The Maritime Innovation Cluster is a platform for the preparation of research and development projects and the development of research infrastructure for the purpose of strengthening the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the maritime industry by connecting stakeholders in the public, private and research sectors within the maritime and related industries.
Among the areas of priority are new technologies, pure technologies, vessels of the future, digital transformation, and development of smart skills.
The cluster was presented by its president, Ana Odak from the Gitone Kvarner company, and its vice-president, director of Lürssen Design Center Kvarner, Teuta Duletić.
They said that they saw the future of the shipbuilding industry in supporting industries such as ICT and small companies specialising in pure technologies. They pointed out that they wanted to make the Rijeka and Kvarner region a centre of excellence in innovation, pure technologies and smart skills, with the cluster serving as a platform for the implementation of strategic projects and as the backbone of industry development.
The focus will be on four key pillars of development, namely autonomous vessels, smart and green marinas, conversion of waste into energy, and pure fuel and hydrogen. Further steps will include developing a strategy, an action plan and infrastructure, project implementation and cooperation.
The presentation was followed by a discussion on innovation and technologies in the maritime and other industries, which involved, among others, the Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, the CEO of the Lürssen Group, Peter Lürssen, and the Rector of the University of Rijeka, Snježana Prijić Samaržija.
Butković said that the cluster was a very good idea and that it could help state-owned companies, such as the Jadrolinija shipping companies, in the preparation of projects and absorption of EU funding. This is a chance to renew the fleet and purchase new vessels, he added.
"We believe that in the period ahead we will prepare such projects with the cluster's assistance and embark on the purchase of new ships," Butković said, stressing that it was important to provide seaports and marinas with waste management infrastructure and that Rijeka was for now the only Croatian seaport with such infrastructure.