LSIWC participates in a discussion on the future of marine technologies in the Baltics

On 23–24 October, Liepāja hosted the first seminar within the framework of the MarTe – Marine Technology Excellence Hub for Sustainable Blue Economy in the Baltics project, which brings together policymakers, research organisations, industry representatives, and NGOs from Latvia and Estonia working in the field of the blue economy.

The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC) was represented by Dr. Oskars Bikovens, who took part in collaboration community discussions on the use of marine living resources and the development of a sustainable blue economy in the Baltic region.

“The development of the blue economy offers opportunities to apply experience gained in terrestrial bioresource research — for example, in biopolymer and natural material technologies. Our goal is to explore how this knowledge can be used for marine biomass valorisation and new product development,” emphasizes Dr. Oskars Bikovens.

LSIWC researchers have previously been engaged in studies of marine biomass, including exploring the potential of algae in bioeconomy applications, biopolymers, and other natural materials. This expertise enables the institute to contribute to the MarTe collaboration platform, aimed at advancing innovation and marine technologies on a regional scale.

The seminar in Liepāja was the first of several MarTe events to be held in Latvia, Estonia, and across the Baltic Sea region.

About the MARTE project

MarTe – Marine Technology Excellence Hub for Sustainable Blue Economy in the Baltics is a Horizon Europe-funded cross-border initiative (ID 101186498) aimed at developing marine technologies and innovations to strengthen the blue economy in the Baltic Sea region.

The project involves leading research, public sector, and industry organisations from Latvia and Estonia, including Tallinn University of Technology, the University of Tartu, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Kurzeme Planning Region, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), and others.

MarTe fosters collaboration among science, business, and society, promoting the development of new marine technologies, innovation deployment, and the economic growth of the Baltic region in line with the EU Green Deal and smart specialisation strategies.

More information: www.marinetechub.eu