What Baltic Living Lab does

Baltic Living Lab (legal entity Baltic Living Lab MTÜ) is an independent Estonian non-profit association (mittetulundusühing) registered in Tallinn, created and supported by Global Skills Network Estonia. The organization originated as a country hub under the Horizon SHORE project and evolved into a transnational resource hub convening educators, students, public bodies, industry, NGOs, and citizens across the eight EU Baltic Sea countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden), with stated expansion intent toward Iceland and Norway in the Arctic region.

Its core function is to deliver blue literacy programming through a portfolio of integrated sub-products: the Network of European Blue Schools support program (800+ member schools), a Teaching & Learning Resource Hub aggregating content from Horizon sister projects (SHORE, PROBLEU, Blue Lights, Blue Mission Med), the DigiEduHack DigiBlue annual challenge, the Blue Funding Navigator for EU funding access, a dissemination blog, and a three-tier membership program (institutional, observer, individual). The platform applies open schooling and citizen science methodologies — using smartphones and low-cost sensors for participatory water quality and biodiversity monitoring — rather than proprietary technology products. It received UNESCO-IOC Recognition for Initiatives Putting Ocean Literacy in Action.

The revenue model is non-commercial: the organization is funded primarily through EU research and innovation grants under the Horizon Europe Mission Ocean framework, Erasmus+ and related capacity-building programs, and membership fees across three tiers (amounts undisclosed). Pricing is not publicly listed; funding flows through EU project applications and direct inquiry. The organization is volunteer-operated with no publicly disclosed headcount and does not generate commercial product revenue.

Name

Baltic Living Lab

Legal name

Baltic Living Lab MTÜ

Website

https://balticlivinglab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Baltic Living Lab is an Estonian non-profit resource hub that convenes educators, schools, NGOs, public bodies, and industry across the eight EU Baltic Sea countries to co-create blue literacy programs, citizen science projects, and open schooling resources supporting EU Mission Ocean objectives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Systems Strengthening (Policy, Planning, EMIS, Governance) (BPADAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA), Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms (EDAIACAF)

Keywords

• Ocean literacy education
• Blue economy programs
• Citizen science monitoring
• Environmental education resources
• Community of practice

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Research Grants: As a non-profit organization operating as a resource hub for Horizon Europe projects (SHORE, PROBLEU, Blue Lights, Blue Mission Med), the organization is funded through EU research and innovation grants under the Mission Ocean and Waters framework. Funding supports operational costs and project activities.
2. Membership Fees: Baltic Living Lab offers institutional membership, observership, and individual membership tiers. While specific fee amounts are not publicly disclosed, membership enables organizations to participate in collaborative funding projects and access the network of stakeholders across Baltic Sea countries.
3. Erasmus+ and Related EU Programs: The organization facilitates and participates in Erasmus+ capacity building programs, supporting educator mobility, institutional cooperation, and skills development initiatives across the blue economy and ocean literacy space.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Baltic Living Lab is a non-profit transnational resource hub that develops blue literacy education programs, teaching materials, and collaborative initiatives on aquatic and ocean environmental challenges in the Baltic Sea region. It convenes educators, students, public bodies, industry, NGOs, and citizens across eight EU countries to co-create solutions through open schooling, citizen science, and cross-border collaboration. The organization distributes these resources via its Teaching & Learning Hub, Network of European Blue Schools support, the DigiEduHack DigiBlue Challenge, Blue Funding Navigator, and a tiered Membership Program, funded primarily by EU Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ grants.

Product overview

Baltic Living Lab is a non-profit transnational platform and Community of Practice (CoP) that operates as the core organizing entity, bringing together the multiple helix of educators, students, public bodies, industry, and NGOs across the eight EU Baltic Sea countries to address shared environmental challenges facing the Baltic Sea. The platform's portfolio consists of a primary core platform supplemented by several integrated sub-programs and content channels: the Blue Schools Network support program that helps schools achieve European Blue School certification; a Teaching & Learning Resource Hub aggregating materials from Horizon sister projects (SHORE, PROBLEU, Blue Lights, Blue Mission Med); the DigiEduHack DigiBlue Challenge hackathon series; the Blue Funding Navigator providing guided access to EU funding programs; a blog serving as the SHORE Resource Hub for dissemination; and a structured Membership Program with three tiers. Together these offerings create an end-to-end ecosystem supporting blue literacy from education delivery and citizen science to funding acquisition and cross-border community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baltic Living Lab Core Platform A transnational multi-stakeholder resource hub that convenes educators, students, public bodies, industry, and NGOs across the eight EU Baltic Sea countries to co-create blue literacy solutions through open schooling, citizen science, and collaborative action addressing Baltic Sea environmental challenges.
• Network of European Blue Schools (NEBS) Support Program A program that helps Baltic Region schools complete 'Find the Blue' projects and earn European Blue School certification, facilitating twinning and cross-border mobility between schools across the eight EU Baltic Sea countries.
• Teaching & Learning Resource Hub A curated repository of blue literacy teaching materials organized around five Horizon SHORE thematic topics (Sea-Based Activities, Biodiversity, Hazardous Substances and Marine Litter, Climate Change, Sustainable Use of Resources), alongside PROBLEU teaching aid catalogues, Blue Lights knowledge hub resources, and Blue Mission Med's 'Our Blue Treasure' children's book.
• DigiEduHack DigiBlue Challenge An annual hackathon challenge where teams develop digital storytelling projects—visual, interactive, immersive, or multimedia—to produce educational content on water-wise topics and blue citizenship, hosted across Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and Sweden.
• Blue Funding Navigator A guided system that helps organizations and educators navigate EU funding programs (Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, LIFE, INTERREG, COSME, Digital Europe) relevant to blue literacy and ocean sustainability, providing partnership development support and project design guidance.
• Baltic Living Lab Blog A dissemination blog operated as the SHORE Resource Hub, bringing together educators, researchers, policymakers, NGOs, and citizen scientists across the Baltic Sea Region to share insights on citizen science, blue education, sustainable innovation, and collaborative multi-helix problem-solving.
• Baltic Living Lab Membership Program A three-tier membership structure (Institutional Membership, Observership, Individual/Initiative membership) enabling stakeholders—schools, NGOs, public authorities, SMEs, and community groups—to join a cross-border network focused on blue literacy and Baltic Sea sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ European Blue Schools reached through NEBS network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Horizon SHORE ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHORE (Synergic Horizon for Ocean Restoration and Engagement) is a Horizon CSA project under EU Mission Ocean. Baltic Living Lab originated as the SHORE country hub for Estonian schools and evolved into a region-wide platform. BLL serves as resource hub providing access to SHORE's teaching routes, educational platform (shoreedu.com), and community of educators.
• Horizon PROBLEU ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROBLEU supports problem-based learning in ocean and water literacy across European schools. The Baltic Living Lab connects Baltic region schools to PROBLEU's catalogue of teaching aids, lesson materials, and problem-based learning resources. Joint open calls for school funding have been conducted.
• Horizon Blue Lights ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Lights supports blue education and small-scale project funding for schools. Baltic Living Lab provides access to Blue Lights grants (up to 3000 EUR per school project) and connects schools to the Blue Lights knowledge hub for educational resources.
• Blue Mission Med ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Mission Med contributes educational resources including 'Our Blue Treasure' — a colorful, interactive book for children aged 6-10 about ocean and water health. Baltic Living Lab distributes these materials across the Baltic region, with translation support available.
• Global Skills Network (Estonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Skills Network is the Estonian organization that created and supports the Baltic Living Lab. GSN provides organizational infrastructure and serves as the founding entity for BLL's operations, including sponsorship of the DigiEduHack initiative.
• EU4Ocean CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe EU4Ocean Coalition connects organizations and initiatives working on ocean literacy. Baltic Living Lab participates in this coalition which includes the Network of European Blue Schools, Youth4Ocean Forum, and EU4Ocean Platform for cross-sector collaboration.
• European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEMSEA operationalizes the Network of European Blue Schools certification program. Baltic Living Lab serves as regional coordinator facilitating NEBS expansion across Baltic Sea countries and connecting schools to EMSEA's certification framework.
• Tartu Loodusmaja (Tartu Nature House)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO Associated Schools Network coordinator for the Baltic Sea Project. Baltic Living Lab collaborates with Tartu Nature House on blue literacy webinars, teacher training programs, and citizen science activities in Estonia. Joint events include water quality monitoring workshops and educational programs.
• ECO-CATCH ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECO-CATCH addresses bycatch and habitat protection in Baltic and North Sea fisheries with innovative technologies. Led by Technical University of Denmark, the project involves multiple Baltic countries and aligns with BLL's mission for marine ecosystem health.
• BlueAction BANOS ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlueAction BANOS drives biodiversity conservation, pollution reduction, and blue economy transition in the Baltic and North Sea region. Led by Submariner Network for Blue Growth, the project supports EU Mission Ocean Phase 2 scaling across the basin lighthouse area.
• Bonolab (Denmark)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBonolab organizes the annual DigiEduHack challenge across Baltic countries. As the primary organizer, Bonolab coordinates with Baltic Living Lab and Global Skills Network to deliver hackathon events in Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and Sweden.
• University of CopenhagenmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity of Copenhagen serves as the Danish host for the 2025 DigiEduHack challenge. The university provides venue, participant recruitment, and academic engagement for the blue digital storytelling competition.
• Estonian Business SchoolmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstonian Business School hosts the Estonian edition of the 2025 DigiEduHack challenge, providing facilities and student engagement for the blue literacy hackathon event.
• Gdynia AquariummajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGdynia Aquarium in Poland hosts the Polish edition of the 2025 DigiEduHack challenge, combining marine science expertise with student innovation for blue digital storytelling projects.
• Malmö Marine Education CentermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMalmö Marine Education Center hosts the Swedish edition of the 2025 DigiEduHack challenge, engaging students in blue literacy through digital innovation in a marine education setting.
• Huvi OutdoorminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHuvi Outdoor provides outdoor education expertise for problem-based learning methodologies. Collaborates with Baltic Living Lab on teacher training programs and experiential learning workshops for water quality education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Baltic Living Lab