Innovation Fund of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Faculty of Maritime Studies, Kotor, University of Montenegro, organized the seminar “Innovations in the Blue Economy – Living Lab Concept, Projects and Opportunities for Montenegro” on 24 September 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Faculty of Maritime Studies (Kotor, Put I Bokeljske brigade 44). The seminar was organized within the project “Innovation Network for the Development of Solutions and Technologies for a Sustainable Blue Economy in the ADRION Region – INNOVABLUE,” financed under the IPA ADRION Programme (2021–2027) with the aim of fostering a sustainable blue economy in the Adriatic-Ionian region.
The seminar was opened by Prof. Dr Tatijana Dlabač, Dean of the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Kotor, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between academia, industry and the public sector for the sustainable development of Montenegro’s sea and coastline.
The program continued with a presentation by prof. dr Snežana Šćepanović, Head of the Department for EU Project Management and Support at the Innovation Fund of Montenegro. Prof. Šćepanović presented the concept of the blue economy and the role of Living Labs, the results achieved so far within the INNOVABLUE and ROBONET projects, and highlighted the advantages of establishing a Living Lab for testing innovative marine technologies in Montenegro. She emphasized that three locations have already been defined within the INNOVABLUE project for setting up new Living Labs in the ADRION region: the Faculty of Maritime StudiesbKotor, University of Montenegro – Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro); Vransko Lake (Croatia); and the YouSea Institute, Portorož (Slovenia).
Prof. Dr Špiro Ivošević and Prof. Dr Danilo Nikolić from the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor presented the Faculty activities and international projects in the field of innovative marine technologies and advanced methods for monitoring air quality in Boka Kotorska Bay. Participants were also introduced to the possibilities of using underwater robots for ship inspection and maritime traffic monitoring. Dr Maja Škurić from the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor presented the IHUBMAR(E) project, financed by the Montenegrin Innovation Fund under the Program for Promoting Innovation Culture in 2024. The project’s results will enable the creation of an innovative environment for education and the practical application of new technologies in the maritime sector.
After presentations from the Faculty of Maritime Studies, participants heard from Mateo Ivanec, Executive Director of the Digital Innovation Hub Innovamare – DIH Innovamare (Croatia), the lead partner of the INNOVABLUE project. He outlined the objectives and benefits of DIH Innovamare for network members, the online MAIROS platform for collaboration between academia, business and investors in the blue economy, and shared experiences from the Living Lab in Šibenik as an example of infrastructure for testing innovative marine technologies in a real-world environment.
The seminar concluded with a presentation by Saša Ivanović, Head of the Strategic Planning and International Cooperation Department at the Montenegrin Innovation Fund and National Contact Point for EIT and EIC. Mr. Ivanović presented opportunities for financing innovative projects through the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) programs.
The practical part of the seminar featured demonstrations of the Faculty of Maritime Studies’ FIFISH W6 underwater drone, as well as DIH Innovamare’s Faust V autonomous surface vessel and underwater drones, carried out in the waters of Boka Kotorska Bay in front of the Faculty.
The seminar highlighted the vast potential of innovative marine technologies as a key driver of the blue economy — from underwater robotics, sensors and digital networks to integrated solutions for monitoring and pollution prevention. Emphasis was placed on the need to establish a Living Lab for innovative marine technologies at the Faculty of Maritime Studies, Kotor. This first Living Lab for innovative marine technologies in Montenegro would enable the development of national expertise in innovative marine technologies, provide access to international networks and EU funds, help create recommendations for a more flexible regulatory framework for testing innovative marine solutions, and position Montenegro as a regional center for testing and validating blue technologies in the Adriatic-Ionian region.
