Cross-Border Innovation in Action at the DIH InnovaMare 2026 Competition

The DIH InnovaMare Innovation Competition, held on 26 February 2026 at the Business Center in Marghera, Venice, successfully brought together innovators, SMEs, researchers, and graduate students from across the Blue Economy ecosystem. Organized in a hybrid format, the event served as a dynamic platform for transforming cross-border maritime challenges into market-ready, fundable project concepts, reinforcing the mission of the InnovaMare Digital Innovation Hub to accelerate sustainable marine technologies.

Designed as a high-intensity innovation challenge, the competition enabled teams to develop solutions addressing real needs identified within the InnovaMare project. Participants worked intensively to shape their ideas into structured proposals aligned with key elements of project maturity, including innovation potential, market readiness, and cross-border cooperation. The event strengthened collaboration between academia, industry, and entrepreneurship, supporting the development of concepts with strong potential for future EU funding.

Competition Results

🥇 1st Place – Star Biobased
Star Biobased won first place with an advanced multisensor device for continuous monitoring of key marine ecosystem parameters in offshore Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems. The solution integrates AI and machine learning to analyze environmental data in real time. The team received the €1,000 prize and promotional visibility through the DIH InnovaMare network.

🥈 2nd Place – BlueDataB
BlueDataB developed an AI-driven video analytics system for automated fish counting and species recognition, providing an innovative tool to enhance efficiency and sustainability in aquaculture monitoring.

🥉 3rd Place – Blueat
Blueat presented a circular-economy solution addressing the invasive blue crab challenge. Their concept promotes a sustainable food chain while transforming crab waste into bioplastics, contributing to both environmental protection and bio-based innovation.

The 2026 DIH InnovaMare Innovation Competition highlighted the region’s growing capacity for marine innovation and cross-border collaboration. It demonstrated how digital technologies, sustainable aquaculture, and circular-economy solutions are shaping the future of the Blue Economy.