Athens, Greece, 26–27 October 2026
Representatives of the INNO2MARE project participated in the Excellence Hubs Community 2026 Joint Event, held on 26 and 27 October 2026 in Athens, Greece. The two-day gathering brought together more than twenty Horizon Europe Excellence Hubs projects, representatives of the European Commission, the European Research Executive Agency (REA), National Contact Points (NCPs), and national innovation stakeholders to exchange experiences, discuss the future of regional innovation ecosystems, and explore opportunities for stronger collaboration beyond individual projects.
As one of the projects represented within the Blue Economy thematic cluster, INNO2MARE actively contributed to discussions on strengthening interregional cooperation, enhancing innovation capacities, and developing sustainable mechanisms for long-term collaboration among Excellence Hubs.
European Commission and REA Insights on the Future of Excellence Hubs
The event opened with a keynote presentation by Deirdre Furlong from the European Research Executive Agency (REA), who presented the main findings of the 2026 survey of Excellence Hubs projects and outlined preparations for the upcoming 2027 project evaluation.
The survey highlighted the substantial progress made by Excellence Hubs in establishing strong regional innovation ecosystems based on the quadruple helix model, bringing together academia, industry, public authorities and civil society. Particular attention was given to the importance of international networking, cross-project collaboration and the development of sustainable innovation ecosystems capable of continuing their activities beyond the duration of Horizon Europe funding.
The findings demonstrated that Excellence Hubs are increasingly generating synergies with other European and regional initiatives, creating opportunities for knowledge transfer, business development and long-term regional transformation. At the same time, participants discussed common challenges such as sustainable financing, stakeholder engagement and the integration of research results into industrial and societal applications.
Building a Blue Economy Excellence Hubs Cluster
A major highlight of the first day was the Blue Economy Cluster Break-out Session, organised and facilitated by Fabio Figurella from DAN Europe Foundation. The session brought together representatives of the Blue Economy Excellence Hubs:
- BCThubs (Greece, Malta and Bulgaria),
- SeaTecHub (Cyprus and Croatia),
- MarTe (Estonia and Latvia),
- INNO2MARE (Slovenia and Croatia).
The primary objective of the workshop was to establish a permanent framework for cooperation among Blue Economy Excellence Hubs and identify concrete joint activities that could continue after the completion of the current projects. Participants discussed how technologies, services, training programmes, test environments, pilot sites and datasets developed by individual projects could be shared and jointly exploited across different regions and maritime ecosystems.
The discussion also highlighted an important aspect of future cooperation: while all projects expressed strong interest in collaboration, approaches to knowledge sharing, data access, intellectual property management and commercial exploitation differ among projects and consortia. These aspects will require further alignment through future cooperation agreements while respecting the provisions of individual Grant Agreements and Consortium Agreements.
Representing INNO2MARE, Marko Šimic from the University of Ljubljana presented the project’s contributions to the digital and green transition of maritime regions, including activities related to maritime education, maritime traffic safety and energy-efficient maritime systems.
One of the most significant outcomes of the break-out session was the signing of the Athens Manifesto of the Blue Economy Excellence Hubs Cluster. The manifesto formally expresses the intention of participating projects to cooperate more closely and pursue common objectives beyond the lifetime of individual projects. The manifesto provides an important foundation for the future development of a Blue Economy Excellence Hubs Cluster and will be followed by a Memorandum of Understanding defining practical modalities for future collaboration.
Interactive Session with National Contact Points
Another valuable activity of the first day was the interactive session organised by National Contact Points (NCPs), featuring representatives from several European countries. The session focused on the sustainability of Excellence Hubs, access to future funding opportunities and mechanisms for strengthening regional innovation ecosystems beyond project funding cycles.
Participants exchanged experiences on national support instruments, future Horizon Europe opportunities and strategies for maintaining project results after the end of EU funding. The discussion emphasised the importance of long-term stakeholder engagement, regional policy alignment and the creation of sustainable investment pathways capable of supporting innovation-driven growth.
For projects such as INNO2MARE, these discussions provided valuable insights into future funding and collaboration opportunities that could support the continuation and expansion of project outcomes.
Looking Ahead: Excellence Hubs Beyond 2027
The second day focused on policy developments and the future evolution of the Excellence Hubs initiative. Representatives of the European Commission and REA discussed the role of Excellence Hubs within the broader European Research Area and presented perspectives for future funding instruments under Horizon Europe and its successor framework programme.
Participants also took part in collaborative sessions aimed at providing feedback to the European Commission regarding the implementation and future development of the Excellence Hubs programme. Discussions explored ways to strengthen interregional cooperation, improve policy support mechanisms and increase the long-term impact of regional innovation ecosystems across widening countries.
A particularly important message emerging from the event was the growing recognition that Excellence Hubs should function not only as individual projects but increasingly as interconnected communities capable of jointly developing innovation strategies, mobilising investments and addressing societal challenges at the European level.
Strengthening Cooperation Across European Maritime Regions
Participation in the Athens event reinforced the position of INNO2MARE within the growing European community of blue economy innovation ecosystems. Through active engagement in the Blue Economy cluster discussions, contribution to the development of the Athens Manifesto and participation in strategic discussions with European institutions and National Contact Points, the project continues to strengthen its international network and create new opportunities for collaboration.
The establishment of the Blue Economy Excellence Hubs Cluster represents an important step toward closer cooperation among maritime innovation ecosystems across Europe and provides a foundation for future joint initiatives that will contribute to the sustainable digital and green transformation of coastal and maritime regions.
