On 22 October 2026, the INNO2MARE project held INNO2MARE Citizens Connect in Rijeka. The event was hosted by the “Torpedo” Educational Workshop of the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Rijeka (M. Barača 19). It was part of the 12th Yacht Design Forum, which took place in Rijeka from 19 to 23 October as part of Blue Economy Alpe Adria.
Participants were welcomed by Prof. Goran Vukelić, PhD, Vice-Rector of the University of Rijeka, and Prof. Srđan Žuškin, PhD, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Maritime Studies. Their talk was titled “Connected Maritime Innovation Ecosystems”. They stressed that today’s challenges in the maritime sector, from the green transition to digitalisation and safety at sea, can only be solved through cooperation between universities, industry, local communities and citizens.
After the opening, participants toured the “Torpedo” workshop. There they saw up close the equipment and spaces where students and researchers develop and test new solutions for the maritime sector.
INNO2MARE aims to strengthen innovation ecosystems in the blue economy and to connect research institutions with business and society as a whole. Citizens Connect showed that maritime innovation isn’t just for experts: it’s something people can see, understand and discuss.
