Across the Adriatic and Mediterranean, a quiet but consequential question is being asked: who among the region's water and marine innovators is ready to turn scientific promise into sustainable enterprise? The WAVEMAKER Business Creation Award, supported by Montenegro's Innovation Fund, invites startups, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams from six eligible countries to compete for recognition, European network access, and a €5,000 growth award — with applications open through August 31, 2026. The programme reflects a broader reckoning with the pressures facing coastal ecosystems and fres