Save the Date | DIH InnovaMare Innovation Competition

Published on: Dec 19 2025

The DIH InnovaMare Innovation Competition is a high-intensity innovation contest designed for innovators and researchers aiming to develop market-ready project proposals in the Blue Economy. The event supports the transformation of cross-border challenges identified within the DIH InnovaMare project into viable and fundable solutions. The competition is designed to foster cooperation between SMEs, start-ups, researchers, and graduate students, encouraging the development of innovative and fundable project concepts addressing identified challenges.

📅 Date and Time: Thursday, 26 February 2026, 09:00 – 17:00 CET

Location: Business Center, Marghera–Venice Hybrid format (on-site and online participation)

Target Participants: Teams composed of 3 to 5 members, including:

  • SMEs and start-ups
  • Researchers
  • Graduate students
  • Blue economy and marine technology innovators

Teams will work on cross-border Blue Economy challenges identified in Activity 4.1 and available on the Mairos platform, developing solutions that address key elements of project maturity required for successful Blue Economy initiatives.

Award: The winning team will receive a €1,000 prize, along with visibility and promotion through the DIH InnovaMare network.

Competition Format: The Innovation Competition takes place over two main phases:

Phase 1 – Preparation and Pitch (09:00–13:00)
Teams will complete a Business Model Canvas and present a 10-minute pitch to the Jury.
📌 In-person participation bonus: +2 points if at least one team member attends on-site in Marghera.

Phase 2 – Blue Economy Contest (from 14:30)
A fast-paced contest focused on seven essential project maturity elements:

  1. Market description
  2. Innovation in the Blue Economy
  3. Communication and reputation
  4. TRL and legal structure
  5. Business plan
  6. Reference partners
  7. Team competences

📌 Cross-border team bonus: +2 points for teams including members of different nationalities.

Next Steps

The most promising solutions will proceed to Co-creation workshops, supporting the development of project concepts for EU funding opportunities, in cooperation with key financial institutions.

The Call for Teams, detailed agenda, and Jury composition will be published in January 2026.

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