Policy Recommendations

Making policy clearer for better decisions

The Baltic Sea region does not lack policy documents. It lacks a clear and comparable way to understand how these documents connect and support each other, while also shaping the environment for marine innovation.

Across Estonia and Latvia, policies related to innovation, marine technologies and the blue economy are developed at several levels — European, national and regional. Each document has its own purpose, but for companies, researchers, public authorities and regional development organisations, it is not always clear how these policies work together. As a result, planning becomes more complicated. It can be difficult to understand which goals are aligned, which support measures are available and where responsibilities are still unclear.

The challenge is not related to the absence of policy, but rather to the absence of a common analytical framework that would enable structured interpretation and comparison.

MarTe addresses this by turning the policy landscape into a comparable structure for analysis and future recommendations.

Defining common analysis criteria across Estonia and Latvia

The work begins by organising relevant policy documents into one shared structure. This makes it easier to read the existing policy landscape across Estonia and Latvia and to analyse documents developed in different national contexts through the same approach.

To achieve comparable results across Estonia and Latvia, the criteria are defined jointly within the project framework and applied in the same way in both countries. This keeps the analysis consistent and reduces the risk that national interpretation differences shape the outcome. These criteria are based on project objectives, CMDM-based ecosystem logic (Critical Mass Development Methodology), RIS3 (Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation) requirements and policy implementation needs.

The analysis shows how European-level priorities are translated into national policies, where policy approaches already support marine innovation and where stronger direction may be needed. This creates a clearer view of alignment, gaps, responsibilities and possible next steps for future strategies, planning processes or support instruments.

In practice, the analysis focuses on key dimensions such as:

• How well do policies align with European and national strategic priorities?
• How relevant are they for marine innovation, technology development and ecosystem needs?
• How clearly are governance roles, responsibilities and implementation mechanisms described?
• Are there measurable actions, support instruments or funding mechanisms?
• How useful are the policies for decision-making, planning and investment?

Towards more coherent and evidence-based RIS3 policies

The comparison begins at national level. Estonia and Latvia are first analysed separately, so that each country’s policy environment is understood on its own terms before the results are brought together. At the same time, both countries are analysed through the same criteria, so the results can later be compared without losing the national context.

The cross-country comparison will show where Estonia and Latvia face similar challenges, where their policy approaches differ and where stronger alignment could support marine innovation. It can also highlight which priorities are already well reflected in existing policies and which areas may need clearer support in future RIS3 development. The aim is not to judge individual policy documents, but to understand how the wider policy system works.

Strong recommendations need the full picture. By completing policy mapping, criteria application and structured analysis before drawing conclusions, MarTe creates a stronger basis for future strategies — not assumptions, but a clearer view of what works, what is missing and where coordinated action could bring the most value.

The value is not in adding new policy layers, but in making existing ones easier to use and more coherent in practice. Future RIS3 priorities can then be shaped with clearer evidence, more consistent support measures and better alignment between EU-level direction and national implementation.

Port infrastructure in Ventspils supporting maritime operations and regional development.

More than analysis — creating a shared understanding

A common misconception is that policy analysis is simply a technical exercise focused on reviewing documents. In reality, its value is visible in how clearly people can work together and make decisions based on the same understanding.

This shared understanding is what turns analysis into something practical. Companies gain a clearer view of the policy environment they operate in. Researchers can better connect their work to real needs. Policymakers can see where priorities, responsibilities and support measures are aligned — and where they are not.

For Estonia and Latvia, this clarity matters because marine innovation depends on more than good ideas. It also needs predictable decisions, understandable priorities and support measures that point in the same direction.

A stronger analytical framework helps create that common ground. It also gives future RIS3 development a more practical starting point: what already works, what needs to change and where coordinated action could bring the most value.

The real outcome is not another document. It is a policy environment that is easier to navigate, easier to use and better suited to support marine innovation in practice.

For the Baltic Sea region, this means a more reliable path from strategic ambition to real-world solutions.