With its strong research and innovation activities and its track record of cooperation, the Baltic region has undeniable blue growth potential. But more targeted and coordinated action is required to create jobs and growth in the maritime sectors across the region. Participants today discussed how to unlock this potential through three key tools: fostering innovation, improving access to finance for maritime sectors, and focusing on skills and qualifications.

The conference concluded that any future master plan for maritime technologies and innovation in the Baltic should combine a more strategic and synergetic approach to smart maritime specialisation with better, more targeted and more coordinated use of the financing opportunities offered by the European Funds for Strategic Investment, the European Structural and Investment Funds, and others sources of financing. Participants also saw the need for a clearer path towards careers in the modern high-tech maritime economy.

Today's conference was framed within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, a keystone of the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy, which promotes sea-basin wide action and more integrated maritime policymaking across sectors and borders. In this context, the Baltic Sea region can serve as a vision of what future marine economies in Europe can look like.

The conference on Blue Growth in the Baltic Sea was organised by the European Commission in partnership with the Maritime Development Center of Europe, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Baltic Development Forum. It is the second such event, following a first meeting in Kiel, Germany, in March.