The Ruđer Bošković Institute is participating in the development of an innovative research platform within the MARBLE Centre of Excellence project, which will support the development of more sustainable, efficient and technologically advanced mariculture.

The research pilot site Smart Shellfish Farm “Šibenka”, an innovative platform for the development of sustainable mariculture, has been officially opened in Martinska Bay near Šibenik. The platform was developed in cooperation between DIH AgriFood Croatia and the Ruđer Bošković Institute.

The opening was marked by the launch of the research platform and the presentation of its technological capabilities. The infrastructure enables the testing and development of new technologies and methods in sustainable mariculture, with a particular focus on environmental monitoring, optimising mussel growth and improving seawater quality.

The smart farm is equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, sonar and a remotely operated underwater vehicle. This system enables continuous real-time data collection and exchange, giving scientists and shellfish farmers better insight into underwater conditions, environmental changes and the factors that affect shellfish cultivation.

The “Šibenka” infrastructure consists of a permanently anchored research platform, a pontoon with cages and a raft with shellfish farming lines, while its central component is a facility with an office and workshop. In this way, the platform creates a space for connecting the scientific community and the economy, while also supporting the development of new solutions that can contribute to a more sustainable use of marine resources.

The “Šibenka” project is part of the broader MARBLE project, the Centre of Excellence in Maritime Robotics and Technologies for Sustainable Blue Economy. The main objective of MARBLE is to strengthen Croatia’s research and innovation capacities in maritime robotics, autonomous systems, maritime Internet of Things, digital twins and advanced technologies for the sustainable blue economy. The project’s particular value lies in connecting modern technologies with the long-standing tradition of research and organised mariculture in the Krka River estuary.

“The historical foundations of organised mariculture in this area were established back in the 1980s in the Krka River estuary, and today the MARBLE project directly continues that tradition by bringing together science and food production,” said Dr Neven Cukrov of the Division for Marine and Environmental Research at the Ruđer Bošković Institute.

Dr Cukrov particularly emphasised the importance of technological sovereignty. In his view, it is essential that Croatian experts develop such systems themselves, in cooperation with external scientists, rather than relying solely on the import of ready-made foreign products. This approach supports the development of domestic expertise, strengthens research and innovation capacities, and creates opportunities for solutions tailored to the local conditions of the Adriatic.

At the same time, the Smart Shellfish Farm “Šibenka” has the potential to become a valuable testing ground for technologies that will be applied in the future in aquaculture, marine protection and the sustainable management of marine resources.

For the Ruđer Bošković Institute, participation in the MARBLE project confirms the important role of scientific institutions in developing technological solutions for the sustainable blue economy. Through an interdisciplinary approach, cooperation with partners from the business sector and the use of advanced technologies, the Institute contributes to the development of mariculture models that are more efficient, environmentally responsible and based on scientific data.

The Smart Shellfish Farm “Šibenka” is an example of how science, technology and food production can work together to create a more sustainable future for the Adriatic.

The coordinator and founder of CoE MARBLE is the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. The international partners are the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, and the National Research Council of Italy, CNR. The Croatian partners are the Ruđer Bošković Institute, MARINN, Maritime Innovation Cluster, DIH AgriFood Croatia and the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth.