Croatia presents a comprehensive and evolving funding landscape for blue innovations and maritime technologies. The funding ecosystem encompasses substantial EU and national public funding (EMFAF, Recovery and Resilience Plan, Cohesion Policy), progressive tax incentives for investments in modernization and green technologies, cross-border collaboration programs fostering innovation and SME development, emerging private venture capital interest in marine technologies, and alternative financing mechanisms including crowdfunding for sustainable maritime projects.

The Croatian funding landscape demonstrates particular strength in programs supporting cross-border collaboration, digital transformation, and the green transition in maritime activities. However, opportunities exist for expansion of funding toward emerging and technologically advanced areas beyond traditional fisheries and aquaculture sectors, and for strengthening the connection between research institutions, innovative SMEs, and available financing mechanisms through innovation hubs such as DIH Innovamare.

The Italian funding landscape demonstrates particular strength in cross-border collaboration programs, strategic public-private partnerships, and integration of maritime sustainability within broader national recovery and green transition initiatives. Italy’s approach is characterized by coordination through national and regional maritime clusters (CLUSTER B.I.G., Maritime Technology Cluster FVG), strategic alignment between research excellence (CNR, leading universities) and industrial application, and explicit integration of blue economy within national strategic priorities and European Green Deal objectives.

Opportunities for further development include strengthening domestic venture capital specialized in the blue economy, expanding targeted support for emerging maritime technologies beyond traditional sectors, and enhancing coordination between diverse funding mechanisms to create clearer pathways for enterprises at different development stages. The Italian blue economy funding ecosystem reflects the country’s recognition of maritime sustainability as both an environmental imperative and an economic opportunity, positioning Italy as a significant player in the European and Mediterranean blue economy landscape.

North Macedonia presents a fundamentally different landscape for blue economy and maritime technology funding compared to coastal nations, reflecting its geographical position as a landlocked country without traditional maritime sectors. The national funding ecosystem is characterized by absence of dedicated maritime or blue economy funding programs at any level, transitional uncertainty in innovation funding frameworks following the closure of FITD and pending operationalization of INOVA, reliance on general environmental protection and water management funding streams not structured to support technology innovation, access to EU pre-accession assistance (IPA III) and international donor programs primarily for infrastructure and environmental compliance rather than innovation, and underdeveloped private investment ecosystem with no sector-specialized funds or tailored financing instruments.

Despite these limitations, North Macedonia maintains significant interests in water resources management, freshwater ecosystem protection (particularly Lakes Ohrid, Prespa, and Dojran), climate adaptation and flood risk management, and compliance with EU environmental directives. These areas create potential demand for water quality monitoring technologies, aquatic ecosystem assessment tools, pollution control solutions, and climate resilience innovations that share technological and conceptual foundations with blue economy applications in coastal and marine contexts.

Opportunities for development in water-related technology funding include establishment of thematic focus areas within INOVA’s future programming targeting water and environmental technologies, integration of technology innovation components into EU and donor-funded water infrastructure projects, development of partnerships between North Macedonian water technology companies and blue economy clusters in neighboring coastal countries through cross-border cooperation programs, and recognition of freshwater ecosystem management as a strategic priority with dedicated innovation support mechanisms adapted from blue economy models in coastal regions.

For enterprises working on water technologies or environmental innovations in North Macedonia, the practical approach involves leveraging general innovation support mechanisms and adapting to horizontal funding instruments, pursuing international partnerships and cross-border project participation to access specialized support unavailable domestically, engaging with infrastructure projects and public procurement opportunities as commercialization pathways, and maintaining awareness of evolving EU integration processes and potential alignment of national priorities with broader blue economy concepts as applied to inland water systems.

While North Macedonia cannot replicate the maritime sector funding landscapes of coastal nations, the country’s significant water resources and environmental challenges create a contextually appropriate foundation for developing water-focused innovation support that aligns conceptually with blue economy principles of sustainable aquatic resource management and ecosystem protection.

Montenegro’s coastal location provides a strong conceptual foundation for blue economy development, yet the current funding landscape remains underdeveloped from an innovation perspective. National and regional funding instruments do not specifically target maritime technologies or blue economy innovation, and private investment remains limited and risk-averse. Opportunities for maritime technology deployment exist mainly through infrastructure projects, international donor programs, and cross-border cooperation initiatives rather than through dedicated innovation funding schemes.

Key challenges include the absence of structured maritime innovation clusters, limited access to pilot and demonstration funding, and weak integration between research, industry, and public authorities. At the same time, Montenegro’s EU accession process, participation in IPA III and territorial cooperation programs, and growing emphasis on environmental protection and green transition create potential entry points for strengthening blue economy innovation support in the future.

Greece benefits from a strong maritime base and formal inclusion of blue economy priorities within national and EU-linked funding frameworks. However, delays in programme implementation, limited innovation-specific focus, and uneven access to regional support reduce the effectiveness of available funding for maritime technology developers and SMEs.

The funding landscape is characterised by reliance on EU programmes, blended finance instruments, and project-based opportunities rather than stable national innovation schemes dedicated to the blue economy. Private investment is present but fragmented, with significant disparities in stakeholder awareness and access.

Future opportunities lie in improving coordination between national and regional instruments, accelerating the implementation of innovation calls, strengthening links between ports and innovation ecosystems, and leveraging international blue economy investment platforms to complement domestic funding gaps.

Serbia does not have coastal maritime programmes, but it has strong blue economy relevance through inland waterways and Danube-related challenges. The funding landscape is anchored in national innovation instruments (Innovation Fund, Science Fund, accelerator and commercialisation initiatives), complemented by increasing access to EU and regional programmes.

The main strengths include a structured innovation pipeline supporting early-stage development and investment readiness. Key limitations relate to demonstration funding and the scaling of blue innovations that depend on regulated deployments and public-sector adoption. In this context, transnational programmes, macro-regional cooperation, and blended finance approaches are central entry points to strengthen the bankability and deployment readiness of blue economy solutions originating in Serbia.

Slovenia presents a focused and sophisticated funding landscape for blue innovation, characterized by its strategic positioning in the Northern Adriatic and its commitment to the European Green Deal. The sector’s importance remains stable, driven by high-tech specialization in port logistics, smart shipping, and environmental protection.

The funding ecosystem is increasingly defined by the twin transition (green and digital), supported by nearly €2.8 billion in CEF transport funding for sustainable mobility and the Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy. Strategic coordination is managed by the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, ensuring alignment between national smart specialization (S5) and European structural funds.

Key EU Funding Instruments for the Blue & Green Maritime Economy

Horizon Europe