Boosting scientific excellence and innovation capacity in biorefineries based on marine resources

Project Information

BLUEandGREEN

Grant agreement ID: 692419

DOI

10.3030/692419

Project closed

EC signature date 2 December 2015

Start date 1 January 2016

End date 31 March 2019

Funded under

• Twinning of research institutions

Total cost

€ 996 687,50

EU contribution

€ 996 687,50

Coordinated by

CENTRO INTERDISCIPLINAR DE INVESTIGACAO MARINHA E AMBIENTAL
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BLUEandGREEN (Boosting scientific excellence and innovation capacity in biorefineries based on marine resources)

Reporting period: 2017-04-01 to 2019-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The main objective of the BLUEandGREEN project was to strength the performance of CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, in the emergent area of marine biotechnology. This was pursued by the establishment of a scientific strategy for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity, with the support of the four partners of the project: University of Helsinki (UH), University of Bergen (UiB), GEOMAR-Biotech (GEOMAR) and Fundación MEDINA (MEDINA).
CIIMAR is enhancing its research and innovation capacity by raising its staff´s research profile, increasing its involvement in high-quality international consortia, enhancing its competitiveness in attracting public and private funding, involving industry in research planning so as to drive further growth and job creation across the sector.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Several measures were implemented towards the achievement of the main objectives of the Twinning exercise that are expected to significantly enhance the expected impact of the project, including staff exchanges, experts visits, short-term courses, workshops, organisation of joint summer school, e-learning course, participation in business conventions and stakeholders meetings and organization of different outreach activities.
A series of outreach activities that reached over 50,000 people, were developed. Among those we should highlight CIIMAR Open Day in September where the project BLUEandGREEN and projects in Blue Biotechnology thematic had exhibitions and hands on activities (https://www2.ciimar.up.pt/news.php?id=211).
The BLUEandGREEN Conference - Adding Value to Marine Bioresources (October 1st 2018) counted with the participation of 20 key international speakers in Marine Biotechnology, Bioeconomics and Circular Economy. The “BLUEandGREEN Workshop - How can we innovate in green in the development of a blue economy?” was organized during the Biomarine Business convention in Cascais – Portugal (2-4 October 2018). These were strategic events to help highlight marine biotechnology as the enabling tool allowing the translation of the scientific and economic potential into products and services. The event counted with presence of 135 participants representing 53 different, national and international institutions broadening to 9 different countries.
The creation of the Blue Bioeconomy Roadmap for Portugal was very important for the impact of CIIMAR at the National and European level. The roadmap is being very well received by the Portuguese and International community (http://blueandgreen.ciimar.up.pt/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Roadmap_DIGITAL.pdf). A Stakeholders database was constructed with an important set of data from the Portuguese Blue Bioeconomy stakeholders serving as the basis of the entire mapping (http://blueandgreen.ciimar.up.pt/stakeholders/). This Roadmap with be a strategic document for the development of policies at national and regional level in Blue Biotechnology.
Regarding knowledge transfer activities we successfully obtained several projects (e.g. Valormar, http://valormar.pt/ Algavalor and Mobfood -) with high levels of innovation and challenge led by industry that will produce goods, services and processes that will be exploited by SME and large enterprises. Complete consortia, from knowledge producers to end users will assure a direct social and economic impact within three years of the starting phase.
BLUEandGREEN did have a significant impact in term of education, by providing 4 international intensive courses at CIIMAR that reached directly 100 young researchers from the 5 members of the consortium. It also allowed the successful completion of 16 PhD and 58 MSc thesis during the three years of the project. An e-learning course on Marine Biotechnology was prepared that reached 120 students on its first edition. A spin-off was created (Inclita Seaweed solutions) and 25 new researcher contracts in Blue Biotechnology were hosted by CIIMAR during the three years of the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Through the implementation of joint supportive and coordination actions, BLUEandGREEN is enhancing the Science and Technology capacity and staff’s research profile of CIIMAR, as well as of the other institutions involved, in the field of marine biotechnology.
COMPETITIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF EUROPEAN BIOTECHNOLOGICAL INDUSTRIES
BLUEandGREEN is contributing to efficient networks between research centres and industry that are though needed in Europe so as to create sustainable ways of exploiting marine resources in a competitive manner.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA
BLUEandGREEN is providing synergies and added value in Marine Biotechnology area, envisaging reducing fragmentation and duplication and optimizing the use of European infrastructures towards common programs on converting research results in proofs of concept and valorization.
Several projects have been prepared and submitted, including some or all the partners of BLUEandGREEN Twinning project. Recently, an Innovative Training Networks (ITN) of the Call: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018 was submitted. It involved all the BLUEandGREEN partners (CIIMAR, University of Helsinki, University of Bergen, Geomar and Fundación Medina), plus other academic and non- academic European partners.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND EU BLUE GROWTH STRATEGY
BLUEandGREEN is aligned with these strategies that also applies at national (PORTUGAL 2020) and regional levels (NORTE 2020). Our action is imbibed with the strategies defined by the EU European Bioeconomy Strategy (2012), the ROME declaration (2014), the European Marine Board, the ERA-NET Marine Biotechnology and the guiding principles of the European Research Infrastructures EMSO and EMBRC. The Blue Bioeconomy Roadmap for Portugal, prepared in the framework of the BLUEandGREEN, and that involved all partners with the coordination of GEOMAR, gives an important contribution for the implementation of the Blue Growth Strategy, at regional, national and European levels. This roadmap, resulted from multiple and joint tasks taken together with the BLUEBIO ALLIANCE (BBA, a Portuguese network of the blue biotechnology and marine bioresource sectors in Portugal), with the support of the Oceano Azul Foundation. Such tasks provided the data and insights needed to draw a detailed picture of the Portuguese Blue Bioeconomy sector and to propose a roadmap for the future developments of this sector. The roadmap has the endorsement of the Portuguese Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino, and was the first to map the involved stakeholders in Blue Bioeconomy, the value chain and used bioresources in Portugal.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE INNOVATION CAPACITY AND STAKEHOLDERS
BLUEandGREEN is potentiating the innovation capacity of all consortium members by the cross-fertilization activities along the project development. Stakeholder collaboration and knowledge transfer between research and industry is being the key to track market trends and needs, identify opportunities for innovative technologies and products and fast-track product commercialization and the impact of the emerging biotechnological SMEs. In this perspective a database was constructed with a large set of data from the Portuguese Blue Bioeconomy stakeholders. This database will be an important tool for the Blue Bioeconomy stakeholders in Portugal and Europe.

BLUEandGREEN project Concept

Blue Bioeconomy Roadmap for Portugal cover

BLUEandGREEN project Logo