AQUIMER organized the 1st year CIRCALGAE’s project meeting
Algae biomass is highly underexploited and its efficient utilization is one of the main challenges in current and future EU marine policies towards sustainability. CIRCALGAE is boosting the blue bioeconomy by applying an integrated biorefinery concept to valorise the massively processed and vastly underexploited algae industrial waste streams from the phycolloid production from macroalgae and protein/lipid microalgae industries.
CIRCALGAE’s simple, water-based technologies allow upcycling of these waste streams into value-added ingredients to be used in specific texturized vegan foods, protein rich feed, health-promoting ingredients and cosmetic formulations, in 12 demonstrator products, 2 of which will be qualified for market. Through co-creating and co-learning, CIRCALGAE aims to connect all algae cross-sectional actors for the validation of all health-promoting effects and claims, regulatory aspects and environmental, economic and social impacts, engaging all relevant stakeholders in the primary sector to re-shape the current industrial network for a future thriving blue bioeconomy.
The consortium, with partners from 21 leading institutes and companies from 11 European countries, covers the entire value chain from the raw materials to end-users. The project started on October 2022 and it will last 4 years!
AQUIMER will work on the social acceptance of the developed products during the project. Aquimer is also leading the communication, dissemination and valorisation activities in the project.
Since the beginning of the project, some deliverables were already provided such as for instance the report written by CEVA about the “Current algae industry in Europe”. This comprehensive report gathers all information as to algae production and uses in Europe, pointing out volumes, species, regions, uses and biomass streams generated. This photography of the European algae landscape will help identify gaps and possible synergies and mark potential opportunities for new biorefineries.
Last October, took place the 1st year project meeting at Lille, organized by Aquimer. The event gave all the partners an opportunity to review the progress of the project and the results produced after one year, to understand the challenges for the next 6 months and to highlight the role of each partner.
If you want to learn more about CIRCALGAE project, you can watch our great video and also visit the CIRCALGAE website!
We invite you to join us and take part in this journey towards blue sustainability and the ingredients of the future! You can subscribe to the CIRCALGAE newsletter and follow us on the social media : Linkedin, Facebook et X
