Finnish-led BalticSeaH2 awarded Hydrogen Valley of the Year
The European H2 Valley of the Year Award honours exceptional achievements in the development and implementation of Hydrogen Valleys. Criteria for the evaluation are breakthroughs in project implementation, outstanding efforts in covering the value chain, hydrogen volume produced/used in the valley, the stakeholders’ landscape and involvement, as well as the innovation level. The award was handed out at Hydrogen Research and Innovation Days.
BalticSeaH2 builds the first significant, cross-border hydrogen valley in Europe. The goal is to create an integrated hydrogen economy around the Baltic Sea to enable self-sufficiency of energy and minimise carbon emissions from different industries. Combining local areas into a broader valley supports creating a genuinely integrated, interregional hydrogen economy, which has not been done previously on this scale in Europe.
The main valley of the project is located between Finland and Estonia. The area between Finland and Estonia is an optimal location for a cross-border hydrogen market. The necessary infrastructure – natural gas pipelines, electricity grids, and active marine traffic – already exist in the Gulf of Finland. The project will support the reduction of the carbon emissions from existing marine traffic. In addition, Gasgrid Vetyverkot is already preparing hydrogen infrastructure: Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector and Nordic Hydrogen Route enable strong growth for hydrogen economy and hydrogen markets in the Baltic Sea region.
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Originally published on 27 Nov
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On Friday, 14 March, the third “Idea Day” conference for teachers and education technology experts took place, bringing together more than 180 teachers and education experts from all over Latvia and offering them a wide-ranging program on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in education. Teachers had the chance to improve their AI skills in 14 workshops and discussions on methods, solutions, and experiences.
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Originally published on 17 Mar
Ovivo, a leading provider of water treatment and purification solutions, has announced plans to open a design center in Kaunas, Lithuania. The new facility, scheduled to open in April 2025, will focus on piping and plant design for the company’s ultrapure water and wastewater treatment systems. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Ovivo specializes in providing innovative water treatment solutions, and is renowned for its technical expertise in producing ultrapure water for the electronics industry.
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Originally published on 17 Mar
Tallinn-based FinTech startup Cino has secured €3.5M in seed funding to expand its real-time shared payment application across Europe and launch in the UK market. Cino has developed a unique payment solution that allows groups to pay together in a single transaction. Unlike traditional bill-splitting apps that create debt and require follow-up payments, Cino charges everyone their share in real time at the point of checkout.
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Originally published on 13 Mar
Luleå University of Technology is breaking new ground in mining technology by conducting innovative research into 6G networks in collaboration with Oulu University. This pioneering project aims to explore how next-generation wireless technology can enhance safety, efficiency, and communication in mining environments, laying the foundation for a transformation in the industry.
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Originally published on 14 Mar
The Swedish Maritime Administration and Ports of Stockholm establish a joint maritime traffic centre
The Swedish Maritime Administration and Ports of Stockholm are taking a historic step by establishing a joint maritime traffic centre in Stockholm. The co-operation will enhance the efficiency and safety of vessel traffic from Oxelösund in the south and up along the entire northern coast of Sweden. In early March, the parties signed a cooperation agreement that marks the start of a groundbreaking initiative. The traffic centres of the Swedish Maritime Administration and Ports of Stockholm will form a joint maritime traffic centre at the Värtahamnen port in Stockholm.
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Originally published on 14 Mar
On 12 March 2025, the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) priced a new seven-year, EUR 750 million NIB Environmental Bond (NEB). This latest transaction takes NIB’s total green bond issuance past the EUR 10 billion milestone since its first NEB in 2011, solidifying the Bank’s position in the market and underscoring the robust investor confidence in its environmental mandate.
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Originally published on 13 Mar
The construction procurement for the mainline of Rail Baltica’s Estonian section has reached a significant milestone: two international consortia have been declared successful. Upon contract signing, these consortia will implement the construction of two major sections of the international high-speed railway. This step ensures full contractual coverage of the Estonian passenger mainline, bringing Rail Baltica closer to establishing a functional rail corridor between Tallinn and Warsaw by 2030.
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Originally published on 13 Mar
Vilnius has been awarded the top international recognition for its foreign direct investment (FDI) strategy, securing the prestigious Best FDI Strategy Award at MIPIM 2025, one of the world’s largest real estate exhibitions. The Lithuanian capital was honoured in the fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2025 rankings for mid-sized cities, an initiative by fDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times. This recognition underscores Vilnius’ long-term commitment to attracting global investment, fostering a business-friendly environment, and driving innovation.
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Originally published on 12 Mar
If you are 16-29 and live or are from the Baltic Sea Region, you are invited to run for a top leadership position in the Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum (BSRYF), a platform enabling young individuals to shape their future. Registration for the third election cycle is now open. Young individuals and aspiring young leaders can apply until 6 April 2025, with elections taking place online on 24 April 2025.
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Originally published on 12 Mar
The second Green4HEAT regional working group took place in Salaspils, where representatives of local governments, experts of heat supply companies and energy specialists discussed the development of energy communities in Latvia. The event took place within the framework of the Interreg Europe programme project Green4HEAT, which aims to accelerate the deployment of low-temperature heating solutions by promoting cooperation and knowledge sharing between regions.
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Originally published on 11 Mar