The EU-India-TTC-WG2 Ideathon calls for EU and Indian participants to bring bold and game-changing ideas to combat marine plastic litter. This initiative fosters collaboration, inviting startups, businesses, researchers, and sustainability enthusiats to develop solutions for marine plastic pollution. The co-created solutions to challenges like data management to track plastics, plastic reduction, and awareness will be pitched in a final hybrid ceremony in India. The top three India-EU teams will receive tailored advisory services and rewards to further develop their ideas.

Discover more

We are excited to invite you to take part in the EU-India Ideathon on Marine Plastic Pollution, a unique international challenge launched under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC). This initiative offers an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with peers from India, co-create impactful solutions, and showcase your ideas on a global stage.
Marine plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental issues of our time. The Ideathon welcomes individuals and teams from across Europe’s academic and innovation ecosystems to co-create impactful solutions in one of the following areas:

Challenge 1: How can we improve methods for identifying and tracking marine plastics to enable more targeted cleanup and prevention?
Challenge 2: What effective approaches can be developed to remove plastic pollution from marine environments?
Challenge 3: How can we raise awareness about marine plastic pollution to inspire and mobilise communities and individuals toward action?

Why apply?
• Work in EU-India teams to tackle real-world challenges
• Access expert mentoring and guidance during the online phase
• Compete for awards and tailored advisory support for your solution
• If selected, present your idea at the final in-person event in India this November/ December, with all travel and accommodation costs covered

The Ideathon officially launches in September 2025. An online phase will run through October and November, offering matchmaking, mentoring, and skills workshops. The final event will take place in India in November/December 2025, where selected teams will pitch their ideas to a jury of experts.

Applications are now open until September 25th!
Apply here: https://urlr.me/nGXh8R

On October 14 (Tuesday) from 9:30 am. Klaipėda Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts is organizing the final conference of the EU project “Coastour” “Shaping a Sustainable Future of Coastal Tourism”. The event will present sustainability requirements for companies, and will provide an opportunity to learn more about sustainability and ecological certification systems.

The event is intended for companies that strive to operate sustainably and are interested in implementing sustainable solutions in business, sustainability certification labels, EU requirements and future forecasts. Networking and training on the company self-assessment platform are planned during the event.

Program of event download here 

Venue: Klaipėda Science and Technology Park (Vilhelmo Berbomo g. 10, Klaipėda).

Language: English.
Participation: FREE, but registration is required.

REGISTRATION: https://forms.gle/RF51Z3rc8WGE5m389 

Registration is open until October 10.

Since January 2023, the Klaipėda Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, together with partners from Denmark, Slovenia, Italy and Portugal, has been implementing the EU-funded project “Coastour”. It focuses on coastal tourism companies that want to implement sustainability measures. During the project, companies from Western Lithuania were provided with consultations on the European Union’s sustainability systems and the possibilities of operating in accordance with sustainability principles.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us by e-mail at zinios@kcci.lt 

On September 26–28, the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park will host the seventh international port technology hackathon Portathon 2025. More than 100 participants from Lithuania, Sweden, Romania and Georgia will develop technological solutions that will help solve the challenges of the maritime sector, defense, pollution reduction and sustainability.

This year, the tasks for the teams’ creation were submitted by the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, AB Vakarų laivų zamykų group, the international green energy company Ignitis renewables, Klaipėda FEZ, Hamburg University of Technology and Blekinge University of Technology. They include issues of GPS interference in navigation, smart ticketing, air pollution reduction, safety of offshore wind farms and digitalization of logistics.

The goal of the event is to unite the forces of science, business and creative teams to turn ideas into real-life solutions.

The event is more than a hackathon

For three days, teams at Klaipėda Science and Technology Park will develop innovative solutions in the areas of security, sustainability, shipping and pollution reduction. This year, more than 100 talented students, science, business and startup representatives from Lithuania and abroad registered for the event. Portathon has become an important innovation platform in Western Lithuania and the entire Baltic Sea region, and the ideas born here are successfully applied not only in Lithuania but also abroad. The event unites talents from engineering, IT, marine technologies, business and science, helping to turn challenges into real solutions.

A springboard to commercialize your knowledge and experience

The event provides participants with the opportunity not only to test their ideas, but also to implement them in real companies and establish valuable partnerships. Erika Zavackienė, KMTP project manager, says: “Hackaton is unique in that here, solutions with potential actually become reality. It is gratifying that the event has not lost its relevance and interest for several years, and its results have become a springboard for startups, acquaintances – a network of new business partnerships, and for ports and maritime business – a know-how technology center. The trust of our partners also creates great value – their attention, support and desire to implement the created solutions in real activities. “

This year’s Portathon 2025 challenges are formulated taking into account the most relevant maritime sector and geopolitical trends, and their solutions will be important for every strategic port.

It is often said that a port must be fast and safe, but today that is no longer enough. We need to be both sustainable and able to change faster than the world around us. That’s why PORTATHON is more than an event for us – it’s a place where solutions are born that can change the entire maritime sector. It’s where we see what we can be tomorrow if we dare to think bigger today”, says Algis Latakas, CEO of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.

And the head of the Klaipėda FEZ Management Company, Eimantas Kiudulas, notes the uniqueness of Portathon 2025 as “collaboration opportunity that we can develop solutions to strengthen our nation’s resilience. Today, innovation is an essential pillar in safeguarding strategic infrastructure – enabling us to respond more swiftly, operate more effectively, and enhance security both nationally and internationally. I therefore invite everyone committed to Lithuania’s future to actively engage in this hackathon and contribute to the changes that will help build a safer and stronger state”.

The event would lose its meaning and continuity if there were no obvious potential in its results. Vaiva-Indilaitė Girtzė, a representative of the international green energy company Ignitis renewables, sees the value in contributing to the sponsorship of the event, because „we’re deeply dedicated to fostering a sustainable future and protecting the health of our environment. For us, the best way to make this happen is by forming long-term, trustworthy partnerships. We recognise how crucial it is to build enduring connections with local businesses and coastal communities in order to work together in a way that benefits us all”.

Record Prize Fund

This year’s hackathon is as popular as previous events. Registration for the event was suspended earlier than planned due to the limited physical space available for the event. The number of participants exceeded 100 people, 20 teams will solve challenges over the three days, and the event participants will be advised by an international team of mentors, consisting of 22 representatives of science and business.

The event is organized by the Public Institution Klaipėda Science and Technology Park and the Lithuanian Maritime Cluster. The main sponsors and partners of the event are Klaipėda University, EU-CONEXUS, Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, AB Western Shipyard Group, international green energy company Ignitis Renewables, Klaipėda LEZ, Schneider Electrics Lietuva, Omega 365 Lithuania, Phoenix Contact.

On September 26, the event will begin with welcoming speeches by the Director of Klaipėda Science and Technology Park, Romas Stubrienė, and the Vice-Rector for Studies of Klaipėda University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rasa Grigolienė, team formation and distribution of challenges.

On September 27, participants will be inspired by motivating speeches, which will be read by Sigutė Stankevičiūtė, Head of the Baltic Region and Poland of the American company Mach Industries, and Viktorija Sidarienė, Head of the Innovation Agency Miltech LAB.

On Sunday, the hackathon will reach the peak of the event – the teams will present their final solutions to the judging panel, and after calculating the evaluation scores, the winners will be announced.

What is new in the event is that this year the prize fund has increased to 5,500 EUR, and for the first time in the history of the event, teams will be ranked according to their place. Four prize places have been awarded, the monetary fund of which is distributed accordingly according to the place. The first-place winner will receive a prize of 2,000 EUR, the second-place winner will receive 1,500 EUR, and the 3rd-4th place winners will share 1,000 EUR.

It is gratifying to note that in addition to financial motivation, other opportunities open up for participants: the solutions they create can be applied in real-world business operations, and meeting mentors and partners often becomes a springboard for creating startups. Portathon 2025 is a platform where innovations meet reality, and ideas turn into solutions that can change the maritime sector and strengthen the Lithuanian innovation ecosystem.

INVESTech aims to establish a transnational platformfor Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) across Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Lithuania.

The second project meeting, held on March 18–21, 2025, in Sofia, included international workshops focused on developing a strategic plan for the expansion of the INVESTech Competence Centers platform, aimed at strengthening cooperation between Centers of Vocational Excellence and their partners. A study visit to Sofia Tech Park also took place, where meetings with Bulgarian organizations were held to exchange experiences and best practices.

Micro-credentials are short-term training programs that provide specific skills and certify learning outcomes essential for personal and professional development. In the INVESTech project, they will enable participants to upgrade their qualifications in line with EQF levels 4–6.

The study identified skills gaps in seven advanced industrial technology areas; therefore, pilot vocational training courses will be developed for EQF levels 4–6.

In each participating country, one Innovation Laboratory (I-lab) will be established – a space equipped with hardware, software, and a facilitator, where participants can collaborate to address challenges and develop innovative solutions.

„ChatGPT“ pasakė:

• Centre of Vocational Excellence Forum
• First INVESTech Skills Competition for Secondary School Students
• COFUN Laboratory and International Conference
• First INVESTech Skills Competition for University Students
• Project Meeting and Study Visit

@investech-cove

MB Klaipėdos projektai, headquartered at the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park (KMTP), is initiating a project of global significance. In collaboration with the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), the objective is to develop a cutting-edge food supplement designed to detoxify the human body from phthalates and other lipophilic toxins. This is the first scientifically validated solution of its kind in the world.

Innovation author – Aistė Andriulė

The author of this breakthrough is Aistė Andriulė, Master of Geography, environmental project developer, founder of the Bloom for the Planet brand, and a doctoral student at Klaipėda University, researching air pollution in port cities, with a particular focus on industrial and transport emissions.

A long-time teacher and lecturer, A. Andriulė has always based her work on the idea that science should serve humanity. Not limiting herself to the field of environmental protection, Aistė is now expanding her activities to include human health protection – she has undertaken to develop a means of effectively removing phthalates from the body – toxic plastic particles that accumulate in our bodies.

Chemist Agnė Jucytė Čičinė’s scientific justification of the relevance of the topic became a fundamental incentive for Aistė and gave her the determination to pursue the implementation of this idea. As the project developed, the cooperation of LSMU scientists and the constant support of Roma Stubrienė, director of the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park, played a particularly important role.

There are no analogues in the world

According to LSMU scientists, there is currently no scientifically proven preparation in the world that can effectively remove phthalates from the human body. This problem is relevant throughout the world, especially in the US, where phthalate pollution is particularly high.

Phthalates are plasticizers used in the manufacture of plastic products. These products include bottles, food packaging, toys, cosmetics, and medical devices. These particles are not firmly bound to plastic, so they easily enter the environment, water, air, food, and ultimately the human body.

These substances cause hormonal imbalances, asthma, and cancer, accumulate in the food chain, and pose a threat to the environment. One of the most dangerous phthalates, DEHP, has already been included in the EU’s list of priority hazardous substances.

Science-based solution

The project “Development of an advanced food supplement for phthalate detoxification” is based on scientific research, during which human digestive tract conditions will be modeled in the laboratory to evaluate the effectiveness of various natural compounds, such as chitosan, activated carbon, and others—in binding phthalates.

Chitosan, the main ingredient in the supplement, is a natural polysaccharide derived from crustacean shells that binds toxins in the intestine and helps remove them from the body. It is hoped that the formula will not only help cleanse the body of microplastics, but also become a new standard in the field of detoxification.

From nature – for people and the environment

According to Aistė Andriulė, this decision was born out of a deep love for nature: “I always wanted to leave something meaningful behind – to be remembered not only as a scientist, but also as an innovator. All my work is related to environmental protection, so I naturally moved from environmental issues to human health. Everything we need can be found in nature – we just need to see it and back it up with science.”

Long-time lecturer Aistė Andriulė entered the business world after participating in the business development program “Verslo skrydis” (Business Flight). Her acquaintance with Roma Stubrienė, director of the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park (KMTP), which began during the eight-month program, proved decisive – the activity was moved to the park’s premises. In just one year since MB Klaipėdos Projektai was established at KMTP, Aistė’s initiative has grown into an international scientific project.

Having become an active member of the KMTP community, Aistė began to delve into one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time – the impact of phthalates on human health and the environment. Together with a team of colleagues, she developed a hypothesis that this area is still underdeveloped scientifically, even though the problem is global.

Aistė A.’s path to success is an inspiring example for anyone who doubts the success of their ideas. Her story also confirms that the development of innovation requires a favorable environment – one that not only supports but also helps to move forward in a focused manner. We are proud that this project was born in the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park – a space where science, innovation and belief in the future come together.

Project scope and significance

Project title Development of an advanced food supplement for phthalate detoxification
Duration June 2025 – June 2026
Project value EUR 200,848
EU funding EUR 152,639

Funded under the Inostart measure.

The project not only addresses one of today’s most important environmental and health challenges, but also has a clear commercial focus – in the long term, the food supplement will be tested on humans.

Last week, Ignas Urbonas, the director of Garant ProTech, visited the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park. During the meeting, he presented an innovative extinguishing technology based on advanced aerosols.

The topic of fires is especially relevant today, as extremely dangerous large fires are becoming more frequent in companies and homes due to careless handling of fire and the abundance of electrical equipment. The threats posed by lithium batteries are also difficult to control. Unfortunately, few people are aware of the innovations and technologies used in fire extinguishing practices around the world. In Lithuania, they are slowly gaining ground due to the long-standing absence of legislative documents, inactive European-recognized certificates, and a lack of education on this topic.

Aerosol extinguishing systems are a novelty in Lithuania, but they have been used worldwide for more than three decades. The Klaipėda Science and Technology Park recognizes the importance of disseminating information about this innovation and providing education on the topic. Therefore, in the fall, the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park will organize an event with representatives from Garant Protech. They will invite the community and anyone interested in learning more about innovative fire extinguishing and the use of aerosol technology in industry to protect equipment and premises, as well as in transportation, electricity storage, solar power inverters, lithium batteries, homes, and all environments where human activity occurs.

On July 31, a meeting was held at the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park, where representatives of institutions that form and implement innovation policy were introduced to the port city’s infrastructure and its potential for adapting to the creation and development of maritime defense technologies.

The meeting was attended by: Raimondas Martinavicius, Advisor Innovation Policy Division at Ministry of Economy and Innovations, Martynas Survilas, Director of Innovation Development Department at Innovation Agency Lithuania, Viktorija Sidarienė, Head of “Miltech Lab”  Innovation Agency Lithuania, Izabelė Martišiūnė, Coordinator of the Manu Future LAB Division of the Innovation Agency Proverzis Department, representatives of Klaipėda Science and Technology Park – Roma Stubriene, Director and Giedrius Janusauskas, Development Manager.

The purpose of the visit is to get acquainted with the infrastructure available in Klaipėda for the development of technologies in the maritime defense field, creating defense technologies adapted to operate underwater, on the water surface, and in the air above water.

Visited Klaipėda Science and Technology Park Business Incubator, Klaipėda University Marine Research Institute, and Lithuanian Maritime Academy.

Seventh Innovation Marathon Portathon 2025: technological solutions for port security and sustainability – a response to international geopolitical and global challenges

Klaipėda is once again becoming a hub for innovation and technological solutions for port cities.

The international hackathon Portathon 2025, which will take place on 26-28 September this year, will bring together talents from Lithuania and abroad to develop technological solutions that respond to the global geopolitical and geo-strategic challenges facing the maritime sector today.

This is the seventh event of this format, which over the years has become an important cradle of innovation not only in Western Lithuania, but also in the entire Baltic Sea region.

Portathon not only promotes Lithuania as a progressive and socially responsible maritime nation, but also helps to implement technological solutions born from the synergy of science, business and creative teams.

The annual event brings together engineering, IT, maritime technology, business and science students, researchers, professionals and all those who are able to turn challenges into real solutions.

The event is a highway to ideas

“Portathon 2025 for the seventh year in a row brings together engineering, IT and other talent, knowledge and creativity here in Klaipėda and across the region. As partners, we actively contribute our challenges and teams, valuing the opportunity to develop technological solutions, expand competences and strengthen ties with the innovation ecosystem in Lithuania and beyond. This year’s focus areas – from cybersecurity and AI to green ports and the circular economy – reflect our Group’s core activities and the key issues shaping today’s maritime industry. I invite you to find the answers with Portathon and use this platform as a fast track to turn your ideas into reality. “- encourages Arnoldas Šileika, CEO of Western Shipyard Group.

Challenges drive creativity

This year’s Portathon – challenges are based on the most relevant maritime and geopolitical trends and their solutions will be relevant for every strategic port. Cybersecurity, secure navigation solutions, artificial intelligence, unmanned technologies, the circular economy, biodiversity conservation and mitigating the impact of climate change in ports are all in focus.

“It is often said that a port must be fast and safe, but today that is no longer enough. We need to be both sustainable and able to change faster than the world around us. That’s why Portathon is more than an event for us – it’s a place where solutions are born that can change the entire maritime sector. It’s where we see what we can be tomorrow if we dare to think bigger today,” says Algis Latakas, CEO of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.

Portathon 2025 will take place live on the last weekend of the year at Klaipėda Science and Technology Park. Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, Western Shipyard Group, and other port ecosystem players from Lithuania and the Baltic Sea region are already preparing challenges for the event participants.

“It is gratifying that the event has not lost its relevance and interest for a number of years, and its results not only become a springboard for start-ups, but also a network of new business partnerships, and a centre of know-how technologies for ports and maritime business. The trust of our partners – their attention, support and commitment to putting our solutions into practice – also creates great value. The Hackathon Portathon is unique in that it is not a game, but a platform where solutions with potential actually become a reality”, says Eriks Zavackienė, co-creator and coordinator of the event and project manager at KSTP.

Opening of registration announced

Registration is open to individual participants, groups, mentors and challenge providers.

Teams will consist of 3-5 people. There is no age limit, IT and engineering students, professionals, start-ups and enthusiasts, business management professionals, researchers, port and maritime businesses are welcome to participate. The results of the hackathon teams will be judged by a jury of professionals in their respective fields, and the finalists will share a prize fund of €4,000, with the opportunity to further develop and implement their projects in real life.

Additional information

Participant registration: https://bit.ly/Portathon2025_PARTICIPANTregistration

Mentor registration: https://bit.ly/Portathon2025_MENTORSregistration

Challenge registration: https://bit.ly/Portathon2025_CHALLENGEregistration

More about Portathon: https://kmtp.lt/portathon/

An initiative of the KSTP and the Cool Blue Baltic project – a city event offered an opportunity to get to know the flavours of ocean farmed seafood products

The festival is titled “Savos bangos. Tvarios ateities kūrėjų laboratorija”, the Klaipėda Science and Technology Park team invited guests to sample snacks made from seaweed and educated them about the potential applications of seafood cultivated in innovative ocean farms in the food industry. Participants were informed about the positive impact of these activities in restoring damaged aquaculture and ecosystems. It is important to note that projects such as Cool Blue Baltic, of which Klaipėda Science and Technology Park is a partner, have a clear track record of delivering results. The products already developed and the operational processes already in place contribute directly to sustainability and ecology. June 21st. the event, initiated by the Lithuanian Maritime Museum and Ignitis Renewables, took place at Danė Square in Klaipėda. The event’s objective was to create a more sustainable tomorrow and promote ecological awareness.

Marine farms – restoring ecosystems

The Baltic Sea is a unique and dynamic environment. However, it is confronted with a variety of challenges, including biogeochemical changes such as eutrophication, hypoxia, and acidification, as well as extreme weather conditions, urban development, and industrial fishing. The cumulative challenges result in ecosystem fluctuations, and the negative socio-economic factors that have been affecting ecosystems for decades eventually lead to the decline of the traditional coastal economy, rural-urban migration, and a heavy dependence on seasonal tourism. In alignment with the EU’s mission “Restoring our oceans and waters by 2030,” COOL BLUE BALTIC (CBB) aims to implement concrete scenarios for regenerative aquaculture and ecosystem restoration. These scenarios include redirecting fishermen from commercial fishing to ocean regeneration activities, thereby ensuring the effective management of marine protected areas.

“Klaipėda Science and Technology Park” initiated thematic interviews and discussions in order to find solutions for the development of this type of farms under the natural and territorial conditions in Lithuania. Lithuania’s open coastline would be one of the biggest challenges for ocean farming in Lithuania.

Community farms strategically locate their cultivation facilities along the Baltic Sea coast, leveraging its natural resources and infrastructure. A wind farm is planned in the Lithuanian territorial sea, and the project could include compensatory measures to help biogenic reefs and benthic habitats damaged by construction. One such measure could be the cultivation of Baltic Sea mussels, which are naturally adapted to lower salinity conditions and form an important part of the reef habitats. This approach is designed to restore reef bottom habitats that have been damaged by human activities and invasive predators. The mussel beds attached to the Palanga Bridge would also have a wide range of environmental benefits, such as water purification and fish attraction. These are merely a few suggestions that would require more detailed analysis, but there could be many more.

Regenerative farming techniques have the potential to address critical environmental issues in the Baltic Sea, such as warming oceans, overfishing of wild fish stocks, and degraded ecosystems. Despite the fact that crops grown on Lithuanian coasts are not suitable for food, these techniques offer a promising solution. The cultivation of specific species could play a crucial role in enhancing water quality and temperature regulation, facilitating the recovery of fish stocks, and concurrently supporting the growth of small-scale fishing operations within our region.

Educating the community and increasing involvement

To foster understanding of regenerative aquaculture and its potential among the seaside community and its guests, “Klaipėda Science and Technology Park” participated in two events: “Žuvies diena” on May 16 and the festival “Savos bangos. Tvarios ateities kūrėjų laboratorija“. The event demonstrated the viability of marine farming, offering guests the chance to sample products derived from algae cultivated in the Baltic and North Seas. It also featured an introduction to other crops grown in the sea and their potential applications. In addition, educational activities were provided for children and young people.

Official website of the project https://coolbluefuture.org/lt/
Read more about the project https://kmtp.lt/project/cool-blue-baltic/

Tasting at the event “Savos bangos. Tvarios ateities kūrėjų laboratorija” is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe project COOL BLUE BALTIC (CBB).