Project description
For successful microalgae production
In addition to being rich in vitamins, soluble fibres, proteins, lipids and minerals, algae, including microalgae and seaweed, also serve as abundant sources of minerals and vitamins. Their unique properties make them ideal solutions for sustainable food ingredients, animal feeds and cost-effective cosmetics. However, algae are currently utilised in limited quantities due to their high production costs, which hinder their competitiveness. The EU-funded MAGNIFICENT project aims to address this by offering innovative products and applications to fully leverage the opportunities presented by algae. To achieve this goal, MAGNIFICENT will enhance and optimise production processes, develop and validate new product formulations, and conduct thorough chain evaluation, market assessment, socio-economic impact assessment and life-cycle assessment.
Objective
Today there are only market opportunities for high value applications due to production costs, which are still too high to make microalgae a competitive feedstock for commodities. There is presently a large production capacity for a limited number of microalgae strains in Europe. However, the number of concrete products and market applications is still limited. The enlargement of current market applications for high-value microalgae ingredients will lead to new business opportunities, industrialize the technology and provide the knowledge and experience required to enter the medium- low value market within 5-10 years.
MAGNIFICENT will expand the range of commercial products and their market volume substantially and in a sustainable manner. The overall objective of the project is to develop and validate a sustainable and economically feasible new value chain based on cultivation and processing, with the aim to transform microalgae biomass into valuable ingredients for food, aquafeed and cosmetics applications. Development and validation of new product formulations of microalgae are included in the project
To achieve this, optimization will be done: 1) Upstream, cultivation related processes via adaptation and selection of algae varieties, improvement of growing conditions and target product concentration in the cell and 2) downstream process steps (separation, extraction, purification) in order to achieve the overall aim to maximise the production of compounds of interest (phospholipids rich in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA and fucoxanthin as main molecules). The work will be supported by chain evaluation, market assessment, socio-economic impact assessment and LCA. Specific attention will be paid to the requirements of the existing EU regulatory framework.
The MAGNIFICENT consortium has 16 partners from 7 EU countries incl. 10 SME's, 3 LE's, 1 University and 2 RTO's, and comprises commercial partners in the entire value chain and the 3 target markets.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesfood technology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyphycology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterials
- agricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass
Programme(s)
Coordinator
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands
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Participants (17)
6708 PB Wageningen
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80686 Munchen
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8700 152 OLHAO
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
2405 018 LEIRIA
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8700 221 Olhao
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
75013 Paris
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
11500 EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARIA EL CADIZ
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
9200-047 CANICAL
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
9200 047 MACHICO
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
NE24 2AZ Blyth
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
44410 Asserac
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
2200 HERENTALS
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9713 GX GRONINGEN
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
64293 DARMSTADT
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
10700 HERVAS
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
92400 Courbevoie
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2445-413 Pataias
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