Ways of getting involved in SUBMARINER Network

You are looking for a platform for continuous communication, exchange of experience, joint project development and implementation within blue bioeconomy in the Baltics?

Do you want to implement or support an initiative within the blue bioeconomy within the Baltic Sea Region?

The SUBMARINER network is a unique, non-profit platform that brings together actors from the whole Baltic Sea Region to actively promote and support innovative and sustainable uses of marine resources.

We welcome all types of actors; e.g.

R&D institutes & universities
Companies, Start-ups and Spin-Offs
Regional and national authorities
Business/science Parks, clusters, accelerators and incubators
Investors, VC, angels and foundations
Specialists in marketing, communication and legal issues
Individual experts

Become a member of the SUBMARINER Network

As we are a bottom-up governed and financed network, we generally work through a annual membership process. There are two membership options: full membership and associate membership.

Anyone can become an associate member and have access to project development, communication and dissemination activities. Full members pay more, but also gain more as they are part of our executive board, with their interests being prioritized in all SUBMARNER activities. Clusters may join as full members and thus gain automatic access for their own members to all SUBMARINER benefits.

Apply for a SUBMARINER membership

Through the membership fees, the secretariat of the Network offers a baseline set of network & communication tools and services, e.g. the continuous maintenance of the website, news & event list, e-newsletter, stakeholder database, agenda setting and lobbying services.
On top, the Network leverages membership fees to further access external financial support both for the secretariat as well as its members to provide additional services, e.g. knowledge & technology development and transfer, match-making and pitching events, content workshops and promotion in external events.
At the same time, we organize internal initiatives (with additional support by members/supporters) such as topic based working groups, the SUBMARINER compendium & roadmap update, project development or our business corners. For these initiatives the agenda is defined by members in a bottom-up approach.

Association agreement

Full membership application

Full members are charged 7,500 €/year

Associate membership application

Associate Members are normally charged 1000 €/year.

In case of participation in one or more financed SUBMARINER projects; associate members will be charged automatically by 1000 €/year extra (= 2,000€ in total, instead of 1,000€).

In case of projects requiring co-finance, the rate may be subject to change in order to cover the co-finance necessary for the SUBMARINER secretariat, and this will be clearly communicated in advance to avoid confusion.

Associate membership for Start-ups

Startups are charged 300€ for an associate membership. All associate membership benefits are included in the reduced fee, as well as access to the Accelerator services, if applicable (see further down for information on the Accelerator services.

Benefits of ALL members (including associate members)

Promotion of:
- own competences, news and events via all SUBMARINER Network channels

(website, newsletters, social media, SUBMARINER info-stands, etc)

Upon request: internal (network only) or external publication of own cooperation requests, job offers, etc.

Exclusive access to:
- continuous identification of funding opportunities
- internal workshops, meetings, match-making events
- annual SUBMARINER members’ forum
- cooperation requests among SUBMARINER members
- the searchable SUBMARINER database of more than 3.000 blue bio stakeholders

Priority access:
- to the formation of consortia for new project application, which are facilitated by the secretariat

Participation in:
- SUBMARINER thematic working groups – coordinated by the secretariat
- Joint missions and roadshows in and outside the BSR under the SUBMARINER flag, e.g. educational trips, business trips, project meetings, bootcamps
- Reduced fees (negotiated by SUBMARINER) for external conferences, fairs

Lobbying service:
- Joint formulation and policy-oriented dissemination of position papers on Baltic Sea Region and European levels
- Representation of joint interests through SUBMARINER staff at external conferences, meetings, working groups

Exclusive Benefits of FULL members

Participation in the executive board of the SUBMARINER Network with voting rights
Full voting rights on strategic issues (e.g. which initiatives will be supported by EEIG, acceptance of new members)
Veto right in budget-related issues
Quarterly meetings (virtual or physical)
1^stpriority in representation of interests in acquisition on new projects
Benefit of “no-cost” project management in projects managed by SUBMARINER secretariat
Assuming a role as a paid in-kind contributor in projects (e.g. Horizon, BBI-JU) under the SUBMARINER Network EEIG flag*

*subject to programme rules

Click here for some members' statistics

Apart from new SUBMARINER Network members, we also welcome sponsors, supporters or service users:

Become a SUBMARINER sponsor/supporter/service user

Some institutions (e.g. ministries, companies, foundations) may choose not to become a member within the SUBMARINER network, but still want to make use of our services.

In such event, you will not be on our ‘permanent’ beneficiary list; but will only benefit in a more target way.

You can:

become a sponsor and co-create selected activities of the SUBMARINER Network, e.g. hackathons, pitching / match-making events, the accelerator activities, publications, surveys and studies, campaigns, product offers, project development. In such case we will make sure that your sponsorship is clearly highlighted throughout all communications
support our position papers, promote our services, act as a speaker, offer your services free of charge, act as Accelerator mentor (see further down below)
ask the SUBMARINER Network (secretariat and/or members) to provide you a tailored service offer, e.g. access to database; surveys & studies; organisation of blue bio economy stakeholder events; dedicated match-making, etc.

For more opportunities please get in touch with:

Angela Schultz-Zehden, Managing director of the SUBMARINER Network, at asz(at)submariner-network.eu

or Efthalia Arvaniti, Programme manager of the SUBMARINER Network, at ea(at)submariner-network.eu

Become a SUBMARINER mentor and blue detective!

The Mentoring and Accelerator for Blue Growth is one of SUBMARINER Networks’ key service to support and guide young blue tech companies and actors. Start-ups, spin-offs, SMEs – but also academic institutions, students and others come to the SUBMARINER Network for guidance with the development of new products or services (= we call them cases).

As part of our joint mission, all Accelerator mentors offer their labs, brains, resources, expertise and facilities to further advance the next generation of blue bioeconomy innovations in the Baltic. In a collaborative spirit, mentors offer this initial mentoring on a voluntary basis free of charge (up to the limit they can).

Mentors are individuals – some of them coming from our SUBMARINER members’ institutions; others joining on individual basis. Those, who join on individual basis, can do so FREE OF CHARGE; but are asked to participate in our initial mentors’ training (2h online) and subsequently sign a ‘mentors’ agreement. You will be asked once a year on whether you want to renew your mentors’ offer.

Why join as a blue growth mentor/blue detective?

Offer people with a good business or innovative idea a unique network ofexperts, with a diverse range of skills & experience in all relevant blue bioeconomy fields
Get access to business & research ideas (our accelerator “cases”) with good development potential
Work on a one-by-one basis with start-ups and companies, which match your own interest, availability and capacities.
Be part of the SUBMARINER mentors’ forum - our experts’ network hub - which meets regularly online: exchange on blue bioecomomy innovations, discuss the progress and needs of our cases and gain a good understanding of resources available throughout the Baltic Sea
Become a blue detective!Spread the word and recruit new cases and offer them a getaway to ad-hoc product development services/
Help to develop the blue bio economy throughout the Baltic Sea Region, by guiding new cases and network members to find the right partners and thus build full product or service value chains

For more opportunities please get in touch with:

Angela Schultz-Zehden, Managing director of the SUBMARINER Network, at asz(at)submariner-network.eu

or Efthalia Arvaniti, Programme manager of the SUBMARINER Network, at ea(at)submariner-network.eu

Submit a business idea at the SUBMARINER Accelerator

The SUBMARINER Network provides ongoing product development services within its transnational Accelerator & mentoring programme for Blue Growth. The recruitment process is open 365 days a year.

ALL selected business cases, upon matched with a mentor (mutual agreement) will be invited to become SUBMARINER Network associate members and pay an annual membership fee. Startups are entitled to a REDUCED associate membership fee.

Benefits for enrolling cases:

For benefits of the SUBMARINER associate membership, see above.

In addition to membership benefits, cases enrolling the Accelerator programme receive for up to a year, 1-to-1 mentoring and coaching by experienced mentors, as well as tailored services such as:

scientific and technical support,
access to biological resources,
infrastructure and equipment,
business development,
legal advice,
marketing and promotion.
business support and access to investors.

For more information please get in touch with:

Efthalia Arvaniti, Programme manager of the SUBMARINER Network, at ea(at)submariner-network.eu

Join a SUBMARINER Working Group

Join two working expert groups on mussels and RAS aquaculture.

The working groups (WGs) are internal SUBMARINER projects that run outside the boundaries of project funding frameworks. The WGs have a bottom up agenda guided by the the SUBMARINER Roadmap recommendations and the interests of the SUBMARINER Network members. The WGs are administrated by the SUBMARINER Network secretariat, they have distinctive activities and outputs, while the WG organise frequent meetings (physical or virtual), that are also open to non-members.

Mussels Working Group:

https://submariner-network.eu/mussels-working-group

Baltic Aquaculture Cooperation:

https://submariner-network.eu/working-group-on-aquaculture

Ways of getting involved in SUBMARINER Network

Become a member of the SUBMARINER Network

Apart from new SUBMARINER Network members, we also welcome sponsors, supporters or service users:

SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG