The event was opened by Roomet Leiger, Director of the Estonian Maritime Academy, who provided an overview of TalTech as Estonia’s largest technical university, the role of the Maritime Academy within it, and the key focus areas of research and development.

Eero Lehtovaara, Chairman of the Board of Waterborne TP, emphasized that the platform is industry-driven and aims to promote research and innovation in the maritime sector. He highlighted the importance of gathering input from different regions and acting as a voice for the industry in Brussels, ensuring that regulatory and policy decisions reflect sector needs.

Professor Ulla Tapaninen, Head of the Maritime Transport Research Group at the Estonian Maritime Academy, introduced the research group’s focus areas and ongoing projects aimed at supporting maritime development. Dan Heering, an expert from the Centre for Maritime Cybersecurity at the academy, gave an overview of the current state of cybersecurity in the maritime sector, presented the MariCybERA project, and discussed best practices for improving cybersecurity awareness and resilience.

Riina Palu, representing the Estonian Maritime Cluster, spoke about the cluster’s role in fostering cooperation within the maritime industry. Over the past 14 months, the cluster has grown to 56 members, bringing together maritime-related companies and organizations to support sectoral development.

Waterborne TP representatives David Abril Molins and Pieter Huyskens outlined the platform’s key objectives and activities, focusing on reducing carbon emissions through alternative fuels, electrification solutions, energy efficiency, ship design and retrofitting, digitalization, and port developments. They emphasized that hosting such meetings in different countries and regions helps to highlight maritime challenges and opportunities while strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.

Waterborne TP Coordinator Maria Boile introduced a strategic document defining key areas for maritime research and innovation, aiming to move towards zero-emission shipping. She pointed out that Waterborne TP, with 120–140 members, enables experts to contribute to the sector’s development at the European Commission level, including shaping funding models and setting priorities for key maritime areas.

The event reaffirmed the need to enhance European maritime research and technology development to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations and ensure the sector’s sustainability and competitiveness.