrepreneurship in the regional innovation ecosystem.

Main project activities:

• Development of a joint research and innovation (R&I) strategy for the Baltic Sea Region;
• Evaluation of existing policy documents and preparation of recommendations;
• Mapping, analysis and strengthening of cooperation between key stakeholders in the regional innovation ecosystem;
• Promoting regional excellence by implementing four Baltic Sea Region-specific research and innovation projects for the development of new technologies;
• Development of investment plans to improve commercialization processes, coastal innovations and support for partnerships;
• Grant competition for pilot projects in marine technologies for businesses from both countries;
• Strengthening knowledge, skills and overall competitiveness of stakeholders in the regional ecosystem in the field of blue economy;
• Organization of regular publicity events and dissemination of project results to promote the visibility of the MarTe consortium and the Excellence Hub, as well as to strengthen the Estonian-Latvian innovation ecosystem.

Project target groups:

• academics (regional marine science and engineering training institutions, business schools; individual researchers in various disciplines related to the blue economy),
• business sector (regional companies of all types and industry associations in the field of marine energy, logistics, shipbuilding, aquaculture, fisheries, marine tourism, marine technologies, biotechnology and environmental monitoring services),
• public administration (sectoral ministries and regional authorities; coastal cities and municipalities of the region, whose development is linked to the blue economy) and
• society representatives (regional coastal communities; NGOs; private individuals interested in the blue economy).

Project consortium (13 partners):

Research institutions:

• Latvian Institute of Hydroecology
• Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
• Tallinn University of Technology
• University of Tartu

Public administration:

• Kurzeme Planning Region
• Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
• Estonian Environmental Investment Centre (Lead partner)
• Saaremaa Development Centre

Business sector:

• Ventspils Freeport Authority
• Estonian Maritime Industries Association

Coastal communities and NGOs:

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• Baltic Coasts Association
• Mittetulundusühing Saarte Koostöökogu (Island Cooperation Group)

Project impact:

A regional Exellence Hub has been established strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation between Latvia and Estonia in the blue economy innovation ecosystem, improved competitiveness of the Baltic Sea region

Project website and social media

Follow the MarTe project, explore updates, and find more information on the official website and social media channels:

• Official website: https://www.marinetechub.eu/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marinetechub/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinetechub

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