Description du projet
L’Europe sur la voie de la culture industrielle des microalgues
Les pratiques agricoles et industrielles actuelles causent des dommages environnementaux irréparables. Bien que les microalgues constituent une solution prometteuse à ce problème, elles restent sous-exploitées en tant que culture. Malgré les efforts mis en œuvre, les produits à base de microalgues peinent à permettre les mêmes économies d’échelle que leurs homologues conventionnels. Le projet MULTI-STR3AM, financé par l’UE, vise à fournir des produits de haute valeur à base de microalgues aux grands utilisateurs finaux des secteurs de l’alimentation humaine et animale et des parfums, tout en réduisant les coûts, en passant à l’échelle supérieure et en renforçant la durabilité. Ses produits incluront notamment des lipides pour les pâtes à tartiner; des protéines, des glucides et des lipides pour les ingrédients alimentaires destinés à la volaille, aux porcs et aux ruminants; ainsi que des protéines et des petits composés organiques qui serviront d’éléments de base pour l’industrie des parfums. Le projet ouvrira la voie à la culture durable de microalgues à l’échelle industrielle en Europe.
Objectif
MULTI-STR3AM is driven by a critical need to shift to a sustainable means of producing food, feed and raw materials. Microalgae represent a promising solution to address the growing recognition that current agricultural and manufacturing practices are causing irreparable environmental damage. Microalgae, have a vast biosynthetic potential and are a rich source of lipids, protein and high-value compounds such as pigments. Despite these advantages, they are underexploited as a crop. This is due to barriers of scale, which mean that microalgae products struggle to achieve the same economies as conventional products, such as palm oil or soybean. MULTI-STR3AM addresses these challenges by scaling up and lowering costs, providing valuable products for large end users in the food, feed and fragrance sectors. The project reduces costs, increases scale and boosts sustainability, through: i) constant improvement of strains through non-GM methods, to increase their productivity and meet end user needs; ii) design and engineering improvements to cultivation and harvesting technologies to reduce CAPEX and OPEX of biomass production; iii) exploitation of industrial and own side streams during cultivation in a circular economy design; iv) synergistic integration of different technologies in a multi-strain, multi-method, multi-product biorefinery (‘MULTI-biorefinery’); and v) valorisation of every fraction of the microalgal biomass in a zero waste approach. MULTI-STR3AM will demonstrate 7 consumer products, 6 of which are new, including: lipids for edible spreads; protein, carbohydrates and lipids for feed ingredients for poultry, pigs and ruminants; and protein and small organic compounds as building blocks for the fragrance industry. By engaging global actors from the industrial, academic and non-profit sectors, MULTI-STR3AM creates a roadmap for economically viable industrial-scale microalgae cultivation, towards a sustainable future for European bio-based industries.
Champ scientifique
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistry
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- agricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.2.1.4. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology
- H2020-EU.3.2.6. - Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)
Régime de financement
IA - Innovation actionCoordinateur
1649 038 Lisboa
Portugal
L’entreprise s’est définie comme une PME (petite et moyenne entreprise) au moment de la signature de la convention de subvention.