Klaipeda University, the maritime cluster coordinated by Klaipeda Science and Technology Park, and Klaipeda ID are inviting business professionals and advanced university students to a 10-month long informal international education program, called Blue Growth Leaders Academy. The program will provide knowledge and practical experience in the fields of sustainable and cleantech, innovation, and other strategic fields.
The program will bring together internationally acclaimed lectors from abroad and provide economic knowledge that will help businesses to gain a competitive advantage. Leaders, various specialists, as well as promising students, will gain new competencies, which will be useful while looking for a new niche, creating innovative products or services, and striving for more sustainable utilization of maritime resources.
The concept of Blue Growth in the European context is gaining prominence, quickly starting to affect various economic and social mechanisms. Lithuania is not being left behind and Klaipeda has a unique opportunity to turn Blue Growth into a tangible benefit, because many of the industries related to this concept, like shipping, shipbuilding, and tourism, either have a deep tradition or are being quickly developed in the region.
“Even right now, business and higher education centers in our city surprise with their achievements in this area,” said Alina Šoparė, the Education Project Manager for Klaipeda ID. “To become a leading city in the sustainable maritime sector, we have to strengthen the competencies of our students and working professionals, which is precisely what this program aims to do.”
According to Artūras Razbadauskas, a Rector at Klaipeda University, the crisis brought on by the pandemic did not impede the progress of this project. “Quite the opposite, the situation showed that it is very important to clearly identify the areas, which will help to create the highest added value,” he said. “Our university, which is part of EU-CONEXUS (European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability), aims to become a center that collects progressive ideas, with the new program allowing them to be analyzed and directed towards practical application.”
Klaipeda has declared the goal to seek sustainable utilization of resources from the sea, strengthening of competencies relevant to smart industries, bio and cleantech, and other ambitious goals in its Klaipeda 2030 developmental strategy. The hope is that the Blue Growth Leaders Academy, which is unprecedented both in Lithuania and in neighboring countries, will help Klaipeda to attract a new generation of blue economy leaders, which will contribute to Klaipeda becoming more prosperous in the future.
It is expected that the knowledge gained by the program participants will strengthen business positions, ensure a clearer dialog with representatives from the business and public sectors, and encourage the development of useful partnerships.
“The maritime cluster aims to ensure access to the knowledge, which enables opening new business niches and optimal utilization of the potential Klaipeda has, so the idea of the Blue Growth Leaders Academy was exhaustively discussed and grown with the input from representatives of Klaipeda’s essential industries,” said Andrius Sutnikas, the development manager of the Klaipeda Science and Technology Park. “The cluster members who represent businesses stated that they support the idea, find its direction to be correct, the themes of the project — relevant.”
The lectors participating in the program are a specifically gathered team of experts, internationally acclaimed scientists and practitioners from Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, whose lecture themes will touch upon the port and shipping, blue biotechnologies, shipbuilding, aquaculture, surf energy, sea, and shore tourism.
Blue Growth Leaders Academy will provide the opportunity to educate yourself by improving in innovation and change management. The participants will receive the most important information based on the current realities of the sector, will be introduced to European and global trends in various blue growth sectors, which are drawing the picture of the future right now.
Blue Growth Leaders Academy will accept participants from business and other organizations in Klaipeda and Lithuania overall, specialists from various sectors, who are or plan to work in the blue growth sector. Students from latter bachelor’s studies at Klaipeda University, as well and Master’s and Doctorate students interested in the subjects or researching blue growth can also join the Academy.
In 2020-2021, the Blue Growth Leaders Academy will accept 50 participants.
The academy will last 10 months. The Blue Growth Leaders Academy will arrange its timetable to make sure that participants can manage their involvement and active professional activities at the same time.
The best candidates will receive scholarships from the Klaipeda University Future Fund. The 2,000 EUR scholarships will be handed out by the selection jury, based on candidates’ motivation and achievements.
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Online form:
www.ku.lt/leaders_academy until 2020 September 11
MORE INFORMATION
The business and educational organizations in Klaipeda are joining forces to develop the Lithuanian system of maritime innovation in the country. With this goal, the Lithuanian Maritime Cluster has been founded on June 30. The cluster has been founded with the goal of becoming a platform for the production of high added-value services and products, innovation, cooperation between the education and business sectors.
The founding of the Lithuanian Maritime Cluster was initiated by the Lithuanian LNG Cluster, which has been operating starting from 2016. Currently, 17 partners are involved in its activities, including Lithuanian and international businesses and institutions of higher learning.
Organizations like the Klaipeda University, the Klaipeda Free Economic Zone, the Klaipeda Science and Technology Park (KSTP), Lithuanian Railways, Klaipedos Nafta, Ignitis, Bega, BLRT Grupp and others have already partnered the maritime cluster. It is expected that the cluster will unite an even wider array of port companies, members of the shipbuilding and repair, as well as maritime energy sectors. The new platform will be coordinated by the KSTP.
“Maritime economy is a strong driving force of the wider economy, it is now and will surely remain one of the most promising sectors, so Klaipeda will naturally pay it a lot of attention,” says Andrius Sutnikas, the Head of Business Development at the KSTP. “The various arms of the maritime industry have been extensively developed in our region, we have rich traditions, we are purposefully making a way for ourselves in the competitive international market; however, we sometimes lack the wider perspective when evaluating our current potential, which could become the key to new opportunities not only in Klaipeda but the entire country of Lithuania.”
Aspiring to encourage the creation of high added-value products and services, the cluster will be geared towards automatization, digitalization, the Internet of Things, data analysis and utilization, artificial intelligence, and system integration solutions. The new platform will initiate innovative projects and invite the scientific sector of Western Lithuania to make them a reality, including the Marine Research Institute of the Klaipeda University, the Aquaculture Competency Center, and other scientific organizations and laboratories.
Internationalization and improving the competencies necessary for the development of the maritime sector will be no less important parts of the cluster’s operations while cooperating with similar clusters in the EU countries and presenting Lithuanian tech projects and innovations created in Lithuania internationally.
The immediate plans of the Lithuanian Maritime Cluster involve organizing tech training, active participation in the Blue Growth Leaders Academy, which will start in September at the Klaipeda University. This project will connect internationally acclaimed lectors and offer the opportunity for business leaders, professionals from various sectors, and gifted students to gain some valuable knowledge concerning the blue economy.
The Lithuanian Maritime Cluster will also be involved in making sure that the Klaipeda 2030 Economic Development Strategy becomes a reality by supporting sustainable utilization of marine resources, improving competencies relevant to advanced industries, biotech, creation of cleantech, and other ambitious goals.
There is a growing awareness that the quality of life and the future of societies are inseparable from the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. Today’s challenges also open up great opportunities for the Blue Growth startups, representing marine fields such as aquaculture, blue biotechnology or related topics.
Alliance+ Accelerator, connecting more than 1,000 experts and over 70 scientific institutions, is giving a significant boost for unlocking this potential in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) – with its help innovative ideas become new products or services.
In the European context, Blue Growth and the Blue Economy are becoming increasingly important concepts that are influencing many economic and social mechanisms and receiving a great deal of attention from regional policy-makers. Regulatory mechanisms seek to prevent the reckless exploitation of natural resources, but at the same time region seeks to stimulate advanced industries that might identify new business niches, create high value and new jobs.
In recent years, there has been a growing hope that despite of the fact that the Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted in the world, region has a unique opportunity to become a platform for significant changes. Societies here already understood the importance of sustainability and industries are hungry for innovations, offering new ways of using various marine resources and contributing to the cleaner environment.
Important conditions for positive processes have been already created. Founders of the Alliance+ Accelerator took into account that BSR countries have accumulated knowledge, competencies and developed infrastructure that is crucial for the breakthrough – universities, modern laboratories and research centers are valuable resources for the Blue Growth startups and SMEs. Partners joined forces to make all of these human and infrastructural potential available to promising businesses.
Alliance+ Accelerator is runned by SUBMARINER Network, a hub promoting sustainable use of marine resources. Platform is coordinated by partners from the six countries, who have an extensive network of contacts with all BSR universities, research institutes and laboratories, working in the fields related to the Blue Growth. Pool of mentors also is encompassing experts representing commercial side.
“Over the last years we have mentored more than 30 Blue Growth startups, offering a range of services as scientific research, research infrastructure and equipment, bioresources, business development, communication, promotion and legal advice. Startups are welcome to join and give a boost for their success story. Accelerator accepts participants in different stage of their development – from biodiscovery, R&D, upscaling to product development and commercialization. With our transnational approach we proved to be able to achieve at least one step further in the value chain for each startup attending our mentoring programme“, says Angela Schultz-Zehden, Managing Director at SUBMARINER Network.
In addition to the well-developed scientific research bases, the Baltic Sea Region has an extensive network of business support institutions. It is much easier to reach important financial assistance mechanisms and potential investors through the Alliance+ Accelerator, so the geography of the Blue Growth startups can expand with higher speed – from Berlin to Klaipeda, from Stockholm – to Hamburg, Helsinki, Tallin, Riga or Copenhagen.
“By engaging in the activities of the Alliance+ Accelerator and together with the Klaipeda University representing Lithuania on this platform, we offer our experience and resources, and at the same time we get a lot of value back. Lithuania has a limited market, so the opportunity for start-ups to look up to several countries at once is very important and gives a big boost to their growth”, emphasized Andrius Sutnikas, Development Manager at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.
Read more:
https://www.submariner-network.eu/
https://www.submariner-network.eu/alliance
https://www.submariner-network.eu/alliance-cases
Apply:
https://www.submariner-network.eu/apply-for-alliance-accelerator
Geographical scope: Europe
Thematic focus: marine related fields (aquaculture, blue biotechnology or similar)
Target group: startups & SMEs
KTU together with LINPRA (Lithuanian Association of Engineering Industry) invites you to participate in the following Call of Interest to SMEs and Start-ups, as part of our Gazelle Accelerator programme, business acceleration activity of EIT Manufacturing.
This Call of Interest is looking for promising SMEs & Start-ups who will answer to challenges that manufacturing companies have expressed in the following industry 4.0 technologies:
- Analytics & Artificial Intelligence
- Internet of Things
- Simulation & Virtual Reality
- Sustainable Manufacturing
Gazelle Accelerator will encourage, as well, proposals that are focused on providing solutions in these and other technologies, to help industries to face economic impact, and accommodation of new emerging-tech-enabled business models, due to coronavirus outbreak.
Gazelle Accelerator aims at supporting existing technology-based companies, SMEs and Start-ups, by accelerating their international business and innovation capacities.
Selected SMEs and Start-ups will benefit from a programme that includes activities that goes from business coaching with experts, access to finance, access to market; to facilitating business development in other European countries.
Call for interests will be opened until May 25th, 2020.
Participate in Call of Interest and Pitch your solution to corporates at end of June 2020.
Information of the call and the application form You will find here: https://eitmanufacturing.eu/activities/gazelle-accelerator-programme/
Contact person: Aušra Rūtelionė, el. paštas: ausra.rutelione@ktu.lt; tel.:+370 68646757
Good visualization and layout are valuable tools when it comes to presenting any idea. For a tech-startups this is even more important as usually innovations they introduce to potential investors and partners, have no analogues, so people are really curious to see something they can touch and experience.
Due to pandemic situation exhibitions and other events have been canceled or postponed – anyway, Lithuanian startup “Popa Boat” focused on a better preparation for the future meetings and presentations. With the help of Klaipeda Science and Technology Park, which is involved in the international project “Creative Tradition Companies Cooperation (CTCC)”, team had an opportunity to collaborate with visual designers and develop a prototype of the marina/ pier for “Popa Boat” catamarans.
Sustainability is one of the priorities for “Popa Boat” as this water vehicle uses only clean energy – electricity and solar power. 22 times reduced copies of the innovative ship and the model of the marina were printed with a 3D printer from an ecological material – corn plastic. Some construction parts were made of wood and metal.
“This prototype will be used as visual layout in exhibitions and other events. We believe that it will help in explaining our idea and vision of a high-level electric catamaran rental service with a special pier infrastructure designed particularly for our ships”, – assured Aurelija Urbonaitė, Marketing Manager at “Popa Boat“.
Team of the tech-startup experienced that cooperation with the creative industries opened some new perspectives on their project and gave some useful hints for the future. “It was definitely worth cooperating with the specialists from the “outside”. I would say, this becomes a normal practice in the context of modern business – companies do not stick to their team only, but try to involve more minds and get more value”, – representative of the “Popa Boat” said.
The European Commission’s Blue Growth agenda for the Baltic Sea Region identifies aquaculture as one of the most promising sectors of the region’s maritime economy in terms of growth and job potential. However, in the South Baltic area, aquaculture is not a widely established sector yet. The Interreg South Baltic project AquaVIP (Aquaculture virtual career development platform for the South Baltic region) was launched in 2020 with a plan to change the situation.
There is significant demand for a high-qualified personnel and knowledge in modern aquaculture. In order to develop innovative aquaculture sector and move the focus into the South Baltic region, competencies and knowledge are crucial. This is where AquaVIP will have a field for action.
A three-year project is led by Klaipeda Science and Technology Park (Lithuania), and accompanied by University of Rostock (Germany), University of Gdańsk (Poland), and Klaipeda University (Lithuania).
AquaVIP partners present great capacity in aquaculture competences. Together with their previous experience in aquaponics, microalgae cultivation, recirculating aquaculture systems, project will focus on boosting education through the training of students and professionals in the sector with the aim of well-prepared labor force, higher business capacity in innovative aquaculture, and ultimately – the expansion of the aquaculture market in the South Baltic area.
The project will pay particular attention to investigating best practices and exchange knowledge and experience related to human resource capacities for the aquaculture sector area’s blue and green economy, cooperation with partners and joint development of tailored solutions for boosting human resource capacities, testing innovative methods and tools. AquaVIP will form international networks with organizations pursuing the same mission, and explore the cross-sector cooperation possibilities.
Nine experiments to be carried out in partners’ facilities are foreseen as core activities for the training and networking. The research activities will include: establishment of artificial feed chains for the culture of sensitive fish larvae, aquaponics including Litopenaeus vannamei and microalgae, growth and nutritional value of Litopenaeus vannamei and of native and non-native shrimps from the Baltic Sea cultivated in small-scale RAS systems, whiteleg shrimp RAS technology optimization, new „shrimp tower“ RAS concept, application of brackish salinity in freshwater fish RAS cultivation, geothermal brine for water salination in marine RAS, and indoor culture technology for Daphnia sp. and its use as additional live feed for fish.
„In the framework of this project, we will put a strong base for strengthening aquaculture programmes in the universities, provide hands-on-experience for academic communities and create conditions for changes in the labor market. Innovative aquaculture will benefit businesses in our region and society in general – as it will provide healthy, secure and regionally produced high quality food. The use of innovative environmentally friendly production technologies will also open new and international markets, providing further new jobs and blue-green growth in the South Baltic area”, – emphasizes Andrius Sutnikas, Development Manager at Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.
Source: https://www.iasp.ws/
The world is facing an unprecedented challenge from the COVID-19 outbreak, and from our global perspective at International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), we have seen innovation ecosystems and their companies rise to the challenge, and devote themselves to developing solutions that can help combat the effects of the virus, be that the health impact or the disruptions to our daily lives. What we want to do now is show the rest of the world the inspiring work that is going on in science parks and areas of innovation to tackle COVID-19.
That’s why IASP is working to showcase the products and ideas of entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, SMEs and mature companies based in and linked to our member STPs/AOIs. Via our new dedicated web page, we are highlighting both the work that companies are doing to combat the effects of the virus, and the vital support that areas of innovation, science parks and innovation districts provide in difficult circumstances. All these innovation ecosystems help companies do their best work and get urgent new solutions off the ground.
IASP members and their companies are now submitting details of any solutions they are working on to combat COVID-19. Some of these are solutions directly related to COVID-19 like pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, protective clothing and healthcare solutions, while others address the impact the lockdown is having on our lives, like technology to help with remote working or home learning.
IASP is publishing all the solutions shared by IASP members with an easy link to the individual companies and the Areas of Innovation, Science Parks and Innovation Districts where they are located.
Visit www.iasp.ws/covid19 to browse the first solutions.
The SUBMARINER Network is organising the first-ever Baltic Blue Bioeconomy Hackathon in the framework of the Blue Platform project to collect innovative and creative ideas to promote, accelerate and shape the future of the Blue Bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region. As part of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Blue Platform project, we are inviting students, companies, authorities and other actors active in the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy to join us at the beautiful marine station of Kristineberg, Sweden!
How does it work?
Between 5 to 10 student teams, consisting of a minimum of 5 students each, will buckle down for 48 hours to develop their innovative solution to one of the 4 challenges presented below. The teams should be multi-disciplinary, gender-balanced and represent the Baltic Sea Region. During the 48 hours, the teams will be supported by one mentor per team, and have access to a panel of experts that they can call on for advice and suggestions to improve their solutions. The teams will be judged by a panel of experts on a range of indicators, including creativity, possibility for implementation and consideration of whole value chains. You can register as an indivdual or with a formed team.
The Hackathon should lead to new solutions, but not only technical. We are hoping to generate a bunch of new, innovative ideas and to form new networks, partnerships and collaborations!
Location: Kristineberg Marine Station, 45178 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
Challenges
The four challenges below focus on realising products, processes, technologies and solutions to improve the circularity, reusability or sustainability of a company – and/or address wider challenges or opportunities in the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy. You are invited to submit concrete challenges fitting under one of the themes.
Influencing consumer habits
What you can do with non-commercial marine resources for the food industry? How can the Baltic consumer be convinced to eat more aquaculture, mussels and algae products? What about ‘scary’ seafood, by-catch or side-streams? How may we generally improve the reputation of the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy to consumers?
How to utilise non-commercial marine resources for the food industry?
From seaweed, from aqualture – realising a low or even zero-waste economy – what can be realised with the parts that are not immediately used for production; focus on foods and non-foods?
Harvesting and processing technologies
Drying technologies seaweed; mussel production – separating the shells from the meat; reducing the negative environmental impacts of bioeconomy sectors; realising multi-use in the Baltic Blue Bioeconomy
How to decrease negative environmental impacts from marine resources production?
Multi-use; upscaling; cumulative impacts assessments
Why join as a student?
- Fun!
- Mentoring
- Cash prize
- Trainings (storytelling, pitching, business development)
- Free accommodation at the Kristineberg Marine Station in Sweden for the weekend of 4-5 April 2020
- Getting to know other creative students
Why join as a mentor or expert?
Joining the Hackathon as a mentor means that you will be on-site during a full weekend in 2020. You will lead one of the teams participating in the Hackathon that chose to work on a challenge most related to your topic – and give them all-round advice.
- Networking
- Exposure
- Creative ideas for solving company challenges
Would you like to know more?
https://www.submariner-network.eu/hackathon
Infoshare Startup Contest gathers 6000 people every year, including over 150 investors. We encourage you to apply and win one of 3 awards (€20k, €7k, €3k)! Only until 28.02! Don’t wait!
APPLY NOW (FOR FREE)
Being one of 30 semifinalists gives you access to:
– two days of 1:1 meetings thanks to Speed Dating
– two days of your Startup Expo exposure
– access to 11 stages (including marketing and 7 tech)
– networking events including Great Networking Party with a live concert
Every year at Infoshare people share what is valuable – time, knowledge, experience, contacts and emotions. Infoshere community consists of thousands of people from all over the world, well-known technology speakers, global companies developing IT departments, investors and startups.
It all started in 2007 and today organizers are preparing the 14th edition of Infoshare. The event now attract up to 6 000 fans of new technologies. This number is constantly growing.
We invite you to Gdańsk on 13th and 14th May! There are 11 technological stages waiting for you, where you will listen to inspiring speeches, gain knowledge in the field of IT, marketing and business scaling. The greatest speakers will share their thoughts. So far, representatives of such companies as Google, Facebook, Intel, Amazon, LinkedIn, Slack, Trello, IBM, Bayer, Samsung, HP or Lufthansa Systems have appeared on Infoshare stages.
Infoshare is a two-day event filled with expert speeches, workshops led by practitioners and side events. These include Great Networking Party with a live concert, a cruise on historic ships at sunset, Before and After Party.
Join Blue Platform on the 1st April in Gdynia to get knowledge, share your experience, and have an input on the further development of success of innovative aquaculture in the Baltic Sea Region!
Aquaculture has become one of the most promising sectors of the region’s maritime economy in terms of growth and job potential in the Baltic Sea Region. Blue Platform is organizing its second workshop with the aim to showcase new trends in innovative aquaculture (with the focus on Recirculating Aquaculture Systems and aquaponics) and to support the development of more innovative technologies.
For more information, please contact Basia Dmochowska b.dmochowska@ug.edu.pl
