• The goal of Maritime Accelerator is to make Finland the leading region of maritime in Europe
• The first partners are Meyer, Royal Caribbean International, Wärtsilä and Avanto Ventures
• Maritime Accelerator seeks companies with new ideas in different branches

Turku Science Park Ltd, which is responsible for the business and innovation services in the Turku region, starts Maritime Accelerator programme, the ambitious goal of which is to make Finland the leading region of maritime and manufacturing industries in Europe. The foundation lies in the firm foothold of the maritime industry and numerous international leading companies, most of them based in southwestern and western parts of the country. The idea is to enhance the competitiveness of Finnish companies by combining the expertise of companies that have been operating for a long time with the innovations of new businesses.

“We want to bring together established front row companies and young, growth-seeking companies with fresh ideas and expertise in different branches. They can be, for example, IT applications, new technology or energy and recycling innovations. We will build a joint development programme for companies which aims at finding new and concrete products for the needs of maritime industry companies”, says M.Sc. Jukka Laiterä, Senior Advisor at Turku Science Park Ltd.

The Maritime Accelerator programme was launched in The SHIFT Business festival in May. The first companies to offer challenges are Meyer, Royal Caribbean International and Wärtsilä.

The operator partner of the accelerator is Avanto Ventures Oy.