The Blue Way is a vision that connects the blue economy, circular economy, ecological and digital transition, and the enhancement of local skills and expertise. It is a way of interpreting the relationship between sea, innovation and communities, based on the idea that every element gains value through connection with others.
Building on this vision, Tipicità in Blu and Polo Tecnologico Alto Adriatico created a physical and digital platform designed to activate an ecosystem of talent, energy and expertise. The Blue Way is therefore a hub for ideas, collaboration and new connections, focused on shaping fresh perspectives for coastal and maritime territories.
The Blue Way is a vision that connects the blue economy, circular economy, ecological and digital transition, and the enhancement of local skills and expertise. It is a way of interpreting the relationship between sea, innovation and communities, based on the idea that every element gains value through connection with others.
Building on this vision, Tipicità in Blu and Polo Tecnologico Alto Adriatico created a physical and digital platform designed to activate an ecosystem of talent, energy and expertise. The Blue Way is therefore a hub for ideas, collaboration and new connections, focused on shaping fresh perspectives for coastal and maritime territories.
Two videos offer an inside view of the experience. The first captures the teams’ immediate reactions while the challenge is still unfolding, with ideas taking shape through pressure, dialogue and continuous problem-solving. The second revisits the hackathon months later, through the voices of the winning team and other key participants, including mentors and challengers.
Together, they reveal what lies beyond the final result: the human side of innovation, shaped by emotion, difficulty, collaboration, insight and the unique energy that makes a hackathon such a powerful experience.
The Blue Way Hackathon 2025 was the second edition of the hackathon dedicated to the blue economy. It took place in Ancona on 22–23 May 2025 as part of Tipicità in Blu and the Interreg Italy–Croatia project BLUESLINKS.
For 48 hours, young talents, startups, companies and universities worked in multidisciplinary teams to develop ideas and prototypes focused on the future of the nautical sector. From Industry 5.0 and ESG sustainability to digitalisation and process optimisation, the hackathon served as a hands-on innovation lab designed to generate market-ready solutions and support the evolution of boating and the wider blue economy.
The Blue Way Hack – Trieste 2025 took place on 13–14 October 2025 at the Urban Center in Trieste, as part of Barcolana57. Developed within the iNEST ecosystem, the hackathon focused on innovation for the blue economy and the future of the Adriatic area.
The initiative brought together 30 participants representing 15 university spin-offs, invited to transform three years of iNEST research into scalable solutions capable of making the Adriatic region more resilient and competitive.
Over nearly 30 hours of work alongside mentors and researchers, the teams developed ideas around five major challenges: marine ecosystems, physical and chemical risks affecting water systems, sustainable coastal transport, integrated land-sea planning, and the digital twin of the Upper Adriatic.
