The project ‘Innovamare’, in which the University of Dubrovnik is a partner, was proclaimed the “Blue Champion” of the European Union at the “EIB Venture Debt & Advisory Summit” on May 13 in Luxembourg!
This initiative of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank selects 20 innovative companies, projects, and initiatives considered to best contribute to the development of the blue economy in the European Union. The awarded project involved the Department of Applied Ecology at the University of Dubrovnik and the Laboratory for Intelligent Autonomous Systems (LARIAT), with the project coordinator being Associate professor Ivana Palunko.
The selected projects will receive EIB advisory services to define project financing models, develop business models, and create partnerships at the EU level. The ‘Innovamare’ project holds exceptional significance for Croatia and the Adriatic-Ionian region, as well as for the development of a sustainable blue economy.
‘InnovaMare’ was designed to develop and establish an innovation ecosystem model in the field of underwater robotics and sensors for pollution control and monitoring in the Adriatic Sea. As a result of the project, the Innovamare Digital Innovation HUB has been established, aiming to become a central hub for technology transfer, strengthening cooperation, and connecting stakeholders at a cross-border and transnational level from the public, private, and research sectors for the development, testing, and validation of marine technologies with a mission of sustainability for the Adriatic Sea.
Within its ecosystem, the DIH continuously works on securing funding, generating revenue for further investments, and developing technological solutions for the digital and green transformation of the blue economy.
Participants in the awarded project included: University of Trieste; University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Dubrovnik, University of Rijeka, National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics – OGS, Ruđer Bošković Institute, National Research Council, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Regional Union of the Chambers of Commerce of the Veneto Region, Regional Agency for Technology and Innovation, Maritime Technology Cluster FVG, Šibenik-Knin County, Communication Technology S.R.L., and Geomar d.o.o.
PHOTO CREDIT: EIB, DIH Innovamare
