Latvia to host EUDIS Defence Hackathon for the first time
Riga Technical University (RTU) Science and Innovation Centre (ZIC) invites applications for participation in the defence industry hackathon EUDIS Defence Hackathon 2025 by May 5. The hackathon will take place from May 9 to 11 at RTU Rezekne Academy.
The goal of the hackathon is to promote innovation development in the defence sector, focusing on the creation of innovative equipment and software solutions for Ukraine’s defence needs.
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Originally published on 14 Apr
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The immersion pontoon IVY has passed its final tests and is now approved by the Danish Maritime Authority. Therefore, the contractor Femern Link Contractors (FLC) can begin preparing to immerse the first tunnel element into the dredged tunnel trench off Lolland’s coast this spring.
The special vessel IVY is comprised of two distinct units: IVY 1 & 2. Prior to the transportation and immersion of a 217-metre-long standard tunnel element, each end is securely attached to IVY 1 & 2, which provide buoyancy. For the handling of the 39-metre-long special elements, IVY 1 & 2 are joined to form a single vessel, facilitating the immersion process. Together, IVY 1 & 2 are equipped with 23 kilometres of steel wire spread over 66 winches, enabling them to submerge tunnel elements to depths of up to 40 metres with exceptional precision.
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Originally published on 3 Apr
The Future Expert Launchpad (FELP), launched in Oulu, brings together professionals from different fields, companies, and best practices in innovation work. Over the course of eight weeks, participants develop solutions to real business challenges, receive guidance from experts, and discover new directions for their careers. FELP offers an opportunity to step into a creative and energetic environment where ideas grow into concepts.
The Future Expert Launchpad (FELP) kicked off in March in Oulu as a collaboration between BusinessOulu and Demola. This intensive eight‑week program offers current and future innovation professionals from various fields the opportunity to develop new product and service concepts and demos in teams. The goal is to support the employment and skills development of highly educated professionals, international talents, and jobseekers looking for a new direction in their careers.
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Originally published on 1 Apr
The TRIDON Mk2 is a truck-mounted 40 mm anti-aircraft gun system that addresses a gap in today’s air defense. The system has multi-target capability and can engage a wide range of aerial threats, including drones, cruise missiles and aircraft. Additionally, it can target ground threats such as armored vehicles, providing protection and security for both military forces and civil infrastructure.
“We are more committed than ever to providing our customers with protection from ever-evolving aerial threats,” said Lena Gillström, president of BAE Systems Bofors. “The TRIDON Mk2 has been designed for today’s warfare, and we will continue to deliver cutting-edge solutions to put our customers in the best position to meet future challenges.”
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Originally published on 2 Apr
RB Rail AS has announced the launch of a new procurement for Design Expertise Services for the Rail Baltica Energy Subsystem in Latvia and Lithuania (ID No. RBR 2025/14), marking the next step forward in the detailed technical development of the Rail Baltica electrification system.
The procurement is structured into two separate lots, one for Latvia and one for Lithuania, allowing suppliers to submit proposals for one or both countries. Local design expertise companies with relevant experience in Latvia and Lithuania are encouraged to participate.
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Originally published on 2 Apr
Offshore Center Bornholm continues to grow and strengthen its local network. We are pleased to welcome five new member companies, all contributing valuable competencies to the island’s maritime and energy ecosystem.
With these new members, Offshore Center Bornholm further reinforces its position as a strong platform for collaboration across maritime, logistics, construction, and service sectors—supporting the development of large-scale offshore and energy projects around Bornholm.
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Originally published on 1 Apr
From mid-September, DFDS will significantly strengthen freight and passenger services on the Karlshamm-Klaipeda route with the introduction of newly chartered vessel Ciudad de Valencia.
The vessel will almost triple passenger capacity compared to the ship it replaces, while also providing additional freight space. This upgrade will enhance service reliability for customers and support DFDS’s continued growth in the Baltic Sea region.
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Originally published on 2 Apr
How can freedom and security coexist in an increasingly complex world? Join us in Lübeck, Germany, from 2–5 July 2026 for four days of collaboration, creativity, and impact at [#b_hack] – the Baltic Sea Region Hackathon 2026.
This year’s edition invites young people from across the Baltic Sea Region to explore the theme “Free and Secure Societies. Working together in challenging times.” Through innovation and teamwork, participants will tackle real-world challenges and develop ideas that strengthen both individual freedoms and collective security.
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Originally published on 30 Mar
State services are already fully digitalised for citizens in Estonia, but there’s more to improve in the business sector. Enterprise Estonia is rolling out three new grant schemes totalling €10M to help companies automate data exchange — both between businesses and between the private and public sectors.
The initiative sits within Estonia’s broader real-time economy (RTE) agenda, which aims to eliminate manual data handling by ensuring information flows automatically, in standardised formats, to the right parties at the right time. This will enable automated annual reports, real-time payroll submissions, and live inventory management — rather than PDFs and email attachments.
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Originally published on 30 Mar
A new report shows that Finland’s current large-scale trawl fishing in the Baltic Sea results in a socio-economic loss of nearly five million euros per year. This is at a time when several fish stocks are at dangerously low levels. Calculations also show that a new fisheries policy shifting focus from industrial trawling to primarily coastal fishing for food fish could generate socio-economic benefits of up to 25 million euros annually.
Finland’s herring catches in the Baltic Sea have fallen significantly since the peak year of 2016. Despite catches falling by nearly 60 per cent, several fish stocks are at critically low levels. Previously valuable and prized food fish such as Baltic cod and salmon have declined dramatically and can no longer be fished due to fishing bans.
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Originally published on 30 Mar
Metsä Group has launched a preliminary planning project for the first commercial biogenic carbon dioxide capture plant. As part of the plant’s financing plan, the company has submitted an application to a reverse auction organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which awards investment grants to clean transition projects.
The potential facility would be located adjacent to Metsä Group’s Rauma pulp mill, and its nominal capacity would be approximately 100,000 tons of captured wood-based carbon dioxide per year. The carbon dioxide would be captured from the mill’s flue gases. This would be a commercial production facility, and its planned capacity would be the first step toward a larger scale: at Metsä Group, the long-term carbon dioxide capture potential from wood is several million tons per year. Carbon dioxide can be used as a raw material in the chemical and fuel industries, among others, and can replace the use of fossil raw materials.
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Originally published on 31 Mar