Photos: LDCK

Maritime Innovation Cluster will become the backbone of the Croatian maritime industry through the development of autonomous vessels, smart, green and self-sustaining marinas and environmentally friendly marine propulsion systems, as well as the conversion of waste into energy.

The MarInn Maritime Innovation Cluster was established with the aim not only to strengthen the inventiveness and competitiveness of the maritime industry but also to connect key stakeholders and partners in order for them to work together on important maritime industry projects. The idea behind setting up the cluster is to reposition Croatia on the map of maritime powers, and one of its main goals is to establish, in the Kvarner region, a global centre for innovation and smart skills in the maritime industry.

The Lürssen Group, world’s most famous manufacturer of megayachts, is the cluster’s initiator and one of its founders, while ACI, the largest chain of marinas in the Mediterranean, and the University of Rijeka are among its key partners, along with a number of other partners from Croatia and abroad.
In this partnership, tech companies from Croatia, Austria and Germany will have the opportunity to push the boundaries of technological advancements in the maritime industry and work together on important nautical projects in Croatia. One possible testing ground for projects and new technologies could be the future ACI marina Rijeka, which will be built in Porto Baroš. This is a joint investment by ACI and Lürssen’s company Gitone Kvarner, which, in a first for Croatia and beyond, will develop autonomous navigation systems for vessels, accompanied by a number of other services such as automatic vessel identification and supplying boaters with all the necessary information even before they have sailed into the marina, as well as facilities such as charging points for vessels powered by hydrogen and electricity and a state-of-the-art system of generating energy from waste.
“ACI is at the forefront of nautical tourism in Croatia and beyond. That is why we are actively involved in Maritime Innovation Cluster as its key partner. The innovations and technological advancements that the cluster will promote will be implemented in ACI Marina Rijeka, the most technologically advanced marina in the Adriatic,” said Kristijan Pavić, President of the Management Board of ACI.