Project MATIN: Croatia – Norway Marine Technology Innovation network

Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021

“Business Development and Innovation Croatia” Programme “Small Grants Scheme-2 on Soft Measures – Development of business skills for enterprises in the focus areas Green Industry Innovation and Blue Growth”

Overall budget: 82,465 €

Grant: 74,219 € (90%)

Start date: 01.10.2023.

End date: 30.4.2024.

Project partners:

FI Future Innovations – Fremtidens Industri AS  

FI – Fremtidens Industri AS is one of Norway’s leading innovation companies. FIs dedicated advisors have extensive industry- and technology-based experience in renewable energy, energy systems, autonomy, ocean space technology, aquaculture, and security. FI is ensuring that its customers become more competitive in demanding markets. The Ocean Autonomy Cluster is run by Fremtidens Industri (FI). As part of the FI Family, OAC collaborates with the clusters NCE Aquatech, RENergy and Midsec – also run by FI.

The Ocean Autonomy Cluster (OAC) is Norway’s leading hub for expertise on ocean autonomy. Building on a proud maritime history, today’s cutting-edge research, innovative companies, and a rapidly growing market for independent solutions, the cluster can provide a unique climate for collaborations and knowledge development. Autonomous systems will become essential in addressing many challenges in the years ahead, such as traffic congestion, climate emissions, and safety challenges at sea when facing increasing demands in logistics.

With more than 70 members, both from Norway and abroad, OAC aims to build strong networks and collaboration towards a common goal for a sustainable new course of maritime technology. Ocean Autonomy Cluster was established as part of Innovation Norways Arena-programme in 2020, and has since then build a strong position both nationally and internationally.

The clusters ambition is to accelerate ocean autonomy for a better, more sustainable future, focusing on the following objectives:

1. Internationalisation and Scaling – The Ocean Autonomy Cluster will establish an international position in Europe, the USA, and Canada
2. Market Development and Commercialisation – The Ocean Autonomy Cluster will increase the pace of innovation for technologies, solutions, and products for the ocean space
3. Supplier Networks and Value Chains – The Ocean Autonomy Cluster will develop tailored services for the commercialization and scaling of autonomous ocean space technology
4. Industrial Acceleration – The Ocean Autonomy Cluster will strengthen the region’s visibility and position within maritime ocean space technology by increasing host appeal.

Previous collaboration with DIH InnovaMare is based on the same share interests and objectives in relation to marine technologies and sustainability of seas and oceans. Therefore, during the visit in November 2021 collaboration was agreed and two partners participated jointly in the event Monitoring and Protecting the Ocean on May 3 2021. This event was organized with the support of European Investment Bank and DG Mare and has concluded common interest in ocean technology and paved the way for the design of this project proposal.

Together with DIH Innovamare and its ecosystem OAC can provide specific insights, contacts and networking in order for new cooperation in the area of marine technologies, especially innovative autonomous systems for seas and oceans to be developed and implemented. OAC will participate in all project activities and provide relevant info, contacts and insights for Norwegian participant’s side.

Project promoter:

DIGITAL INNOVATION HUB Innovamare

Digital Innovation Hub InnovaMare (DIH InnovaMare)is a newly registered association but works and exists as an initiative since 2019. Association is registered in March 2023, as a follow up/spin off/outcome of the strategic project InnovaMare implemented from July 2020 until June 2023.

DIH InnovaMare is a cross-border and transnational innovation ecosystem model in the area of underwater robotics and sensors for purposes of monitoring and prevention of sea pollution. Its Vision is to contribute to sustainable models of blue economy initiatives supported by cutting edge marine technologies and innovation safeguarding biodiversity of seas and oceans.

Mission is to constantly improve conditions at the strategic and operational level of cross-border and transnational cooperation between all relevant stakeholders, in order to encourage the development of new technological solutions and innovations in the field of robotics and sensors. InnovaMare strives to increase investments in Blue Economy in the Mediterranean basin but also worldwide in cooperation with local, regional and national authorities, scientific sector, businesses, local communities and NGOs through cross border, interregional and international cooperation providing products and services in 4 main areas: test before invest; education and awareness rising, networking and search for funding and investments.

DIH InnovaMare is a new, vibrant and agile organization with flexible setup and governance model that guarantee success in search for funding, creating revenues for further investments and development of future similar models and ecosystems worldwide.

Founders of DIH are: Regional government Šibenik Knin County, University of Zadar, Institute Ruđer Bošković Zagreb and Croatian Chamber of Economy.

DIH InnovaMare is registered in Šibenik, Croatia(NUTS 2, Jadranska Hrvatska).

Project description:

Project MATIN: Croatia – Norway Marine Technology Innovation network is compatible with already existing InNavis center since it will focus mainly upon maritime innovations and companies as well as research institutions active in this specific filed. Apart from Šibenik project will be implemented in Zadar County as well, creating this part of Croatian Adriatic region as the most active in building capacities for achieving better results in blue and green economy (growth).

While inNavis has focus on higher education, green innovation, with main goals to improve the quality of higher education and offer a wider variety of university programmes in the County of Šibenik–Knin and to make Šibenik into a green innovation and industry centre of the Adriatic MATIN will be built upon and extend one specific branch with is development and deployment of marine technologies for underwater research and innovation.

Main project partner The Ocean Autonomy Cluster is Norway’s leading hub for expertise on ocean autonomy. OAC is located in Trondheim in the Trøndelag region. Trøndelag is ranked as one of Europe’s most innovative regions, with a population among the highest educated in Norway. The region’s largest city, Trondheim is known as Norway’s Technology Capital. With more than 37 000 students and 5000 researchers, creative founders, entrepreneurs, and well-established global maritime industries, the region is at the forefront of maritime technology and renewable energy. Building on a proud maritime history, today’s cutting-edge research, innovative companies, and a rapidly growing market for independent solutions, the cluster can provide a unique climate for collaborations and knowledge development.

Together with DIH Innovamare and its ecosystem OAC can provide specific insights, contacts and networking in order for new cooperation in the area of marine technologies, especially innovative autonomous systems for seas and oceans to be developed and implemented.

Autonomous systems will become essential in addressing many challenges in the years ahead where extension of already strong networks and collaboration towards a common goal for a sustainable new course of maritime technology can be even more efficient.

Needs addressed with this project are detected in the course of the last 3 years where despite different projects in the area of green and blue growth there is not many new innovations nor application of existing ones in Croatia based on the Norwegian examples. Also, there is no significant increase in Croatia-Norway private companies’ joint investments in this field (blue economy) nor joint patents and applied research.

With this project partners wish to build upon the existing base but to further strengthen it in this specific area connecting companies and organizations with very specific methodology and navigation through joint agreements and ventures.

OAC is currently leading the project TESTINATION.io. Through this project several organizations and tech companies offer to rent out facilities, equipment, and infrastructure for tests and demonstrations at the Trondheimsfjorden testbed.  Trondheim is one of the few examples of Living labs in Europe while DIH Innovamare is on its way to establish one in Šibenik. MATIN will facilitate transfer of knowledge from Trondheim to Šibenik, from OAC to DIH Innovamare involving relevant stakeholders using Living Lab as a framework for co creation and application of joint innovations. MATIN will also align to and use the results from the project MIDAS; Human in Ocean Space Operations of the Future (MIDAS) is an eight-year research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council, and the ambition is to realize autonomous ocean space technology as one of Norway’s future major export industries. In the coming years, NTNU, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, and other partners in Midas will build competencies within business development and design for autonomous operations in the ocean space.

MATIN has an ambition to connect Scientist (Research organizations), companies developing innovative maritime technology solutions and those in need for application of these technologies in order to create a specific ecosystem that will continue to serve as a field to exchange, develop and apply these innovations.

Project objectives

Overall objective of MATIN project is establishment of efficient framework for collaboration between Norway and Croatia in the field of innovative maritime technologies. In order to achieve this overall objective MATIN project team will implement (accomplish) two specific objectives:

1. analyze and detect (map) all relevant data for future collaborative model and specific exchange with potential of application of existing Norwegian models
2. strengthen bilateral B2B cooperation and co creation in the field of Innovative maritime technologies

In order to achieve specific objective 1 several results will be produced (gained):

• Detailed mapping and analysis of existing resources, potential supply and demand in the detected innovative maritime technologies fields;
• Specific measurable model for future cooperation with data on costs, options and most efficient areas of focus including operationalization plan for next 3 year and transfer of knowledge on establishment of Living Lab in Croatia.

In order to achieve specific objective 2 several results will be produced (gained):

• Exchange of contracts, information and ideas on specific demand in the area of innovative maritime technologies;
• Developed concept ideas and prototypes and legal and operational plans and agreements with specific set of actions in order to build upon results of this project.

Project results will be used to increase the capacity for business skills development for Croatian enterprises in the blue economy sector more specifically in innovation in marine technologies and in strengthening cooperation between scientific and private sector by applying successful business models already in use in Norway.

When thinking about the sustainability of the project it is important to highlight that one of the main project activities represented in each WP is connecting and supporting cooperation between Croatian entities from and the entities from Norway. Joint data base and map of excellence where all relevant data is presents study visits and return visits, collaboration agreements and cocreation workshops are all very specific activities set up in order to provide sandbox for fruitful cooperation on several levels and between different organizations gathered within this project.