Partners
The SeaMark consortium brings together a highly complementary and balanced mix of partners along the entire seaweed value chain, from seaweed cultivation to product testing. Feedback loops between the experts ensure cross-pollination of ideas, concepts, and insights. The cultivation, pre-treatment and processing experts are further complemented by experts in the field of sustainability assessments, economics, risk analysis and mitigation, commercial deployment, and IP monetisation as well as communication.
The partners of SeaMark are from 12 countries in Europe and each has in-depth specialist expertise in one or more areas that are required to develop the seaweed value chain. The active involvement of 9 SMEs and 3 larger enterprises guarantees the commercial exploitation and implementation of the results generated by the SeaMark project through a market-driven approach.
The combined effort of many partners linked to recent and successful breeding and biorefinery seaweed projects such as MacroCascade and GenialG ensure that information and learning gained in previous projects are utilised by the consortium.
- Ocean Rainforest (FO/US) *Coordinator is a pioneering blue growth company located in the Faroe Islands and in California, USA. We offer a collection of seaweed products, mostly for feed, food and cosmetic producers, as well as take part in research projects with a number of different partners
- Fermentation Experts (DK) is an innovative company with operations in Europe and the United States. They believe that fermentation is the feeding technology of the future for poultry and pig farmers, and continue to develop new areas where fermentation makes sense – for the individual farmer’s finances, for the health of their herds and for the environment.
- ALGAIA (FR) is a highly innovative company offering sustainably-produced natural seaweed, algae and other plant-based extracts and solutions for the Food, Agriculture, Personal Care & Nutraceutical Industries.
- Sjókovin – Blue Resource (FO) is a private, independent, not-for-profit research centre based in the Faroe Islands, with strong competences in socio-economic impact assessments, resource management, risk assessments, value chain and market analysis, policy and governance analysis.
- Station Biologique de Roscoff (FR): Founded in 1872, the Station Biologique de Roscoff (SBR) is a centre for research and higher education in marine biology and ecology. It is jointly run by the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Sorbonne University (Paris).
- Wageningen University (NL): Wageningen University & Research is a collaboration between Wageningen University and the Wageningen Research foundation with a mission to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.
- DTU – Technical University of Denmark (DK) is recognised internationally as a leading university in the areas of the technical and the natural sciences, renowned for our business-oriented approach, our focus on sustainability, and our amazing study environment.
- SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG (DE) is an economic interest grouping of over 40 research and industry members around the Baltic and North Seas committed to the sustainable use of marine resources, offering a cooperation platform to related actors and initiatives across Northern Europe.
- Aventure AB (SE): Aventure’s business focus is to develop attractive foods with proven preventive properties that contribute to sustainable health and better life. Sometimes curiosity leads them into other fields of interest, but food is always the main ingredient.
- National University of Ireland Galway (IE): Founded in 1845, University of Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching.
- Utrecht University (NL): Utrecht University researches, educates and communicates the results across disciplines and shares knowledge and insights that lay the foundation for the future. Shared perspectives are the source of tomorrow’s solutions.
- ALGAplus (PT) are marine agronomists passionate about macroalgae. ALGAplus has been dedicated to controlled and sustainable farming of seaweed species from the Atlantic coast since 2012, in a land-based system as innovative as natural and with organic certification.
- Carlsberg (DK) is one of the world’s leading brewery groups. They are a global brewer, powered by strong local brands. They have more than 140 brands in their beer portfolio, which spans core beer brands, craft & speciality and alcohol-free brews.
- Sirputis (LT) specialises in sustainable seaweed cultivation, harvesting, and processing technologies to improve seaweed farming all around the world. The main uniqueness of Sirputis is the entirety of all steps, we provide support for seaweed farmers through the whole seaweed chain.
- Matís (IS) supports value creation, public health and food safety in strong collaboration with a large group of partners, both from the public and private sectors, domestic and foreign. Through research projects, which are the largest part of our operations, we work on large and diverse challenges with our partners.
- Lund University (SE) was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The University has around 46 000 students and more than 8 400 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. They are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.
- NOFIMA (NO) is a leading food research institute that conducts research and development for the aquaculture industry, the fishing industry and the food industry. Nofima has close ties to Norwegian food production. They are Norway’s leading food research institute and engage in applied research and development within the fields of aquaculture, fisheries and the food industry.
- Algolesko (FR) grows brown laminarian seaweeds in the genuine preserved waters off the coast of Lesconil, South Finistère, Brittany, France. From hatchery to harvest, they work on the entire crop cycle to guarantee their customers authenticity, quality and traceability. Their production comes 100% from certified local organic farming.
- Aalborg University (DK) is highly ranked within the subject of engineering and has, for the last five years, been ranked in top 10 by US News. In one of the latest rankings from 2021, Aalborg University (AAU) was ranked as the eight best university in the world and as the best in Europe within engineering.
- Aarhus University (DK): Established in 1928, Aarhus University has since developed into a major Danish university with a strong international reputation across the entire research spectrum.
- Copenhagen University (DK): Driven by intellectual creativity and critical thinking since 1479, researchers and students at the University of Copenhagen have expanded horizons and contributed to moving the world forward. With its 5,000 researchers and 37,500 students, the University boasts an international research and study environment and is highly ranked among the world’s best universities.
- Ruitenberg Ingredients BV (NL) is (more than simply) a family-owned business and pioneer in discovering creative and innovative solutions for the food industry. Here, ideas, ingredients and processes all come together. These three fundamentals form the basis for successful development of functional concepts and applications. Whenever possible, we work in close collaboration with our customers, and even go one step further. Our application technologists will supervise commissioning of the solutions developed for you, at your premises. Because we are only happy when you are!
- Ocean Forest (NO): Ocean Forest’s vision is to substantially multiply food production from the sea in a sustainable manner by harvesting species from lower down in the food chain. This vision will reduce the footprint caused by production of fish while generating significant volumes of raw materials for human consumption, for feed and for clean energy and at the same time representing a substantial absorption of CO2.
- Vattenfall (DK) is one of Europe’s largest producers and retailers of electricity and heat. Vattenfall’s main markets are Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the UK. The Vattenfall Group has approximately 19,000 employees. The parent company, Vattenfall AB, is 100% owned by the Swedish state, and its headquarters are in Solna, Sweden.
- OCEANIUM (UK) develop innovative, all-natural products from sustainably-sourced seaweed. Their vision is to integrate seaweed into everyday lives for People Health and Planet Health. Utilising innovative refinery technology, based on decades of marine science experience, we extract maximum value from the whole plant. This enables us to produce high-demand products, including high purity bioactives for nutrition and cosmeceuticals, plant-based food ingredients, and innovative materials.
The research partners Lund University, Utrecht University, DTU and Matís have conducted ground-breaking research in enzymatic refinery of poly- and oligosaccharides from seaweeds. They have collaborated in several projects and most recently, alongside Ocean Rainforest, were involved in the project Marikat. Furthermore, Station Biologique De Roscoff and NUI Galway have collaborated to optimise the seeding of seaweed material, and together with the partner Traitomic (Carlsberg Group), expect to make major progress in the field of breeding, which will accelerate European production of seaweed.
The four biomass producers of SeaMark (Ocean Rainforest, Algolesko, ALGAplus and Ocean Forest) are front runners in European seaweed cultivation. Fermentation Experts will work closely with research partners Aalborg University, Aarhus University and Copenhagen University on product development of fermented feed and food ingredients. Algaia has extensive experience within alginate extraction and OCEANIUM is developing and making ingredients for the food, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and materials markets.
Partners NOFIMA and Sjókovin are experts in seafood-based market, techno- and socio-economic assessments, and Wageningen University has extensive experience in marine ecosystem services and standards for the seaweed industry.
