Blue Innovation Labs for a healthy and secure Blue Planet
Affiliations, Collaborations, Partners, and Sponsors
Congratulations Blue Institute's BX6 "Blue Dozen" announced!
The Blue Excelerator (BX) is an advanced topics 12 week highly competitive virtual accelerator designed by Blue Innovation Labs in 2020, and deployed by its sister nonprofit 501c3, Blue Institute, headquartered at the historic Fitzgerald Shipyard on Boston Harbor with community hubs in Middletown, Rhode Island and Bath, Maine.
The Blue Dozen links
North Atlantic BlueTech Cluster Updates
Blue Sentinel Initiative: Bridging the Arctic Frontier
Beyond BX6, Blue Institute is developing a Maine-Alaska partnership to pair U.S. Veterans with high-TRL innovations. Leveraging Arctic Encounter leadership, Blue Sentinel aims to solve critical ruggedness and security challenges through dual-use tech in the world's most demanding environments.
To learn more subscribe below for North Atlantic BlueTech Cluster updates.
North Atlantic Blue Economy Week Oct. 4-11, 2026
From Local Harbors to Global Horizons: Connecting the North Atlantic Corridor to celebrate a thriving Blue Economy.
When: October 4-11, 2026
To learn more and get involved subscribe below for North Atlantic BlueTech Cluster updates.
First Ocean Access BlueTech Hub on the US Eastern Seaboard.
Blue Incubator proudly advancing Blue Economy innovation and dual-use technology since 2017.
Novel: First Open Innovation BlueTech Cluster Hub on the US Eastern Seaboard.
- Focus: A dedicated one-to-three year hybrid platform designed specifically for high-growth early stage BlueTech startups
- Blue Vector cohort, TRL 4-6, accepting 10 startups only. The Force and Direction needed to escape the lab and enter the field.
- Blue Meridian cohort, TRL 7-9, accepting 8 startups only. The Fixed Point of success - the final crossing before full-scale commercial and defense deployment.
- Eligibility: Restricted to startups
- Services:
- Bespoke curriculum, advising and mentorship
- Access to investors and industry experts
- Seed funding opportunities
- Dedicated support for product development, inwater testing, and market entry
- Integration with the broader Blue Innovation Labs ecosystem
- Key Feature: Intensive wrap around services, funding opportunities, network connecting, prototyping & piloting support, and commercialization guidance for startups to accelerate their growth and achieve commercial success
- 30 Startups since 2017
- Startups have raised well over $30mil in Grants, Bootstrapping, Angels, VCs, and Acquisition
- Dual-Use Magnet
- Heaquarters: Blue Cluster is an interdisciplinary ecosystem built with a dual-structured innovation engine designed to bridge the 'Valley of Death' in the water and maritime sector. We leverage the Blue Institute to scout talent and de-risk early science and innovator ideas, while Blue Innovation Labs, in conjunction with TechPlace, provides the industrial assets at Brunswick Landing and Coastal Maine to ruggedize and scale dual-use solutions for our Blue Planet and a unified Blue England.
Applications for the new cohorts Blue Vector & Blue Meridian will open May 4th, 2026
NATO DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service enables first R&D contract between DRDC and HonuWorx
NATO DIANA, on behalf of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) has awarded an R&D contract to UK‑based technology company HonuWorx, marking the first research and development contract awarded on behalf of an Allied nation under NATO DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service.
The contract follows DRDC’s decision to engage NATO DIANA and its Rapid Adoption Service to identify a DIANA innovator capable of addressing a Canadian capability need. Through this process, HonuWorx was selected to undertake a targeted engineering study as a follow‑on activity from NATO DIANA’s highly competitive challenge programme.
“HonuWorx’s proposed system, initially envisioned to support the offshore oil industry, holds the potential to allow Canadian Defence Research to effectively and efficiently operate and maintain future, deepwater power and data infrastructure and support the testing of emerging deep-sea technologies,” said Brian May, Section Head for Scientific and Engineering Trials at the Atlantic Research Centre of DRDC.
Acoustic Intelligence: Listening Without Ears
How BLUEiQ and NOAA are Scaling Dual-Use Tech from Data to Real-World Solutions
From Sound to Solutions: Advancing Global Acoustic Intelligence
At Blue Innovation Labs, our mission is to bridge the gap between groundbreaking concepts and mission-ready deployment. The collaboration between BLUEiQ and NOAA—recently featured by NOAA’s Technology Partnership Office—perfectly illustrates this transition within our Blue Dual-Use Pipeline. By leveraging advanced acoustic technology to "listen without ears," BLUEiQ is helping NOAA unlock the mysteries of the sea, transforming raw underwater data into the actionable intelligence necessary for both sustainable ocean management and maritime security.
This initiative highlights the strength of the hybrid incubation model we have established on Boston Harbor and at Brunswick Landing, Maine. By combining the agility of a high-growth startup with the scientific excellence of a federal agency, this partnership serves as a premier case study for our Blue Sentinel (TRL 7-9) program. As BLUEiQ scales toward global application, it stands as proof that strategic public-private synergies are the key to solving the most complex challenges in the deep-tech sector.
Global Innovation: Advancing Wave Energy with Ukrtechno
Blue Innovation Labs is proud to highlight the progress of Ukrtechno, a groundbreaking startup from Dnipro that is redefining the intersection of coastal protection and renewable energy. Initially debuted at the U-Nation Startup & Innovation Conference, Ukrtechno’s Energy-Absorbing Breakwater system represents the high-impact, dual-use technology we champion. By converting sea wave energy into clean electricity while providing water desalination and erosion control, this project addresses critical resilience needs. To better serve the global market and leverage domestic energy initiatives, the team has established a U.S.-based arm, bridging the gap between Ukrainian engineering and American infrastructure.
The project’s trajectory underscores the power of international collaboration and strategic de-risking. Supported by the Regional Development Agency of Odesa Region and recently awarded grant funding from the UASEEDS "Seeds of Bravery" consortium under the Horizon Europe program, Ukrtechno is now moving into a pivotal pilot phase. This coastal research is a vital step in their growth, aligning perfectly with our mission to support startups from TRL 4 through commercialization. We are thrilled to see our partners within the global innovation ecosystem—and now within our own U.S. borders—accelerating such vital deep-tech solutions.
Moving forward together, Michael Lytovchenko and Michael Lytovchenko Jr., Yan Shapiro , Sergiy Kononenko
Under-Ice Energy: Powering Remote Alaskan Communities
Creek Tides and UAF Receive $1.5M DOE Grant to Advance Under-Ice Marine Hydrokinetic Technology
Advancing Resilience: Under-Ice Energy for the Arctic
Blue Innovation Labs is excited to highlight the groundbreaking work of Creek Tides Energy and Power, which is currently field-testing its Reactive Reversible Blade Turbine (RRBT) in the harsh environments of remote Alaska. In collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the Southwest Research Institute, this project was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. This partnership focuses on a critical gap in the renewable sector: generating reliable, small-scale electricity in frozen rivers to support off-grid applications where traditional energy sources often fail.
This initiative is a prime example of the high-stakes, dual-use technology we cultivate within our incubator. By developing a turbine specifically designed to operate under river ice, Creek Tides is not just advancing marine energy—it is providing a lifeline for remote communities seeking to reduce diesel dependency. As this technology moves through rigorous testing at the Tanana River Hydrokinetic Test Site, it represents a major milestone in our mission to scale TRL 4–9 solutions that solve real-world energy and climate challenges in the most demanding conditions on Earth.
Congratulations to 13 Mari and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines!
(Conceptual diagram of an composite element by 13 Mari)
InnovateMass/MassCEC funds testing
13 Mari of the Blue Incubator and the BX2 Cohort, received funding through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's InnovationMass program to prototype and pilot. Here in September 2024, 13 Mari Founder & CEO Krassi Fotev gives a reporting tour to the MassCEC Team. The InnovateMass funded pilot produced significant validation data.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines invests in 13 Mari
From left: MOL Dry Bulk Business Strategy Division General Manager Shinichi Asahina; 13 Mari Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer Gaston Petrocelli; MOL Deputy Vice President Hirofumi Kamata; and 13 Mari Founder and Chief Executive Officer Krassimir Fotev
The ripple-shaped Flowsmart element developed by 13 Mari uses technology, which has been incorporated into the shape of aircraft wings and as aero parts for automobiles, and it is based on the concept of controlling the flow of water near the hull to reduce drag and bring out the original performance of the vessel. The company aims to improve the fuel efficiency of vessels and achieve stable navigation.