The Baltic Sea is not the alternative – it is the future of cruising
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
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In 2025, Ignitis Renewables brought 714 megawatts (MW) of new renewable capacity online across the Baltics and Poland – the strongest delivery year in the company’s history. Six large-scale wind and solar projects entered commercial operation, reinforcing Ignitis Renewables’ position as one of the region’s leading renewable energy developers.
“In 2025, we delivered renewable capacity at scale and at speed. The projects commissioned last year significantly increase domestic electricity generation and strengthen the region’s energy independence laying the foundation for an energy abundant ecosystem and globally competitive prices for consumers,” says Frank Oomen, CEO of Ignitis Renewables.
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Originally published on 5 Mar
NIB has signed a loan agreement of EUR 50 million with JSC Development Finance Institution ALTUM to support SMEs across Latvia. The funding will be used for a wide range of SME investments, including equipment purchases (such as agricultural machinery, production machinery, and equipment for service providers), property investments (including agricultural or production facilities), as well as working capital loans.
The programme primarily targets loans below EUR 1 million, with a dedicated portion for smaller loans (below EUR 250,000) aimed at SMEs in rural areas. Typical investments include equipment and heavy vehicles for forestry, agriculture, and manufacturing, as well as construction or renovation of facilities for smaller service providers.
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Originally published on 3 Mar
Foreign investment firms often look toward emerging markets to get in early on tech startups. But the toughest challenge is knowing from afar which founders to back. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Baltic startup scene. According to the recently published Baltic Startup Funding Report, foreign investors were involved in 43% of all Baltic deals in 2025, contributing significantly to last year’s overall €607M attracted in venture investments.
But quick market entry does not always guarantee access to the best founders, especially those who don’t fit the usual profiles. This mix of enthusiasm and local knowledge gap in the Baltics sets the stage for new kinds of venture investors: those in a position to spot early talent that others miss.
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Originally published on 5 Mar
The Standing Committee of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) convened at the European Parliament in Brussels for its spring session.
The meeting was preceded by a breakfast exchange with Members of the European Parliament and a security briefing by Martin Schäfer, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Political and Security Committee (PSC). The discussion addressed current EU security priorities and their implications for the Baltic Sea Region.
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Originally published on 2 Mar
At the invitation of Minister Radosław Sikorski, top diplomats of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) member states held an informal discussion today at the Palace of the Commonwealth in Warsaw. High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas also took part in the meeting.
Poland currently holds Presidency of the CBSS. The meeting was convened at the initiative of the Polish Presidency to address the need to strengthen the organisation’s political dimension and initiate an in-depth discussion among the region’s countries on the current security challenges.
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Originally published on 4 Mar
Following numerous attacks by unidentified hostile actors, the leaders of the Baltic states have committed to jointly expanding their ability to monitor and protect critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Scattered across the 110,000-square-nautical-mile (422,000-square-kilometer) maritime region are energy and communication cables, pipelines, and wind pylons—all potential targets for disruption.
Protecting undersea infrastructure requires continuous maritime presence, not episodic patrols. Persistent surface and subsurface awareness eliminates predictable gaps that adversaries can exploit and strengthens deterrence in contested waters. Saildrone, the global leader in autonomous ocean exploration, has successfully integrated and operated a sub-bottom profiler (SBP) on a Saildrone Voyager unmanned surface vehicle (USV).
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Originally published on 3 Mar
The latest 2025/2026 global report published by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) confirms that Lithuania leads Europe in the quality of its entrepreneurial environment and ranks among the world’s strongest economies in this field.
The most recent data capture entrepreneurial development at a time of heightened macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty worldwide. Around 67% of economies reported that in 2025 more people experienced a decline in income than an increase. In many countries, starting a business is now perceived as more challenging than a year ago, while structural imbalances are emerging as persistent, long-term obstacles.
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Originally published on 2 Mar
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated into everyday work processes in Latvia. However, the labor market’s overall preparedness for these changes remains insufficient. A representative survey conducted in February 2026 by the research company Norstat, commissioned by ERDA and the Future of Work Institute, shows that only 23% of employed respondents have received training in artificial intelligence over the past 12 months, highlighting a significant skills development challenge in the labor market.
In only 16.2% of cases was the training provided by the employer, while a substantial share of employees acquired knowledge at their own expense. This means that more than three-quarters of Latvia’s workforce operate in an AI-driven environment without systematic support.
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Originally published on 4 Mar
In February, Ilkka Räsänen took up his role as Sitra’s first Head of EU Affairs, strengthening Sitra’s presence in Brussels.
The Head of EU Affairs position in Brussels supports Sitra’s strategic goal of being a trusted partner in the EU and globally. In practice, this means expanding networks, deepening partnerships for EU funding programmes, and bolstering Sitra’s EU advocacy. At the same time, it builds on Sitra’s nationally and internationally recognised work in foresight and innovation.
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Originally published on 4 Mar
At present, the contractor consortium Femern Link Contractors (FLC) is testing the special vessel that will immerse the tunnel elements for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. Over the weekend, the unique immersion pontoon IVY 1 & 2 carried out the first test of connecting the vessel to a completed tunnel element.
The immersion pontoons are currently located in the large Danish work harbour on Lolland, with the first tunnel element secured between the two units. The initial phase of testing has already been successfully completed and includes, among other things, confirming that all functions operate correctly – both when IVY 1 & 2 are operated separately holding a standard element secured in between, and when they are operated as a combined vessel.
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Originally published on 3 Mar