Date and time: April 29, 2025. 18:30
Location: Rijeka
Professor Saša Zelenika, Head of Inno2mare Innovation Council from the University of Rijeka, and Nikolina Pomenić from PRIGODA presented the Inno2mare project and discussed its goals and importance in the Radio Rijeka Caffe Europa Program.
Inno2mare is one of the most important European projects currently being implemented in the Adriatic Croatia and Western Slovenia area.
Professor Zelenika presented the centers of innovation excellence, pilot projects being developed within the project, and emphasized the importance of the University of Rijeka and the project itself in attracting young people to education in technological professions.
Nikolina Pomenic presented the activities and role of PRIGODA in the project, as well as the results of project activities related to stakeholders of the maritime innovation ecosystem of Adriatic Croatia.
“The project is related to maritime innovation ecosystems and strengthening their excellence. It is open to the public through workshops, cooperation with young people, and connecting universities and companies.” Nikolina Pomenić emphasized.
Professor Zelenika stressed the importance of pilot projects and their commercialization:
“The goal is to develop so-called pre-commercial solutions, ready for the market, from academic research to concrete application. Our cooperation with the University of Antwerp and other partners allows us to learn and transfer knowledge, but also to strengthen our capacities.”
Rijeka, as an engineering hub, has proven to be an ideal environment for such a project. There are dozens of ship design companies operating in the region, and more than 70% of their products go to export markets.
“Unfortunately, innovations often happen in the headquarters of foreign companies, not here. Projects like this can change that dynamic,” said Pomenić.
The project also includes a strong educational element, intending to popularize technical professions among young people by cooperating with the real sector. It uses existing infrastructure such as the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH Adria), where concrete solutions are developed for the needs of both the public and private sectors.
“One of the main challenges is to attract new generations to the professions of the future, and combining green and digital technologies can make this more attractive,” added Professor Zelenika.
Inno2mare is an excellent example of how science, economy, and institutions can be connected through European projects, with concrete results and a long-term impact on the region, and Rijeka has all the necessary conditions to become a place where innovations are not only produced, but also retained.
