EVENTS: Innovations in the blue economy – Living Lab concept, projects and opportunities for Montenegro
The Innovation Fund of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Maritime Faculty of the University of Montenegro, organized the seminar “Innovations in the blue economy – Living Lab concept, projects and opportunities for Montenegro” on September 24, 2025, starting at 11:00 a.m. at the Maritime Faculty. The seminar was realized as part of the project INNOVABLUE with the aim of encouraging a sustainable blue economy in the Adriatic-Ionian region.
The seminar was opened by prof. Dr. Tatijana Dlabač, dean of the Kotor Maritime Faculty, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the academic community, the economy and the public sector for the sustainable development of the sea and coast of Montenegro. The seminar continued with the presentation of prof. Dr. Snežana Šćepanović, head of the Department for Management and Support of EU Projects in the Innovation Fund of Montenegro. Šćepanović presented the concept of the blue economy and the role of the Living Lab, the previous results of international projects of the INNOVABLUE and ROBONET projects, and emphasized the advantages of establishing a Living Lab for testing innovative marine technologies in Montenegro. She pointed out that within the INNOVABLUE project, three locations have been defined for the establishment of new Living Labs in the ADRION region, namely: Faculty of Maritime Affairs UCG – Bay of Kotor (Montenegro), Lake Vrana (Croatia) and YouSea Institute Portorož (Slovenia).
Prof. PhD Špiro Ivošević and Prof. Dr. Danilo Nikolić from the Kotor Maritime Faculty presented the Faculty’s activities and international projects in the field of innovative marine technologies and advanced methods for monitoring air quality in the Bay of Kotor. Those present were additionally introduced to the possibilities of using underwater robots for ship inspection and maritime traffic monitoring. Dr. Maja Škurić from the Kotor Maritime Faculty presented the IHUBMAR(E) project, financed by the Innovation Fund of Montenegro within the Program for Encouraging Innovation Culture 2024, the results of which will enable the creation of an innovative environment for education and practical application of new technologies in the maritime sector.
After the presentation of the activities of the Kotor Maritime Faculty, the attendees had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Mateo Ivanac, Executive Director of the Digital Innovation Hub Innovamare – DIH Innovamare (Croatia), who is the leading partner in the Innovablue project. He presented the goals and benefits of DIH Innovamare for members of the network, the MAIROS online platform for collaboration between the academic community, business and investors in the field of the blue economy, and experiences from the Living Lab in Šibenik as an example of infrastructure for testing innovative marine technologies in a real environment.
The seminar was closed with a presentation by Saša Ivanović, head of the Sector for Strategic Planning and International Cooperation of the Innovation Fund of Montenegro and national contact person for EIT and EIC. Ivanović introduced the attendees to the possibilities of financing innovative projects through the programs of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT).
The practical part of the seminar included demonstrations of the underwater drone FIFISH W6 of the Maritime Faculty of Kotor, as well as the autonomous surface vessel Faust V and DIH Innovamare in the area in the water area of the Bay of Kotor in front of the Maritime Faculty of Kotor.
The seminar pointed to the enormous potential of innovative marine technologies as a key driver of the blue economy — from underwater robotics, sensors and digital networks to integrated solutions for pollution monitoring and prevention. The need to establish a Living Lab for innovative marine technologies at the Maritime Faculty, Kotor, was particularly highlighted. Living lab would enable the development of national expertise in innovative marine technologies, access to international networks and EU funds, the creation of recommendations for a more flexible regulatory framework for testing innovative solutions in the field of marine technologies, as well as the positioning of Montenegro as a regional center for testing and validating blue technologies in the Adriatic-Ionian region.