Objective Sunflower is a major source of vegetable oil in Europe and worldwide. The production of oil and non-oilseed sunflowers in Europe has increased steadily over the last 30 years. Especially in Central and Southern Europe sunflower crop production plays an important role in terms of employment and economy. More than 450.000 European farmers are cultivating sunflowers on more than 2.55.000 ha in 21 European countries. Increasing production of non-European oil plants (palm and soybean oil), increasing competition and changes in the Common Agricultural Policy lead to an enormous pressure on the SMEs in this sector. Taking into account that today only the sunflower seeds are used, 95% of the produced biomass is wasted, even if it shows very interesting functional properties for food and cosmetic applications. Indeed, the demand for substances of interest for the cosmetic and nutraceutic sectors is continuously growing in Europe. Therefore, practical and economic utilisation methods of sunflower biomass can amplify the proposer farmers product range and by this improve their competitiveness. Thus, the overall objective of the HELICAS project is to raise the sunflower plant value through the research and development of utilisation methods, processes and technologies for the sunflowers biomass recycling (stems, leaves of blossoms, solid residues), and through the development of highly innovative products like valuable substances extraction for wellness (cosmetics, nutraceuticals) applications and the utilisation of the pressed cake after oil extraction for aquaculture. With the above mentioned new valorisation methods, the overall performance of the involved sunflower farmers will be substantially improved: It will give them more flexibility and will reduce their dependency of partial subsidies. Other partners in the consortium such as cosmetics producers and fish farmers will benefit from ingredients or inputs adapted to their respective needs. Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesfisheriesagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedsoilseedsagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturevegetable growingsocial scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementemploymentagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass Programme(s) FP6-SME - Horizontal research activities involving SMEs: Specific activities covering wider field of research under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) SME-1 - Co-operative Research (all areas of science and technology) Call for proposal FP6-2003-SME-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator VEREIN ZUR FOERDERUNG DES TECHNOLOGIETRANSFERS AN DER HOCHSCHULE BREMERHAVEN E.V. EU contribution No data Address An der Karlstadt 10 BREMERHAVEN Germany See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (12) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all ALCHEMIA-NOVA INSTITUT FUER INNOVATIVE PFLANZENFORSCHUNG Austria EU contribution No data Address Obere Viaduktgasse 2/24+29 VIENNA See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT BIOFISH Austria EU contribution No data Address Webgasse 11/11 VIENNA See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data HELMUT LAMP Germany EU contribution No data Address Wrömmelsberg 3 SCHÖNBERG See on map Total cost No data KAROLINE GEIGER Austria EU contribution No data Address Karl-Wurzingerstr. 11 TULBING See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data OLMUHLE FANDLER GMBH Austria EU contribution No data Address POLLAU See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data PHYTOPATENT MEZOEGAZDASAGI SZOLGALTATO KORLATOLT FELELOESSEGU TARSASAG Hungary EU contribution No data Address Matray u. 10 BUDAPEST See on map Total cost No data PRIMAVERA LIFE GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Am Fichtenholz 5 SULZBERG See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data RAMON GARCIA-MARTIN Spain EU contribution No data Address C/ San Francisco, 2 CARMONA See on map Total cost No data ROBER FANDLER Austria EU contribution No data Address Praetis 1 POELLAU See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data S.C. COMCEREAL S.A. Romania EU contribution No data Address Str. V. Fulicea 3 CLUJ-NAPOCA See on map Total cost No data SZENT ISTVAN EGYETEM Hungary EU contribution No data Address Pater Karoly u. 1 GODOLLO See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRICOLE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA CLUJ NAPOCA Romania EU contribution No data Address Manastur Street 3-5 CLUJ See on map Total cost No data