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 will boost the blue bioeconomy by applying an integrated biorefinery concept to valorise the massively produced (over 36 Mt of algae biomass annual world production) and vastly underexploited algae industrial waste streams (which can add up to 95% of the initial biomass) from the main existing sources to date: the phycolloid production from macroalgae and protein/lipid microalgae industries. CIRCALGAE’s simple, water-based technologies, will transform these waste streams into value-added ingredients to be used in specific texturized vegan foods, health-promoting food ingredients, protein rich feed, and cosmetic formulations incorporating texturizing or highly bioactive ingredients for topical use. 3 blue biorefinery schemes up-scaled to hundreds of kg will be demonstrated throughout CIRCALGAE project. 12 demonstrator products will be developed by food, feed and cosmetic industry partners validating the great potential of novel algae ingredients in these key sectors. Additionally, 2 final products will be qualified for market including their studies in consumer acceptance assessments. Through co-creating and co-learning, CIRCALGAE will connect all algae cross-sectional actors, including industrial end-user partners, RTOs, technological and consultancy SMEs, 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.

Over 100 Megatons of seaweed constitute Europe's largest biomass, but less than 0.25% is utilized. Marine industry stakeholders are currently left with 50-70% of residual side-streams sold as low-cost fertilizers. Existing data on more than 10000 macroalgae species could help this industry to improve their processes but the data is too large and manual curation is not feasible. Despite the progression of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and digital instruments, these techniques have barely entered the biobased sector. iCulture is a cross-disciplinary consortium where European expertise on ICT, bioinformatic, biodiversity, biotechnology, synthetic biology and bioprocessing is combined to develop a set of digital toolboxes that can prospect for new species of seaweed, utilize these in microbial fermentation, and understand how to use it responsibly and sustainably. Over 80 TB of existing seaweed data and 700.000 genes will be mined by machine learning algorithms in an A.I. toolbox to identify macroalgae characteristics: growth, response to environmental conditions, chemical composition and more. These will be used by a predictive Model toolbox, with models for compositional changes, recovery, resilience and Dispersion, to deliver key features that are important for responsible resource management. A Bioprocess technology toolbox will use this information for a machine learning controlled microbial co-culture, that will convert complex sugar mixtures to catalysts producing high-value antimicrobials. The multiple benefits of this digital platform are 1) boost the prospecting efficiency of new species by using powerful A.I. algorithms 2) help to understand the potential and vulnerability of resources, so that a responsible management strategy can guide the operations of stakeholders, and 3) create a novel value-chain, valorizing European seaweed side-streams into valuable antimicrobials (>$150/kg) for feed, food and pharma, while reducing CO2 footprint more than 20%.

Alginor will carry out a feasibility study on its innovative AORTA technology for sustainable utilization of seaweeds. The feasibility study includes examining the technical- and economic viability, identification of specific technical risks, raw material risks and alternative sources in order to proof the viability of the technology and highlight the economic benefits. The proposal is outlining the need for elaboration of vital commercial elements in a Business Plan, including development of an Organizational and Financial strategy. Alginor will establish a biorefinery for seaweeds based on our highly innovative AORTA technology. The concept aims at total utilization of seaweed by a multiproduct blue biorefinery. The concept achieves cost-advantages through cost-sharing over multiple products such as biopolymers, savoury, bioactive compounds as well as food and feed products. The product portfolio will facilitate new value chains and meet customer demands, especially according to mega-trends within Pharma & API, Health & Nutrition, Food, Biomaterials, Feed, Agro and Chemical industries. Initial focus in the key markets is the need for high-grade powders to the food-, health- and nutrition industries. Higher product yield from an ultra-pure and formula-specific product portfolio improves overall economy of the project. Further, the AORTA concept will increase raw material utilization to ~100% and make utilization of environmental chemicals in the production obsolete. The planned feasibility study is a step towards minimizing risks during commercialization of the technology. The ultimate business goal is to establish a large scale manufacturing unit (the biorefinery). Risk minimization through first performing a demonstration-plant of smaller scale in order to control project-risk is vital for future financing. The present feasibility study will lay the foundations for an Investor Memorandum (Phase 2).

The withdrawal of the most harmful pesticides from the EU market is necessary to mitigate major environmental harm, but is leaving many farmers in a desperate position. CROP-SAFE has identified 3 critical cases of food crops under threat from rapidly spreading pests, whilst go-to pesticides are identified by ECHA as candidates for imminent withdrawal, i.e. Candidates for Substitution (CfS) and Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). 1. Potato crops, widely threatened by Potato cyst nematode (PCN). The approval period for the leading active against PCN, Fosthiazate (CfS), expires in 2027. 2. Tomato crops, suffering from losses up to 65% due to Root knot nematode (RKN). The approval period for Metham sodium (CfS, SVHV), one of the most widely uses actives against RKN, expires in 2025. 3. Banana crops, suffering from the European emergence of Banana Weevils (BW). Growers are using Lambda-cyhalothrin (CfS, SVHC) to manage BW, but the approval period lapses in 2026. CROP-SAFE will develop a holistic package of tools (bioactives, delivery materials, formulations and decision support models) for effective and sustainable management of PCN, RKN, and BW in these crops. Using scalable supplies of bio-based residues (aquatic biomass, forestry residues, spent coffee grounds and fungal waste) and three biorefining partners, CROP-SAFE will down-select the most effective boiactives and delivery materials as a basis for new, SSbD crop protection products. Field trials will be supported by decision support models, overcoming challenges associated with the variable performance of bioactives in different environmental conditions. The CROP-SAFE consortium combines the expertise of 3 Universities (UA, CNR, IQS-URL) and 4 RTOs (CPI, VITO, LEITAT, JHI) with material processing capacity in 3 biorefineries (BOR, ABA, KB) a leading developer of precision agriculture solutions, SE, and a cooperative, COPLACA, representing 3,200 farmers.

ALEHOOP provides the demonstration at pilot scale of both sustainable macroalgae and legume-based biorefineries for the recovery of low-cost dietary proteins from alga-based and plant residual biomass and their validation to meet market requirements of consumers and industry in the food and feed sectors. In these sectors, consumers are demanding affordable functional natural proteins from alternative sources and industry is demanding low-cost bio-based protein formulations with better performance and higher sustainability. Current protein demand for the 7.3 billion inhabitants of the world is approximately 202 Mt. Due to the rise in meat consumption more proteins are therefore required for animal feeding. To satisfy the current protein demand, Europe imports over 30 Mt of soy from the Americas each year mainly for animal feeding, entailing 95% dependency of EU on imported soy. Current sources of proteins are becoming unsustainable from an economic and environmental perspective for Europe resulting in concerns for sustainability and food security and leading to search for new alternative proteins. ALEHOOP addresses the obtaining of proteins from green macroalgal blooms, brown seaweed by-products from algae processors and legume processing by-products (peas, lupines, beans and lentils) as alternative protein sources for animal feeding (case of green seaweed) and food applications (case of brown seaweed and legume by-products), since they are low cost and under-exploited biomass that do not compete with traditional food crops for space and resources. This will reduce EU´s dependency on protein imports and contribute to our raw material security. The new proteins will be validated in foods for elderly, sporty and overweight people, vegetarians and healthy consumers as well as for animal feed creating cross-sectorial interconnection between these value chains and supporting the projected business plan.