280 exhibitors and thousands of visitors from Poland and abroad - the 23rd edition of the BALTEXPO International Maritime and Military Fair is behind us. The University of Gdańsk also participated in the event, which took place on 7-9 October 2025. At the university's stand, visitors could learn about the wide range of services offered by the University of Gdańsk related to the sea and the maritime economy. The Vice-Rector for Development and Finance, dr hab. Paweł Antonowicz, prof. UG, chaired the jury awarding the Golden Anchors, and during the education day, the Director of the Centre for Marine Research at the University of Gdańsk, dr hab. Ernest Czermański, prof. UG, and Marcel Jakubowski from the SEA-EU Project Office, talked about our university's involvement in issues related to the blue economy in the context of its research, educational offer and offer for business.
‘Gdańsk, a city with centuries-old port and shipbuilding traditions, has once again become the heart of the European debate on the future of the maritime economy and security. (...) A city that has been building its identity around the sea for centuries is now opening up to new challenges and technologies,’ reads the organisers' press release. Since its inception, the University of Gdańsk has been maritime-oriented, naturally addressing a wide range of maritime issues: from oceanographic research (currently conducted, among others, from the deck of one of the most modern research vessels in Europe - r/v Oceanograf) through economic issues (which are addressed, among others, by the Centre for Marine Research) to socio-cultural issues and the so-called ‘blue humanities’.
BALTEXPO 2025 focused in particular on maritime safety, sustainable development and international cooperation. At the UG stand, visitors could learn about the offer of the Technology Transfer Centre, which supports the commercialisation of scientific research results (an invention important in the context of safety is, for example, a quantum random number generator), the Course and Training Centre, which offers specialist training and workshops for representatives of the socio-economic environment, the Centre for Sustainable Development (which runs, among other things, postgraduate studies Education for sustainable development: offshore wind energy) and the SEA-EU Project Office at the University of Gdańsk, which presented an alliance of nine coastal universities, SEA-EU, including a new programme of joint study programmes, such as the first-cycle Sea-BluE - Sustainable Blue Economy programme.
During the gala ceremony concluding the first day of the fair, the Golden Anchors were traditionally awarded - prestigious prizes given to companies, institutions, and individuals who make an exceptional contribution to the development of the maritime and military economy. This year, for the first time, the jury was chaired by the Vice-Rector for Development and Finance at the University of Gdańsk, dr hab. Paweł Antonowicz, Prof. UG.
‘Chairing the jury awarding the Golden Anchors is an honour and also proof of the recognition and appreciation of the University of Gdańsk as an important stakeholder in the maritime sector,’ said prof. Paweł Antonowicz. ‘I am glad that our research and expert activities for the broadly understood maritime economy are approved by its most important players. I am also pleased that the University of Gdańsk is constantly present in the non-academic sphere, that our activities translate into practical solutions for various sectors of the economy (including, of course, the maritime sector, but also, for example, the energy sector) and for building a common sustainable future. This satisfaction is reinforced by the trust placed in us by our business partners, local communities and representatives of the broader socio-economic environment. It is, among other things, the social responsibility of science and comprehensive cooperation with economic practice that are extremely important strategic goals for the University of Gdańsk, which are directly included in the University of Gdańsk Development Strategy for 2025-2030 - in the area of goals comprising the so-called third mission, i.e. cooperation with the socio-economic environment . We want to stimulate and achieve these goals also through active participation in events bringing together a wide range of our current and future partners, and such an event - extremely important not only for Pomerania and our country, but also for the entire region of Europe and the world - is the international BALTEXPO fair.’
The last day of BALTEXPO 2025 was Education, Career and Job Day, aimed specifically at young people. The University of Gdańsk presented its educational offer related to the maritime sector to potential future students.
‘We are the largest academic institution in Pomerania, and maritime affairs lie at the very origins of our university,’ said the Director of the Centre for Marine Research at the University of Gdańsk, dr hab. Ernest Czermański, prof. UG, during the presentation. ‘We run the Centre for Marine Research, postgraduate studies in offshore wind energy, and the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, as well as the Faculty of Biology, the Faculty of Chemistry, the Faculty of Economics, and the Faculty of Management are involved in research on various aspects related to the sea.’
Marcel Jakubowski from the SEA-EU Project Office presented the activities of the SEA-EU alliance of nine European coastal universities, which includes the University of Gdańsk. He presented the numerous benefits that our university's students can enjoy as part of the international consortium, including research internships, language courses and trips abroad. In addition, he spoke about the alliance's flagship initiative, which is joint study programmes created and run by SEA-EU universities: MIPMAL, Sea-BluE, and STORM.
We invite you to view the photo gallery and film from the event.
