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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To keep potential suppliers and partners informed about procurement priorities for 2025, the Rail Baltica global project is providing a comprehensive overview of ongoing and upcoming procurement activities. These procurements focus on essential services that drive the advancement of the Rail Baltica project, covering key areas such as superstructure construction, environmental assessments, and design work for specific infrastructure elements and facilities.
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Originally published on 10 Feb

Draugiem Group company Mapon expands its presence in the Nordic region by acquiring 100% of the shares in Interkom AB, a fleet management provider based in Lund, Sweden. Mapon and Interkom AB offer fleet management and GPS tracking solutions, helping clients optimize resource management, enhance road safety, and promote sustainable corporate governance. This acquisition strengthens Mapon’s customer base in Sweden and brings in a team of seasoned professionals, enabling faster growth in the Swedish market.
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Originally published on 10 Feb

On 9 February, President Edgars Rinkēvičs paid a working visit to Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. During the visit, President of Latvia met with the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The officials discussed the accession of the Baltic states to the European energy system, the protection of critical infrastructure, the strengthening of transatlantic relations, the development of the European defence industry, the implementation of key regional infrastructure projects, as well as support for Ukraine and sanctions policy towards Russia.
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Originally published on 9 Feb

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have successfully synchronised their electricity systems with the Continental Europe Synchronous Area on 9 February 2025 at 2:05 PM. This is a key milestone for the Baltic States and for Europe strengthening the energy resilience and independence across the region.
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Originally published on 9 Feb

On February 20-21 in Stockholm, Techarena 2025 will gather +12,000 business leaders, founders, investors, and decision-makers to explore and discuss global trends, emerging technologies, the startup ecosystem, and the future of industries. Ticket holders will have access to an insightful panel discussion on the future of DefenceTech. Moderated by Ms Kadri Tammai, Regional Director of NATO DIANA, the panel will feature the Minister of Economy and Industry of Estonia, Mr Erkki Keldo, Head of Strategy and Portfolio at Saab Surveillance, Mr Hampus Delin, and Deputy Chief Sales Officer at Milrem Robotics, Mr Stefan Behre.
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Originally published on 6 Feb

After months of preparation, a fleet of 11 specialised vessels has mobilised to begin installing the foundations for Poland’s first offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This stage has already seen the successful installation of the first two of a total of 78 monopiles – towering 100-metre steel structures that will support 15 MW wind turbines. These generation units are among the most advanced in the industry, with a portion being manufactured at Vestas’ facility in Szczecin. With a total capacity of 1.2 GW, the Baltic Power wind farm is set to commence operations in 2026, delivering clean, reliable electricity capable of powering over 1.5 million households. Offshore wind is a key element of the ORLEN Group’s new strategy, which targets the deployment of more than 4 GW of installed capacity in the Baltic Sea in partnership with leading industry players.
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Originally published on 6 Feb

Estonia and the other Baltic States will disconnect from the Russian-run electricity network on Saturday and connect to the Continental European Synchronous Area on Sunday. The main goal of connecting to the European electricity system is to make our electricity system stronger and ensure energy independence and security.
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Originally published on 5 Feb

The Baltic Startup Funding Report by Change Ventures and FIRSTPICK is a semi-annual publication of detailed data about funding rounds for startups in the Baltics, including companies with HQs elsewhere but with a dominant base in Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania.
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Originally published on 5 Feb

Enable Banking and Qred announce a strategic partnership to revolutionize financing for entrepreneurs. By leveraging real-time financial data and seamless account-to-account payments, Qred enhances credit decisions and operational efficiency. This collaboration highlights the transformative power of open banking in supporting small businesses, enabling them to grow, invest, and expand with ease.
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Originally published on 31 Jan

Today, the Commission has registered ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ from Latvia as Protected Geographical Indications (PGI). ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ is a rye bread with pieces of dried pork fat and onions baked into it. The method used to produce the bread and the recipe have been preserved and have not changed since the end of the 19th century. It still has to be prepared by hand, starting with the preparation of the flour, the kneading of the rye dough, the shaping of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’, the filling of the dough and the baking of the bread. The reputation of ‘Aglonas maizes veistūklis’ stems mainly from the tradition, passed down within families from generation to generation, of baking the bread in brick ovens.
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Originally published on 31 Jan