Trainings & Seminars

Skills that turn marine ideas into real-world results

In the Baltic Sea region, promising marine innovations often stall not because the technology fails, but because collaboration, funding knowledge or regulatory clarity are missing. A startup may have a working prototype but struggle to access test environments. A researcher may generate strong results but lack industry partners to scale them. A policymaker may design new frameworks without direct input from those testing solutions at sea.

Estonia and Latvia share a coastline and strategic ambitions, yet cross-border innovation requires more than geography. It requires a shared understanding of the blue economy, practical cooperation skills and trusted networks.

MarTe’s training and seminar programme addresses this gap — strengthening the human side of marine innovation so that ideas move faster from concept to application.

Soft-Skill Webinars: creating a shared language

Soft-skill webinars focus on the practical competences that enable marine innovation to function across sectors and borders. Topics include understanding funding instruments, managing intellectual property, communicating between research and industry, navigating regulatory frameworks and building effective cooperation.

MarTe is organising six recorded soft-skill webinars from the second year of the project onwards, open to professionals, partners and stakeholders active in marine, maritime and sustainability-related fields in Estonia and Latvia.

The first webinar, planned for spring 2026, will clarify what the “blue economy” means in practical terms — how it connects marine industries, research, sustainability goals and regional development. Within the consortium, partners recognised that the term is widely used but not always consistently understood. Establishing a shared interpretation creates a stronger foundation for cooperation.

Future topics may include funding readiness, investment communication, innovation management, IPR strategy and proposal development, depending on emerging ecosystem needs.

Explore the webinar series to build shared understanding and practical readiness across the Estonian–Latvian marine innovation community.

Technical Workshops: from concept to market

Three technical workshops are planned in 2025, 2026 and 2027, each designed as an intensive 1–2 day learning experience for up to 50 participants. Participation is open to MarTe partners and relevant external stakeholders, depending on the topic.

The first workshop — MarTe 1st Technical Workshop: From Physical Modelling to Market-Ready Solutions — took place on 4–5 February 2026 at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (hybrid format). It demonstrated how tools such as SolidWorks and COMSOL help move ideas from laboratory concepts toward TRL 6–7 and beyond.

Through live demonstrations and applied exercises, participants explored how modelling reduces development risk, shortens design cycles and accelerates technology deployment in marine and maritime sectors. Technical workshops focus on applied engineering judgement — helping innovators test assumptions, evaluate performance constraints and prepare technologies for real-world operating environments.

Community of Practice and regional learning: tackling real barriers

Some challenges cannot be solved in a lecture hall. Regulatory complexity, unclear permitting procedures and limited access to test environments require dialogue between those who regulate, develop and use marine technologies.

Through the Community of Practice approach , MarTe brings researchers, companies, policymakers and regional actors together to address concrete bottlenecks. Recent discussions, for example, have highlighted the need for clearer marine testing guidelines and better visibility of coastal areas open for pilot activities.

In parallel, six local community engagement meetings (three in Estonia, three in Latvia) and two coastal learning trips connect innovation discussions to real regional contexts and local development priorities.

International Summer School: building the next generation

Planned for the third year of the project (2027–2028), the MarTe International Summer School will bring together the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology and Ventspils University of Applied Sciences in a joint learning initiative aimed at strengthening academic cooperation between Estonia and Latvia. The programme will welcome students at different study levels and early-stage researchers interested in marine and maritime innovation, sustainability and blue economy development.

Organised and delivered by MarTe consortium partners, the summer school will combine marine science, applied innovation methods and policy perspectives. By working on practical Baltic Sea case studies, participants will engage directly with researchers and practitioners while gaining exposure to real innovation pathways.

Beyond knowledge exchange, the summer school is designed to open new career perspectives in marine and maritime research, encourage cross-border academic cooperation and strengthen long-term institutional links between participating universities. Detailed participation criteria and application procedures will be published ahead of the launch.

Consortium Capacity Building: learning as a partnership

Strong ecosystems require strong partnerships. Alongside public-facing activities, MarTe strengthens its own cross-border working capacity to ensure consistent and high-quality support for the wider ecosystem.

Four study trips are planned: two regional visits within Estonia and Latvia, and two international visits to established marine innovation hubs in Europe. Participation is targeted and role-based to ensure practical relevance.

By learning from mature ecosystems and from each other, partners improve coordination, develop shared methodologies and strengthen long-term cooperation — directly enhancing the quality of training, mentoring and collaboration offered externally.

Together, these activities reduce fragmentation, clarify pathways from idea to implementation and strengthen trust across sectors. Marine innovation in the Baltic Sea region can then move not only through technology, but through coordinated skills, informed decisions and durable cooperation.

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Information about upcoming trainings, recordings and registration is published in the MarTe News & Events section and shared via LinkedIn, Facebook and the project newsletter.

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