PiriReis University was founded by the support and sponsorship of the whole maritime sector (almost 9000 stakeholders), namely the Turkish Chamber of Shipping (TCS), through the Turkish Maritime Education Foundation (TUDEV) as Maritime University. TÜDEV, forming the core of PRU, has a very successful history of training of seafarers and EU Projects since 1993 to bring the Turkish Shipping Sector to the world-class standards and to establish maritime policies and identify targets that will enhance the economic power, welfare and efficiency of the country in this area as well as to train professional personnel and opening and operating special training institutions for the interested persons to have a career or assisting the educational institutions on maritime to be opened and improve their capabilities in terms of facilities and education with a goal to promote the Turkish Shipping Industry.

There are 5 faculties, prep school for languages, vocational higher school, continuous education centre, graduate school of social sciences, graduate school of science and engineering; delivering higher education in 3 cycle degrees (BS, Ms, and PhD) in 24 different programs and, associate degrees in 10 different programs. An agreement for PiriReis University to provide maritime education within the framework of international standards and at the highest level had been signed in 2018 with the Qatari Emiri Armed Forces. In accordance with this agreement, in February 2019, PiriReis University has started to provide 6-year educational services in the setting up, management and education and training of the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces affiliate Academy (Naval Military College), which is comprised of 4 programs.

There are totally 210 permanent full-time academic staff, 100 admin staff and over 4000 full-time degree students including students from foreign countries. Approximately 600 professionals are attending professional development courses at the continuous vocational education centre of the university at various ranks and seniority in different times of the year. PRU through its scientific and academic background, consolidated experience in direct management of maritime scientific and vocational education and close links with stakeholders will play a major role in the project to ensure the quality of the action and to set up theoretical and practical testing of the programme. Its scientific and academic background will be also made available in building the training programme. The consolidated links with maritime stakeholders and institutions will provide direct feedback to test the project products and to disseminate and exploit the project results. It will play a key role on dissemination through its close relationship with the Turkish Chamber of Shipping.

The research and development programs are carried out in compliance with the general EU and national framework, covering a wide range of subjects in all fields of marine sciences, technology, engineering, law, and economics and administrative sciences. Technology Transfer Office at Technopark Istanbul maintains contacts with different parts of the industry. The establishment of a new incubation center is also in progress to support researchers through dedicated mentoring and investors.

The traditions of the Bulgarian Maritime education date back to 1881 when, by No 7 Circular Letter of 9 January 1881, the Ministry of Defence announced the establishment of a Machine School of the Fleet in Rouse for training of motormen and firemen, which was transformed in 1902 into a Fleet Machine School, the first secondary technical school in Bulgaria. On 18.06.1929 The National Assembly passed "Law of the Naval School” and in 1942 another law was passed for its transformation into "His Majesty’s Naval Academy” with a 6-year course of studies. The Naval Academy obtained the first national program accreditation of its main specialties in 1998 and in 2000 it was entered in the IMO "White List” as a higher school with approved maritime education, meeting the requirements of STCW 78/95 Convention. In 2000 ‘Nikola Vaptsarov’ Naval Academy became a founder and a regular member of the International association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) and a co-founder of the Institute of Maritime Law and Logistics at Varna Free University, the National Oceanographic Committee – a member of the intergovernmental oceanographic committee of UNESCO, as well as of the Business Incubator of High Technologies, Varna. The education is performed by two Faculties, Navigation and Engineering, and the Department for Post-Graduate Training. They are responsible for the training in the special subjects as well as for the fundamental scientific and comprehensive training in the following specialties: Navigation, Ship Power Plants, Electrical Engineering, Shipboard Radio electronics, Shipping and Port Management, Technology of Ship Repairs, River Navigation and Ocean Engineering, ICT, Cybersecurity, Mechatronics in the form regular and extramural instruction. Distance learning is in the process of being introduced. Furthermore, the Naval Academy is a venue for the successful development of activities in "Naval research center", "Center for career development ", "Center for training ship brokers and agents" run by the Charter Brokers’ Institute, London. The contacts and business-like connections with counterpart higher schools and organizations in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions are long-standing. The Naval Academy is a holder of an inclusive charter "Erasmus" and articipates in teacher and student exchanges. For the last 3 years NVNA has conducted more than 500 students mobilities on KA1 of Erasmus+. The Naval Academy is a founder of Black Sea Association of Maritime Institutions (BSAMI) in April 2010 (together with another five higher education institutions around the Black Sea) who decided to meet the responsibility as a team to further enhance themselves as the major global center of the highest quality maritime human resources through knowledge, innovation and implementation towards the future. The total academic staff of the Naval Academy is app. 130, where the full professors are 16, the associate professors are 44 and the other PhD holders are 29. On the other hand the academic staff has maritime qualification: 9-Master on ships of 3000 gross tonnage or more; 1- Master on ships up to 500 gross tonnage; 1- Chief Engineer Officer; 6 - Watch keeping Officers; 7- Second Engineer Officers; 2 - Ship’s Electrical Engineer Officers; 20 - GMDSS General Operators; 4 - First/second class Radio electronic; 5 - Maritime Security Trainers. In 2014 NVNA was audited by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from Japan and recognized NVNA as a certified institution in their System of Recognition for Maritime Education and Training Institutions. In 2015 NVNA was audited successfully by EMSA.

The Polish Naval Academy (PNA) "Heroes of Westerplatte" is a naval university supervised by the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland, with the history, uninterrupted by World War II, dating back to 1922. At present the PNA provides education for officer-cadets, commissioned officers and civilian students at first and second cycles of study (undergraduate and graduate). It also offers opportunities for professional development at specialized courses and postgraduate programs. In accordance with international agreements the PNA trains officers for naval forces of countries in Europe, North Africa, the Middle and Far East (currently Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia). International exchange significantly contributes to the rise in qualifications of the PNA staff. It also allows the students to attend lectures given by best specialists from leading scientific centers of the world. Apart from candidates to professional soldiers (midshipmen), the PNA also teaches officers and civilian students in 4 Faculties: 1. Navigation and Naval Weapons Faculty (WNiUO); 2. Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Faculty (WME); 3. Command and Naval Operations Faculty (WDiOM); 4. Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty (WNHiS). Academy has employed as teaching core staff 16 Professors, 43 Habilitated Doctors and 81 Doctors. Currently it is a state college open to the educational needs of the whole Pomeranian region. In the last years during the academic year it taught up to 8000 students, course participants and officers. At the peak, even 1500 students started their education there, and there were almost 4000 BA and MA students. At PNA students and course participants not only gain theoretical knowledge, but also practical skills, since the Academy is equipped with a large number of simulators and laboratories. The students have GMDSS, deck, marine power plants, submarine weapons, and gunnery simulators at their disposal. Currently, military students are being taught in five fields: navigation, mechanics and machine construction, mechatronics, IT science, and information systems in security. Civilian students have 13 fields to choose from: navigation, IT science, mechanics and machine construction, automatics and robotics, mechatronics, national security, internal security, information systems in security, space and satellite technologies, international relations, military in the system of public services and pedagogics. PNA is a leading research and development center for the Polish Navy, defense and maritime industry. The research problems are selected so as to shape scientific specialties of the Academy in connection with programs of development of the Polish Navy as well as with the process of technical modernization of ships, weapons systems and equipment. The Academy has unique research and development teams. Several research projects conducted at the Polish Naval Academy are focused on modern maritime and defense technologies. State policies aimed at developing ties between science and industry encourage the Academy to establish close cooperation with industrial companies. The cooperation should yields good results in transferring advanced technologies to industry. Such activities fortify the way to the most effective use economic and social potential of the Polish Naval Academy. Expertise of the scientists of Polish Naval Academy deliver measurable benefits. New solutions have to be quickly implemented. It is possible only when cooperation between science and industry in efficient. The effective cooperation between the Academy and industry is stimulated by the mechanism, created by Ministry of Science and Higher Education, of jointly undertaken R&D efforts focused on further implementation

Lithuanian Maritime Academy is an accredited public institution of professional higher education training highly qualified seafarers and other specialists for the maritime industry. LMA operates according to the Lithuanian law of science and higher education, undertaking the mission to educate and train seafarers and maritime business specialists. LMA was established as a Lithuanian Maritime school in 1948. Its present value is certified by the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC) with the highest level of trust, and by different national and international bodies as a high-quality academic institution (e.g. EMSA, U-Multirank, Lithuanian transport safety administration, Ranking (Reitingai, Lithuania), etc.).

LMA is certified since 2001 in its Quality Management System comprising seafarers‘ training and professional development by Lloyd`s Register Quality Assurance Lietuva according to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 standard.

LMA providing 6 study programmes on first cycle level: Marine Navigation (qualification of professional bachelor in Marine technologies, Marine Navigator), Marine Power Plant Operation (qualification of professional bachelor in Marine engineering, Marine engineer), Marine Electrical Power Plant Operation (qualification of professional bachelor in Marine engineering, Marine electrical engineer), Maritime Transport Logistics Technologies (qualification professional bachelor in Marine technologies), Port and Shipping Finance (qualification of professional bachelor in finance), Port and Shipping Management (qualification of professional bachelor in management). All educational programs are accredited by the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC). LMA providing academic and specialized staff and a rich operational endowment, consisting in classes, integrated laboratories, simulators or educational on-line resources and platforms.

As academic facilities, LMA has more than 15 simulators, 10 laboratories, workshop for metal works for practical training, facilities for physical and psychological training, offices and specialized rooms with appropriate modern equipment, a Seafarers Training Center, IT Center, and also a modern sport hall. LMA counting an average number of 1000 students and 65 teaching staff core. LMA providing more 30 units accredited seafarers training courses for more than 3 000 seafarers per year.

The research and development activity in LMA is carried out in compliance with the general EU and national framework, covering a wide range of subjects, in the field of marine technologies and engineering, shipping and port industry. The average of scientific production of staff per year is approx. 45 scientific publications, published in national and international databases. LMA has been granted both with national funds (under EU investment in Lithuania plans or Sectorial initiatives) and European funds, under ESF, Interreg Programme, EU Twinnings programme etc., where LMA has been involved as project leader or project partner.

Developing such training and research facilities for the maritime industry, LMA has become a relevant educational institution in Europa and in Baltic states, availing its services in applied research programs for the shipping and port industry. Counting on its laboratories, simulators, and training centers as on its valuable human resources, LMA is ready and capable to contribute in innovation and scientific research in different areas of knowledge defined by the maritime industry.