The MarTe project was launched in response to the need to strengthen sustainable blue growth and marine technology innovation in the Baltic region, particularly in Estonia and Latvia. Although both countries have relevant scientific capacity, emerging marine technology expertise and strong policy interest in the blue economy, the innovation ecosystem remains fragmented across sectors, institutions and borders. Cooperation between research organisations, industry, public authorities and civil society has not yet been sufficiently structured to unlock the full potential of innovation in marine and maritime value chains. At the same time, the region faces common challenges related to climate change, environmental pressures on marine ecosystems, limited testing and demonstration opportunities, weak commercialisation pathways, skills gaps and insufficient cross-border strategic coordination.
MarTe aims to establish an Estonian-Latvian Marine Innovation Excellence Hub as a long-term cross-border framework for cooperation, knowledge integration and innovation support. Aligned with the European Green Deal, blue economy objectives and regional smart specialisation strategies, the project focuses on strengthening marine technology innovation in key areas such as offshore energy, smart vessels and ports, sustainable use of marine resources, and marine ecosystem protection.
The project seeks to enhance the Estonian and Latvian marine innovation ecosystem by fostering research excellence, cross-sector and cross-border collaboration, and strategic planning. It will support the development and validation of joint planning frameworks, address knowledge and technology gaps through collaborative research, strengthen quadruple-helix linkages, promote skills development and mutual learning, and increase the visibility and uptake of innovative solutions. Ultimately, MarTe aims to facilitate the emergence of new technology-based SMEs and spin-offs while supporting both economic development and environmental sustainability
By connecting stakeholders across sectors and countries, supporting joint research and innovation development, strengthening ecosystem coordination, and preparing pathways for commercialisation and future investment, the project is expected to improve the capacity of Estonian and Latvian actors to cooperate more effectively and respond to blue economy challenges in a coordinated way. In the longer term, this should contribute to higher research and innovation excellence, better alignment with policy and smart specialisation priorities, stronger technology uptake, improved conditions for new business creation, and greater readiness for future pilot actions and investments in marine and maritime sectors.
