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Co-Creating Local Innovations – Marina Izola as a Hub for Sustainable Solutions for a Clean Sea

Published 23. February, 2026

The Open Day of pilot activities at the Slovenian site will take place on March 18, 2026, in Izola, Slovenia.

The event, titled Co-Creating Local Innovations – Marina Izola as a Hub for Sustainable Solutions for a Clean Sea, will be held at Marina Izola in collaboration with partners of the REMEDIES project: the University of Maribor, the companies CleraOne and Infordata Sistemi, as well as Marina Izola, the You(r)Sea institute, the Science and Research Centre (SRC) Koper, and local stakeholders from the coastal community.

The aim of the event is to present the pilot activities and innovations of the REMEDIES project, which are designed to reduce micro- and macroplastic pollution in coastal and marine environments in the demonstration area in Koper. These will be connected with related project initiatives, including RISTANC and INSPIRI, coordinated by the Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies at ZRS Koper.

The event will highlight the integration of science, technology, and community engagement in developing sustainable solutions for detecting and removing plastic waste from the marine environment.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore advanced technological prototypes and solutions for monitoring marine pollution currently being piloted in Slovenian waters, including the CleraOne filtration system and solutions for identifying plastic waste using guided underwater drones.

In addition to presentations, the event will provide an opportunity for knowledge exchange among researchers, industry representatives, local authorities, and coastal residents, with a focus on community involvement in protecting the marine environment.

Prior registration via the online form is required HERE.

Participation is free of charge; however, the number of places is limited and registration is mandatory for all attendees.

Location: Marina Izola, Tomažičeva ulica 4a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia

Event Programme:

9:00 – 9:30 Arrival and registration

9:30 – 9:45 Welcome addresses and introductory presentation of the Koper demonstration site within the REMEDIES project (Assoc. Prof. Dr Annamaria Vujanović, University of Maribor);  

Vladimir Gavran, Director of Marina Izola, and the Mayor of the coastal municipality.

9:50 – 10:10 Plastic identification – scientific background of marine litter – in-person REMEDIES webinar

  • Jan Puhar, University of Maribor

10:10 – 10:30 Presentation of REMEDIES innovations: CleraOne filtration device

  • Kostja Klabjan, CleraOne

10:30 – 10:50 Presentation of REMEDIES innovations: waste identification using guided underwater drones

  • Dr Irena Fonda, You(r)Sea

11:00 – 11:20 Coffee break

11:20 – 11:30 Digitalisation of waste monitoring data and integration with European databases

  • Marko Petelin, Infordata

11:30 – 12:00 Roundtable on synergies among Horizon projects

  • Assoc. Prof. Dr Annamaria Vujanović, University of Maribor – TASC-RestoreMed;
  • Dr Jerneja Penca, Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies, SRC Koper – project RISTANC (Research and Innovation Cooperation for Sustainability and Reaching EU Missions Objectives, HORIZON-MISS-2024-CROSS-02-01 – project no. 101217089) and INSPIRI (Imaginative Narratives and Scenarios for Inspiring Restoration and Innovation for European Seas and Water Systems, HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-01-05 – project no. 101213933);
  • Marko Petelin, Infordata – INSPIRE;
  • Danijel Stojkovič Kukulin, CleraOne – iMERMAID cascade project HEMRIS;
  • Dr Irena Fonda, You(r)Sea – TEAMFORADRIS;
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr Uroš Novak, National Institute of Chemistry – UPSTREAM.

12:00 – 13:00 Guided tour of innovations on site

  • Kostja Klabjan, CleraOne: filtration system at the Marina
  • Ernest Brožič, You(r)Sea: operation of an underwater drone

13:00 Refreshments and networking