Innovamare Academy 3.0 registrations are open!

Registrations for the Innovamare Academy 2025 are now open and this year’s Academy promises to be even more impactful, offering participants a unique opportunity to dive deep into the digital and green transformation of the blue economy.

Innovamare Academy is an educational initiative focusing on the digital and green transformation of the Blue Economy, particularly through the application of advanced marine technologies such as robotics and sensors. For more details and to apply, visit Innovamare Academy.

The Innovamare Academy 3.0 is organized by DIH Innovamare and project MareSkill, and will be held from October 13 to 18, 2025, at the Polytechnic of Šibenik in Šibenik, Croatia.

Innovamare Academy 2025:

• Dates: October 13-18, 2025
• Location: Polytechnic of Šibenik, Croatia
• Focus areas: commercialization of marine technology, development of regenerative “Blue-as-a-Service” business models, investor readiness through financial planning and pitching, and fostering research–industry collaboration to drive sustainable innovation in the blue economy.
  Lectures & workshops: over 20 hours of lectures and hands-on workshops conducted by renowned experts.
• Certification: Participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Key information:

• participation is free of charge,
• accommodation (bed & breakfast) and lunch are provided for all selected participants coming from outside Šibenik,
• travel to/from Šibenik is self-funded,
• application deadline: 15 September 2025 (with the possibility of extension until October 1st),
• selection is based on motivation and relevant experience,
• full participation for the entire program is required.

Previous editions:
https://mairos.org/our-services/skills-and-training/

Participants leave InnovaMare Academy 3.0 equipped with not only advanced knowledge of marine technology commercialization and sustainable business models, but also with practical project experience, a network of mentors and peers, and enhanced readiness to drive innovation in the blue economy. We encourage all attendees to stay connected through the InnovaMare digital community and continue collaborating to transform prototypes into profitable solutions for the health of our seas. The students will also get the chance to participate in an initiative of cleaning the sea with innovative technologies called “Sretno more”.

Full agenda is available here.

Interested students are invited to apply using the form below.

The application deadline is September 15, 2025, and applicants will be notified of their selection by September 19, 2025.

Join us for a transformative experience where you will gain valuable knowledge, exchange experiences, and network while exploring the beautiful city of Šibenik!

We look forward to welcoming you to the Innovamare Academy 2025!

Ana Čalić is a boating industry specialist and passionate advocate for sustainability, diversity, and innovation. With a Master’s degree in Science, Business, and Innovation specializing in Energy and Sustainability, from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, she is dedicated to driving meaningful change in the boating industry at the intersection of technology and the environment.

She is the Chief Commercial Officer at her family company Navela, where they elevate the boating experience for boatbuilders, boat dealers, charter companies and inidividual customers with seamless service and provide unmatched support through cutting-edge propulsion systems and equipment solutions.

She is also the founder of Women in Nautica, where they are creating a groundbreaking international conference dedicated to empowering women in the boating industry. Save the date—November 19th, 2025 and December 3rd, 2026—for this transformative event. The initiative contains a magazine and podcast, while during this year’s conference, three new project tiers will be announced.

Ana Gundić is an Assistant Professor at the Maritime Department of the University of Zadar. She teaches courses related to maritime education and training, new skills in the blue economy sectors, maritime accidents and quality management systems. At the Maritime Department she has held different roles, including Head of the Lifelong Learning Program for Seafarers, Head of Maritime Training and Head of the Nautical Sub-department.

Since 2012, she has been responsible for the Quality Management System according to ISO standards. She is involved in various international and institutional research projects related to maritime technology, education and training, new skills and key challenges in blue economy sectors, and sustainability. She regularly participates in international scientific conferences, presents scientific papers, reviews articles for journals, and actively publishes her research findings.

Božidar Blaslov is a fisherman who is the founder o fan innovative project „Provir“. Through it, he seeks to popularize sustainable fishing as it’s tradition and heritage. He is already known for his project of collecting old fishing nets and turning them into econyl – a regenerated fiber used to make high quality clothing.

Through this success, he has shown his commitment to sustainability, and now he wants to reach an even wider audiance, especially children, with his picture books. He is an example how love for nature can inspire changes that will last for generations. Today he manages a fishing business on the island of Ugljan.

Cosimo Palmisano, PhD is a Head of Business Development & Marketing at WSense. He has 20 years of experience in driving innovation and international growth. He specializes in AI and Machine Learning for Industrial IoT and has applied predictive analytics to big data. As co-founder of 2 scale-ups, he helped raising over $42 million from U.S. venture capital firms. He serves as a consultant in several investment committees.

Daniele Spaccini, PhD is a Chief Innovation Officer and co-founder at WSense. He has over 15 years of experience in complex Research & Development projects and is the author of several research articles and patents. He leads a team of more than 15 engineers in WSense, working on advanced industrial implementations. He also represents WSense in NIAG 190 and NIAG SG243, NATO working groups focused on underwater technological innovation.

Marjan Žitnik is the president of the non-profit association Maritimo Recycling, which is fully dedicated to cleaning the Adriatic Sea and creating durable products and innovative small recycling machines. He wanted to turn plastic from the Adriatic Sea into something meaningful and useful. In addition to making high-quality and affordable plastic products, their goal is to encourage citizens to join them fight against marine pollution.

Mladen Vukmir is the founder of VUKMIR & ASSOCIATES, a leading Croatian law firm. Law graduate from the University of Zagreb, with postgraduate IP specialization in the USA. Experienced in IP, dispute resolution & consulting. Arbitrator at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, neutral at CPR, WIPO UDRP & .eu domain panelist. Appointed ICSID conciliator by the Croatian Government. Also serves as the Royal Danish Consul General (initiative) in Zagreb.

Immediate President of ECTA (2022–24) & Supervisory Board member. Recipient of the INTA President’s Award 2020, with past leadership roles at INTA & AIPPI.

Petra Karanikić is a Doctor of Econimic Sciences, works as an associate professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development at University of Rijeka. She stands out with her experience as the manager representing the Faculty on three Interreg IT-CRO cross-border cooperation program projects, „Developing innovative technologies for sustainability of Adriatic Sea – Innovamare”, “Cluster for data-driven solutions in the sea economy 4.0 – Class4.0”, “Smart and innovative blue skills for competitive blue economy – MareSkill”.

Toni Maričević is the Head of Sector for Navigation Safety and Environmental Protection at Sea and Inland Waters. During last 15 years he served in various positions at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia, dealing with digitalization and automation of ship reporting, search and rescue and vessel traffic monitoring processes as well as lawmaking. Toni is alternate Member of the EMSA Administrative Board and permanent expert member in International Maritime Organization and International Organisation for Marine Aids to Navigation on behalf of Croatia.

Meet prof. Smiljko Rudan, dr. sc., a full professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb! He began his career as a young researcher at the same institution, followed by a study visit to Instituto Superior Tecnico in Portugal, earning his Master’s in 2002, on spectral fatigue of ship structures, and his PhD in 2006, on liquefied gas carrier safety. By 2008, he was already an assistant professor.

His research spans ship and offshore structural analysis, vibrations, collisions & groundings, with state-of-the-art application of numerical methods (FEM, CFD, FSI), and recently autonomous vessels. He was twice a member of the prestigious International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress (ISSC) committee. He participated in more than 10 national and international research projects, as well as being a project leader of an infrastructural project which, among others, equipped the towing tank at its home institution. With nearly 50 published papers, he continues to contribute to the scientific, professional, and academic achievements in naval architecture and ocean engineering, and is a member of the Scientific Council for Maritime Affairs of Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Rina Milošević is an employee of the Department of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture and an associate of the Center for Geospatial Technologies at the University of Zadar. She specializes in the application of geospatial technologies (GIS, remote sensing, GNSS, GeoAI), and uses them in marine and terrestrial research and for modeling risks from various threats. She has participated in numerous scientific and professional projects such as Interreg STREAM (flood risk management), PEPSEA (protection of enclosed parts of the Adriatic Sea from pollution), ROBOnetCB (Development of an innovation network for the application of solutions in robotics and sensors to improve pollution monitoring and prevention), SMART Water (Multisensor system for monitoring water quality).

Martin Mozetič is a R&D technician from Rijeka, Croatia, passionate about advancing autonomous technologies at sea. At DIH Innovamare, he works in the R&D team on the design, development, and maintenance of autonomous surface vessels and ROVs. His expertise lies in electronics integration, building battery systems, and hands-on ROV operation and control.

Through his work, Martin is involved in every stage of system development – from planning and sourcing components to testing, troubleshooting, and ensuring reliable performance. He plays an active role in the development of the Faust V autonomous vessel and is committed to pushing forward innovative solutions that strengthen the future of marine robotics.

Giuseppe Saija is the director of EUKNOW, a Brussels based company specialised in supporting emerging companies in the management of research and innovation activities. He has been involved in several initiatives related to the blue-economy, including the PORTForward project, on behalf of the Maritime Cluster of Campania (MARTE) and the WINBLUE project, funded by EMFAF, to enhance the female participation in the blue economy sector.

Dino Dragun is a Founder of Hidrocibalae, a geophysical data processing center. He started a company that supports clients on every project step, providing them with relevant experts at any given moment, and customized data processing solutions. With 15 years of experience and over 100 offshore survey projects, he decided to use his skills and passion to elevate the hydrographic research process. As the founder of Hidrocibalae, he leads a team of 80 highly skilled professionals. They have successfully delivered numerous international projects and continue to grow steadily.