airBaltic launches direct flights between Vilnius and Zurich
Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) have announced that on May 3rd, air carrier airBaltic started direct regular flights between Vilnius and Zurich. The airline’s flights to Switzerland’s largest airport will be operated two times a week in May, and three times a week for the rest of the aviation summer season.
“A wider choice of flights to Zurich means more flexibility for passengers and even more convenient connectivity to one of Europe’s most important financial and aviation centres. Such routes strengthen Lithuania’s relations with international partners, provide more opportunities for business, and open air gates to the farthest corners of the world for passengers,” says Roderikas Žiobakas, Vice-Minister of Transport and Communications.
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Originally published on 4 May
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Cruising is entering a new phase. As travel trends shift toward authenticity, sustainability and emotional value, Northern Europe – and the Baltic Sea in particular – is increasingly aligned with the expectations of tomorrow’s cruise passengers. Across the travel sector, demand is moving away from overcrowded destinations and toward places that offer cultural depth and a sense of genuine discovery.
In this context, the Baltic Sea stands out not because it is spectacular in scale, but because it is coherent in character. Its destinations share a broadly similar planning culture, social stability and relationship with nature. For cruise operators, this creates itineraries that are efficient to operate yet rich in content, without the growing friction associated with over-tourism. One of the Baltic’s defining strengths is easy access. Many ports are located close to city centres or directly integrated into small towns, allowing passengers to explore on foot rather than through long transfers. This reflects passenger preferences identified by Cruise Lines International Association, which show growing satisfaction with ports offering walkability, easy access and authentic local environments. Whether in larger cities such as Helsinki, Tallinn or Stockholm, or in smaller destinations like Kotka and Kalmar, proximity and immediacy play a central role in shaping the shore experience.
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Originally published on 26 Jan
The agreement on the wind farms for the Bornholm Energy Island project is the decisive building block for the realisation of this particular German-Danish infrastructure undertaking.
Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz: “The agreement be-tween Germany and Denmark has an impact on the offshore industry across Europe, extending far beyond the Baltic Sea project Bornholm Energy Island. It is furthermore a strong european signal in geopolitically difficult times. Both countries are breaking new regulatory ground and are therefore pio-neering the way forward. 50Hertz and Energinet will jointly contribute their expertise and experience and, as those responsible for the electricity hub on Bornholm and for the direct current connections to Denmark and Germany, will play their part in the success of the project overall.”
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Originally published on 26 Jan
From 20 to 22 January, European Commission consultations with public administration authorities and representatives of the non-governmental sector took place in Riga within the framework of the European Semester process.
The objective of these consultations is to enable colleagues from various Directorates-General to gain a better understanding of current developments in Latvia and to identify issues and topics that could be included in the European Commission’s 2026 Country Report and the country-specific recommendations for Latvia, which the Commission plans to publish in June and which will also be relevant in the context of further EU funds programming. During this visit, more than 20 European Commission representatives were in Latvia, the majority of whom were from the Reform and Investment Task Force (SG.REFORM) and the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN), which is responsible for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in Latvia.
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Originally published on 23 Jan
Preparations for the special vessel IVY, which will play a key role in the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, are nearing completion. The approval of the immersion pontoon is almost two years behind the original schedule.
In the coming weeks, the first part of the tunnel trench will be prepared for immersion. The trench is being adapted to the elements, and the contractor is laying a gravel bed to create an even base for the tunnel elements.
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Originally published on 21 Jan
The AI boom is changing the learning practices, and the Estonian startup scene is making a mark on it. This month, Tallinn-based AI startup Flashka has raised €1M in pre-seed funding led by Outlast Fund, with participation from Ulixes Capital Partners (UCP) and Vento Ventures.
Founded in 2023 by Stefan Djokovic, David Djokovic, and Simone De Marchi, Flashka has developed an AI-powered study platform that helps university students master complex subjects through automated flashcards, quizzes, and personalized learning tools. It focuses on spaced repetition, a learning technique that boosts retention with adaptive schedules, reducing cramming. It can be used with any subject, or for language study.
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Originally published on 20 Jan
The electricity Transmission System Operators (TSOs) of eight countries bordering the Baltic Sea today published the first comprehensive regional system study for offshore network infrastructure and offshore wind, marking a significant step toward coordinated sea basin planning in Europe.
The TSOs of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden – organised in the Baltic Offshore Grid Initiative (BOGI) – developed a study that moves from electricity transmission corridors to potential projects for the 2040-time horizon. The results show that the Baltic Sea region can become a clean energy hub, with around 13 GW of new cross-border interconnectors and up to 50 GW of additional offshore wind identified by 2040. These connections include point-to-point links between countries and strategic offshore nodes such as Bornholm, which could serve as future hybrid hubs. The market modelling indicates that these interconnectors would operate with high utilisation throughout the year and significantly reduce system costs, price peaks and CO₂ emissions.
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Originally published on 22 Jan
Rail Baltic Estonia has announced a construction procurement through which a Rail Baltica rolling stock depot will be built in Rae municipality, Harju County, by the end of 2028. The facility will be a strategic infrastructure object concentrating all maintenance, repair, and operation of the future high-speed railway’s rolling stock in Estonia. The maintenance and repair centre planned for the Soodevahe area will also become the largest depot in the Baltics.
The procurement covers both the preparation of the detailed design and the construction of the depot building and its internal service platforms. The deadline for submitting tenders is 10 March 2026, and the contract with the contractor is planned to be signed by the end of April. The deadline for completion of construction works is 31 December 2028.
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Originally published on 22 Jan
Lithuania could become one of Europe’s strongest tech centres within just five years, according to the latest study by the association Unicorns Lithuania. The analysis shows that by 2030, the number of startups in the country could triple, the number of specialists employed could double, and the state budget could receive an additional €5 billion in tax revenue.
However, according to the association, such a breakthrough is only possible if the country actively fosters the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) startups. The study estimates that this would require €270 million in state investment by 2030.
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Originally published on 22 Jan
During its visit to Spain, the Lithuanian delegation is working to strengthen the Port of Klaipėda’s international links by deepening cooperation with the Port of Valencia – one of the Mediterranean’s leading logistics hubs – through the exchange of expertise in infrastructure development and joint efforts to attract additional cargo flows.
“The Port of Klaipėda is of strategic importance to Lithuania, so decisions relating to it are taken with close attention to global market developments, key industry stakeholders and their experience. This visit provides an opportunity to further strengthen our expertise in specific areas of the maritime sector”, said Lithuania’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Roderikas Žiobakas.
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Originally published on 20 Jan
The implementers of the Nordic–Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project — the European gas transmission system operators “Conexus Baltic Grid” (Latvia), “Gasgrid Finland” (Finland), “Elering” (Estonia), “Amber Grid” (Lithuania), “GAZ‑SYSTEM” (Poland) and “ONTRAS” (Germany) — have launched a market survey, inviting market participants to express their views by completing a questionnaire on the cross‑border hydrogen infrastructure development project.
At this stage, market participants are invited to take part in shaping the development of the cross‑border hydrogen network by providing their perspectives on the creation of the Nordic–Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, which will strengthen Europe’s energy security and support the transition to a climate‑neutral economy.
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Originally published on 16 Jan