(ANSA) - PORDENONE - Collaboration between Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto and Croatia is getting stronger in order to develop shipbuilding and commercial relations between companies and research centre in the Adriatic area.

As part of the Interreg V Italia-Croatia 2014-2020 programme, the "Beat" project (Blue enhancement action for technology transfer) was launched. ConCentro, Special agency of the Pordenone Chamber of Commerce, is a partner along with Unioncamere Veneto (leader), the Universities of Trieste and Rijeka, the Maritime Technology Cluster FVG and the Agency for Regional Development of Istria.

The kick-off meeting of the project, held at Unioncamere Veneto, aims to consolidate innovation and cooperation between Italian and Croatian companies operating in the blue economy, by stimulating the creation of a cross-border cluster in shipbuilding technologies, improving the competence of companies in innovation and organization of internal managing processes.

Beat aims to increase the creation of new synergies and networking contacts between companies in Italy and Croatia, through specific training sessions and benchmarking of best practices in order to improve and strengthen the innovation capabilities of SMEs. (ANSA).