Discover how ALGALUP and ENHANCEMICROALGAE projects are contributing to enhancing the sustainable exploitation of microalgae and macroalgae!

This initiative aims to ‘give the floor’ to all partners to share their projects and success stories and disseminate them with the Algae community. Keep reading to know more about the latest projects that are part of this fourth edition! 

 

ALGALUP: Supporting smart growth through cooperation to promote macroalgae’s sector innovation 

 

ALGALUP is an EU-funded project (in the frame of Interreg Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020) that supports smart growth through cross-border cooperation to promote innovation in the macroalgae sector. Galicia and the North of Portugal are territories with a rich seaweed biodiversity and abundance. The exploitation of this biomass is limited; and restricted to a few species and uses. It is constrained by the low profitability, technical limitations, and the need to protect algal populations and their ecological roles. 

In this context, ALGALUP promotes an alliance of research and innovation institutions to explore the potential of unexploited seaweed species, enhance the cultivation of algae and develop new uses in food, feed, and biomedicine. 

 

ALGALUP’s activities encompass the creation of a database of stakeholders (researchers, companies, regulatory bodies) with knowledge and support for the enhancement of the sustainable exploitation of seaweeds in Galicia and the North of Portugal and ecological studies to assess the status of the populations of algal species of interest to provide data for sustainable exploitation. 

 

Additionally, several other developments were conducted: 

• Cultivation protocols for two species of algae.  

• Uses for algal biomass where several seaweed species were nutritionally characterised and recipes were created and tested. 

• Dialogues with stakeholders (seaweed harvesters, processing industry, researchers, entrepreneurs, regulatory bodies) to share the conclusions of the project and exchange opinions, needs and concerns about the sustainable exploitation of seaweeds in Galicia and the North of Portugal.  

• Dissemination of information on seaweed to the general public (e.g., producing educational and promotional material such as guides for the identification of some of the most common and distinctive seaweed species or recipes that include algae among their ingredients). 

 

Moreover, ALGALUP was also presented in the activities organised by the University of Vigo and ANFACO to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 

 

ENHANCEMICROALGAE: High added-value industrial opportunities for microalgae in the Atlantic region 

 

ENHANCEMICROALGAE is an EU-funded project (in the frame of the Atlantic Area Programme 2014-2020) which aims to support both the production and valorisation of microalgae and the development of successful businesses based on microalgal products. Part of the project is the transfer of technical and scientific expertise to the industrial processes, as well as the design of business strategies and efficient communication and dissemination efforts. 

Its main outcomes are: 

• Support programmes for spin-offs and start-ups: mentoring and funding. 

• Stakeholder workshops for the exchange of experiences and discussing trends, needs and opportunities in the microalgal sector. 

• A decision support tool to help companies to design their microalgae culture systems. 

• A virtual marketplace as a platform for exchanging services and interests. 

 

Microalgae production for high-added value compounds is a business sector with high growth potential in the coming decades. A few strains are commercially exploited, but their diversity offers many opportunities for the discovery of compounds with applications and the production and exploitation of microalgal biomass. 

Despite the development of scientific knowledge and the interest from industry on the potential applications of microalgae, few have succeeded commercially due to the number of variables affecting economic and environmental viability. 

Also, the low degree of transfer of scientific, technological, and economic expertise to the commercial sector has hampered the development of industrial exploitation of microalgae. Some reasons include (1) Few species being commercially exploited, (2) An urgent need for the intensification and optimisation of culture systems, (3) Reappraisal of skills and knowledge developed for biofuel production for high-value production, and (4) Efficiency improvements and eco-friendly approaches for processing and recovery of products. 

 

In this sense, the increase of dissemination and communication efforts proved crucial for the success of ENHANCEMICROALGAE to ensure all outcomes reached their target audience. One of the many dissemination and communication efforts included three comic books on the adventures of five microalgal characters, addressed to children, and aimed at spreading knowledge on the biology and ecological roles of different types of microalgae. 

 

Created by Xulia Pisón, the first chapter is available in five languages (Galician, Spanish, English, French and Portuguese) and the second and third chapters in three languages (English, Spanish and Galician): 

“The education of new generations in science, caring for the planet and our health is of vital importance to bring about change in the world. The Microalgae trilogy has worked very well locally, and I hope it continues to reach out to boys and girls in other places. There is a lot to be told about the fascinating world of microalgae. The more younger people know about microalgae, the more they will be interested in learning about how to use them to save the world.” – she added. 

 

The first and third chapters are available online in PDF format. 

To purchase online the illustrated books (English, Spanish and Galician) make sure to access the author Xulia Pisón website.