MARIN awarded 9.6 million Euro for new Maritime Innovation Lab
Date
Nov 24 2025
Reading time
1minute
In the second funding round of the Facilities for Applied Research (FTO) scheme, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has granted €9.6 million for MARIN’s proposal to establish a new Maritime Innovation Lab. Under this proposal, MARIN’s existing Shallow Water Basin and Concept Basin will be combined and transformed into a new facility where MARIN can develop maritime innovations and immediately translate them into realistic user experiences in the Seven Oceans Simulator centre or the Zero Emission Lab.
Through its strategy, MARIN aims to accelerate these innovations in close collaboration with the maritime sector. This sector plays a crucial role in addressing societal challenges such as clean and safe transport of people and goods, offshore production of sustainable energy, defence applications, inland shipping, and climate-adaptive floating infrastructure.
The Maritime Innovation Lab speeds up innovation by creating an environment where the maritime industry—from start-ups and SMEs to large corporations—works intensively with government, TO2 institutes, universities, colleges, and MARIN specialists. During the day, we use fast numerical tools and exploratory tests in our basins to investigate ideas. At night, we seamlessly switch to automated tests to collect structured data for training numerical models. The next day, we bring innovations to life using these models on our simulators and further develop them in collaboration with future users. Together, we strengthen the innovation and earning capacity of the Netherlands within Europe, contributing to sustainability and safety at sea.
Through its strategy, MARIN aims to accelerate these innovations in close collaboration with the maritime sector. This sector plays a crucial role in addressing societal challenges such as clean and safe transport of people and goods, offshore production of sustainable energy, defence applications, inland shipping, and climate-adaptive floating infrastructure.
The Maritime Innovation Lab speeds up innovation by creating an environment where the maritime industry—from start-ups and SMEs to large corporations—works intensively with government, TO2 institutes, universities, colleges, and MARIN specialists. During the day, we use fast numerical tools and exploratory tests in our basins to investigate ideas. At night, we seamlessly switch to automated tests to collect structured data for training numerical models. The next day, we bring innovations to life using these models on our simulators and further develop them in collaboration with future users. Together, we strengthen the innovation and earning capacity of the Netherlands within Europe, contributing to sustainability and safety at sea.
