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.

SEAFOODTOMORROW aims to validate and optimize commercial solutions for improving the socioeconomic and environmental sustainability of the seafood production and processing industry, while contributing to product quality and safety. Activities will focus on the sustainable production and processing of nutritious and safe seafood products through the demonstration and first application in the market of eco-innovative, sustainable solutions of marine and aquaculture-derived food products and nutrients. The proposal will take into account impacts across different regions and population segments, as well as the specificities of different types of seafood. Activities will include among others: utilization of agro and seafood byproducts to develop sustainable feeds for aquaculture enabling the production of tailor made products fortified with specific essential nutrients for consumers, assess the feasibility of salt replacers in seafood, validate digestible, attractive, functional and nutritionally adapted seafood for senior people and youths, validate strategies to prevent/remove contaminants from seafood, and optimize sensors and biosensors for the assessment of safety, among others. The consortium expects strengthening the wider utilization of eco-innovative solutions, as a result of greater user acceptance, higher visibility of these innovative solutions and creation of scalable markets, and increasing the availability of healthier seafood to improve consumers' diet and health. The consortium is built on interdisciplinary research teams of 19 RTDs involved, renowned by its top-quality applied technological development and with strong and cohesive links gathered in previous funded activities (e.g. FP7 ECsafeSEAFOOD), thus anticipating successful outcomes. In addition, 4 IAGs and 13 SMEs with diverse and complementary interests in the solutions under validation and optimization will also integrate the consortium.

The objective of BLUES is to expand the potential to produce valuable and unique bioactive compounds from marine invertebrates by developing novel cultivation systems of cell lines from 4 phyla of marine invertebrates (Porifera, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Chordata) and optimizing production yield as an alternative to wild harvesting. For many years, research has been done to derive continuous cell lines from invertebrates. Only recently, BLUES partners reached a breakthrough and created the first continuous marine sponge cell line. Results demonstrated that sponge cells of several species can divide extremely rapidly. The ambition is to design the pathway towards industrial bioprocesses using marine invertebrate cell lines of different phyla as a chassis towards the production of unique high-value marine bio-based compounds, an environmentally sustainable alternative to wild harvesting. The novel bioprocesses that will be developed are not only an alternative for wild harvesting, solving the stock production bottleneck for increased availability of the bioactive compounds, but also for a higher level of sustainable alternative, contributing to the development of circular processing and circular economy. The technology that will be developed in BLUES will make it possible that valuable marine-natural products are produced in bioprocesses and with that contribute to the Blue Bioeconomy.

The interest of Europeans in alternative proteins is becoming clear and this trend is the perfect ground for the dietary shift towards sustainable and healthy nutrition and food systems, in line with the ambitions of the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy and EU’s climate goals. Yet, this interest is not reflected in the European dietary patterns, as alternative proteins are mainly consumed by early adopters, while the majority is less receptive towards alternatives or have limited possibilities to integrate them in the diets. This gap between interest and consumption is due to obstacles in the food environments such as product limited offering, suboptimal product taste, isolated product placement in shops or menus etc. Without overcoming these obstacles, alternative proteins will remain a niche. LIKE-A-PRO aims at mainstreaming alternative proteins, making them accessible, available, and acceptable to everybody (from children to elderly, vulnerable groups) and everywhere (across Europe, in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas). To achieve this, key representatives along the entire alternative protein value chain (growers, producers, cooks, retailers, consumers, researchers) will work together in a trans-disciplinary consortium. To improve European food environments towards fostering alternative protein consumption, practical solutions will be co-designed with citizens. This social innovation will take place in 11 living labs and in 4 real life food environments. For a diversified alternative protein offering, 16 new alternative protein products will be developed with 7 sustainable, healthy, and novel sources. To secure result deployment, the project will actively involve middle food system actors (+35,000 companies) – via co-creation and capacity building. For a maximised impact, innovative communication campaigns will be launched in 5 countries, reaching 8 M citizens in 4 years.