From the Arctic to Global Solutions: ITPO Russia Presents Russian Perspective on Blue Economy Development in Rome
October 06, 2026
The Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum 2026 took place in Rome from September 29 to October 2, 2026. This international platform brought together representatives from government bodies, international organizations, the business sector, and the scientific and expert communities to discuss the future of water resources, sustainable development, and innovation.
The forum was held at the La Nuvola congress center in Rome. The event focused on water security in the Mediterranean region and the search for practical solutions for sustainable water resource management. It united stakeholders from government, international organizations, academia, and business, combining high-level policy discussions with a focus on technological and process innovations for the water sector.
The agenda covered topics such as climate change adaptation, enhancing the resilience of coastal areas and cities, water quality and reuse, the protection of water sources and aquifers, and the application of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the water sector. The forum served as an international platform for strengthening cooperation and shaping joint approaches to ensuring a more sustainable water future.
The Russian Arctic and the Blue Economy
One of the key events featuring UNIDO was the technical panel „Advancing Blue Innovations: From UNIDO Projects to Global Solutions,“ held on September 30. During this session, participants discussed practical mechanisms for promoting innovation within the blue economy—ranging from technology development and piloting to scaling up and entering international markets.
Representatives from the ITPO international network, the business community, and partner organizations took part in the discussion. Particular attention was paid to how international cooperation and investment and technology partnerships can accelerate the implementation of solutions for the sustainable management of water and marine resources. Participants also examined the role of the ITPO network in connecting developers, industry, investors, and potential markets, as well as opportunities to promote promising solutions through UNIDO’s international initiatives.
The Arctic as both a promising area for „blue economy“ development and one of the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems was the focus of the address by Igor Kozhin, Head of the ITPO Russia. He noted that a critical task today is establishing a sustainable link between innovations and their practical implementation. While technological solutions already exist, achieving a tangible impact requires connecting developers with industrial operators, regional authorities, markets, and research organizations capable of piloting and subsequently scaling up these technologies.
His speech highlighted opportunities for applying innovative solutions in the Russian Arctic. Promising areas identified included environmental monitoring of Arctic waters, remediation of accumulated environmental damage, the development of marine biotechnologies, and the pursuit of new forms of international technological cooperation.
Igor Kozhin outlined three key areas where the ITPO network can facilitate the transition from an innovative idea to a concrete project. The first is linking technology developers with operators capable of testing solutions in real-world conditions and ensuring their subsequent implementation. The second involves connecting markets with international technology ecosystems. In this context, he highlighted the work of the BRICS+ Industrial Competence Centre which brings together over 140 companies from seven countries—as well as the potential for future collaboration in the field of „blue technologies.“ A third area of focus is strengthening the collaboration between academia and industry, enabling university research expertise and developments to be rapidly transformed into solutions sought by the business sector.
Particular emphasis was placed on the principle that the economic development of the Arctic must go hand in hand with a responsible approach to the environment and the interests of the region’s inhabitants. Projects should be evaluated not only in terms of economic viability but also by considering their environmental footprint, their contribution to job creation, and the development of local community skills.
Thus, Russia’s contribution to the discussion centered on a practical question: how to transform promising „blue technologies“ into solutions capable of operating in real-world conditions—including the extreme environment of the Arctic.
Meeting of the Global ITPO Network Heads
As part of the visit program in Rome, a meeting of the Heads of UNIDO’s Investment and Technology Promotion Offices (the UNIDO ITPO Network) also took place. Working sessions were held on September 28 at the ITPO Italy office. The ITPO Heads discussed the network’s priorities and future directions within the context of UNIDO’s new strategy through 2030, presented the results and most successful initiatives of their respective Centers, and exchanged experiences regarding collaboration with national partners, the business community, and development institutions.
Particular attention was paid to opportunities for strengthening cooperation among ITPOs. Participants discussed mechanisms for more active exchanges of investment and technology proposals, the joint promotion of projects and companies, the organization of international business interactions, and the use of the global ITPO network to forge new partnerships. Such meetings make it possible to pool the expertise of Centers from different countries and transform the ITPO network into a practical tool for establishing international business ties, facilitating technology transfer, and promoting sustainable investment projects.
Global Call 2026: Six Solutions for a Sustainable Blue Economy
The packed program concluded on September 30 with the awards ceremony for the UNIDO–WTCA Global Call 2026 winners, held as part of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum.
This international initiative, implemented by ITPO Italy in partnership with the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), focused on identifying innovative solutions for a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.
The winners of the Global Call 2026 were:
- Komodo Water (Indonesia) — Blue Economy Renewable Energy category;
- Suplittuto Agrocomodities (Venezuela) — Sustainable Food Production from Aquatic Bio-resources;
- Northern Light srl (Italy) — Eco-friendly Maritime Transport and Smart Ports;
- Nesea Bio-Material and Marine Technologies (Turkey) — Coastal and Marine Tourism and Recreation;
- NARA Climate Ltd (UK) — Conservation and Restoration of Marine, Lake, and River Ecosystems;
- Marine Innovation Co., Ltd (Republic of Korea) — Blue Technologies and Biotechnology.
The ceremony served as a logical continuation of the discussion on transitioning from innovation to practical application; the solutions presented spanned renewable energy, sustainable food production, maritime transport, the restoration of aquatic ecosystems, biotechnology, and novel approaches to utilizing the resources of oceans, seas, and inland waters.
The ITPO Russia participation in the forum provided an opportunity to showcase Russian expertise and promising avenues for cooperation in the blue economy, highlight the Arctic’s potential for implementing innovative environmental and industrial solutions, and further the dialogue with the ITPO international network regarding new models of technological and investment partnerships.
A key area of future work for the ITPO Russia will be identifying opportunities to integrate Russian companies, research institutions, and technology developers into international blue economy initiatives and promoting their solutions through UNIDO’s global network.
