The Baltic Sea Forum

It was founded in 1992 in Helsinki as a German-Finnish organization named Pro Baltica Forum. It supports the co-operation with the Baltic States as well as with the whole Baltic region, sees to the relations between the European Union and Russia and the development of the south-north-relation between the Baltic and the Mediterranean.

The Baltic Sea Forum has an extended network of members, representatives and partners from all fields of activity as e.g. economy, politics, culture as well as in science in the Baltic region and Central Europe. The organization is always in close contact with governments as well as state, regional and local authorities and institutions in the Baltic States. It is supported by a committee.

The non-profit organisation wants to

• realise programs and objectives of the European Union
• strengthen the Baltic economic region
• create an independant platform for its members in order to exchange ideas, experiences, and opinions
• initiate and encourage cultural exchange programs between the states
• draft trend-setting recommendations to committees and institutions

These objectives are reached by

• organisation of conferences, meetings, and fora
• an up-to-date networkd with constant information exchange
• co-operation with key positions and partners in the Baltic Sea states
• participation in international projects
• drafting and editing of publications

The Baltic Sea Forum fosters international co-operation through the

• Organisation of conferences, meetings and events relating to current economic, political and cultural topics.
• Provision of information for members and interested companies and individuals.
• Support of projects and publications.
• Emphasis on the European Union's "Northern Dimension Action Plan" and the promotion of Public-Private-Partnerships.

Since the foundation of the Baltic Sea Forum, the Baltic region has seen enormous developments. It is the region with the most flourishing economy within Europe. About ninety million people live and work around the so called European inland sea. They generate about nine per cent of the world's gross national product. Even at the time of the Hanseatic League, The Baltic Sea was used by the merchants to transport their goods. Following this tradition, companies have started to revive this business relations in the nineties. Leading economic institutes confirm this development by forecasting an enormous rise in the trade with the Baltic States in the following years.

The Baltic Sea Forum has recognised this tendency already in the early nineties. Since then, the organization is a competent contact for the Mare Balticum at international level. In order to guarantee the successful planning and carrying out of projects, it offers contacts to experiences and well known personalities and institutions. Furthermore, the Forum supports publications and studies in the Baltic region and organizes conferences, fora, business lunches, workshops and business acquaintance events. The Baltic Sea Forum Newsletter informs the members of the organization at regular about its work. Once a year, the Forum also publishes the Baltic Sea Event Calendar, in which all activities of the organization and other institutions in the Baltic region are cited.

Our Members

Companies, institutions and public figures from the whole Baltic Sea region are involved in the network. They all share a common interest in the development of the Mare Balticum and its neighbor regions.

Our members and partners are:

Academia Baltica - B.A.U.M. Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management e.V. - Baltic Development Forum - Baltic Institute of Finland - Baltic International School Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Baltic Ports Organization - Baltic Sea Chamber of Commerce Association - Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) - Baltic Transport Journal - Baltikum Tourismus Zentrale - Bauindustrie Niedersachsen - Bremen - Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG Vilnius - BDT - Baltic Design Transfer - BEIDS Baltic Environmental Information Dissemination System - bremenports GmbH & Co. KG - BSVC - Baltic Sea Virtual Campus - Bundesverband Mittelständische Wirtschaft Unternehmerverband Deutschlands e.V. - CMT Center of Maritime Technologies e.V. - Council of the Baltic Sea States - Deutsch-Baltische Handelskammer in Estland, Lettland, Litauen - Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH - Deutsche Seereederei - Deutscher Verband für Coaching und Training (DVCT) e.V. - East West Institute - F.A.Z-Institut für Management, Markt- und Medieninformationen GmbH - Femern Bælt A/S - Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg - Förderer privater Hochschulen in Schwerin e.V. - German Water e.V. - Germanischer Lloyd AG - HELCOM - Helsinki Commission - HERDER - GESELLSCHAFT Mecklenburg - Vorpommern e.V. - HSH Nordbank AG - Institut für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa - Institute for European Affairs - InWEnt Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbh - ISL Institut für Seeverkehrswirtschaft und Logistik - ISNM International School of New Media gGmbH / Universität Lübeck - Kindergesundheit - grenzenlos - Fonds e.V. - LIS Leitstellen-Informations-Systeme GmbH - MOM United Consultants AG - NORD / LB - Open Europe Consulting (o/ec) - Ost- und Mitteleuropa Verein e.V. - Pathway Guidance Europe - Paulig Group - POLZUG Intermodal GmbH - Reinecke & Associates - Rödl & Partner Baltikum - Salo Baltic International - Schleswig - Holsteinischer Landtag - Schleswig-Holsteinische Institut für Friedenswissenschaften (SCHIFF) / The Schleswig-Holstein Institute for Peace Research (SHIP) - Schweizerisch-Baltisches Hilfskomitee - Seaports Niedersachsen GmbH - Senior Experten Service - Swiss Baltic Chamber of Commerce - The Baltic Assembly (BA) The Baltic Council of Ministers (BCM) - TT-Line GmbH & Co. KG - TÜV Nord - TÜV Rheinland Group - Union of the Baltic Cities - Verband Deutscher Reeder - Wiener Institut für Internationale Wirtschaftsvergleiche (wiiw) - WINGAS GmbH - Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe e.V. (ZDS)