The final meeting provided the ten 1st Additional Call projects with an opportunity to showcase their completed work. The discussions also explored future funding opportunities, the scaling of innovations, and the commercialisation of sustainable solutions.
The meeting in Brussels celebrated the achievements of the BlueBio 1st Additional Call projects while also laying the foundation for future collaborations to further harness aquatic bioresources. JPI Oceans reaffirmed its commitment to supporting these projects, ensuring that the legacy of the BlueBio Cofund continues beyond its immediate outcomes.
Several key takeaways emerged from the two-day gathering, including:
Innovative Solutions
The projects addressed some of the most pressing issues in the blue bioeconomy sector, such as the sustainable cultivation of microalgae, new approaches to fish feed production, and methods for waste valorisation. These innovations aim for a more resource-efficient and sustainable aquatic industry.
Sustainable Bioproduct Development
A key focus of the meeting was the development of sustainable bioproducts, with many projects exploring the use of by-products from aquaculture and fisheries. The importance of scaling these innovations to bring them to market was highlighted, with a strong emphasis on minimising environmental impacts.
Science Communication as a Key Driver
Effective communication is essential to maximising research impact and fostering both societal understanding and industry support for sustainable practices. Accordingly, the JPI Oceans communication team led a session centred on strategies for engaging industry and policymakers to ensure the broader dissemination of the BlueBio projects. The session included practical exercises, offering participants hands-on experience with science communication best practices.
Further project information
The 1st Additional Call counted the participation of 14 partners from 13 countries, including Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. Under this call, BlueBio funded the following 10 projects:
BlueBioChain: Novel biorefinery supply chains for wastewater valorization and production of high market value bio products using microalgae.
MARIGREEN: Sustainable utilization of MARIne resources to foster GREEN plant production in Europe.
Microalgae in IT: Microalgae based, safety-tested and optimized fish feed value chain by using Interdisciplinary R&D and IT solutions.
MuMiFast: Mussel Mitigation Feeds and Supply System Technological Development.
PROFIUS: Preservation of underutilized fish biomasses for improved quality, stability and utilization.
QualiSea: Enhancing and controlling the quality of cultivated seaweeds for large-scale production and a sustainable supply chain to food and feed markets.
SMARTCHAIN: Smart solutions for advancing supply systems in blue bioeconomy value chains.
SuMaFood: Sustainable preservation of marine biomasses for an enhanced food value chain.
TACO ALGAE: Total Value Chain Optimization of seaweeds Furcellaria lumbricalis, A bioeconomical ALGAE demonstration.
TraceMyFish: Traceability and Quality Monitoring throughout the Fish Value Chain.