The European ambition is clear: through the Ocean Pact and other EU initiatives, the Commission aims to boost the competitiveness of the blue bioeconomy and support prioritisation of aquatic biomass.
More than 650 million euros have already gone into developing the algae sector in the past years through 250+ research and innovation grants. The technologies and methodologies for cultivation and refinery processes are now mature enough to scale, and data are available to support the implementation of ecosystem service valorisation.
New products with high market potential are ready to support resilient food and feed production, reduce the use of chemical fertiliser and enhance the health of soils and waters.
Skilled workers from industry and academia can make a meaningful impact in rural and coastal areas. Yet, the public investment is at risk of being wasted due to regulatory barriers and systemic failure in the process of scaling.
To fulfil the European Commission’s ambition, we urgently need policy innovation allowing algae to take the place it deserves.
The three projects together represent 61 partners across 18 countries from industry, research, and non-profit organisations. The projects cross cutting needs are accelerating biorefinery circularity, valuing algal ecosystem services and navigating algal scale-up costs.
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