As global food systems continue to face challenges from population growth and environmental constraints, aquaculture remains a vital solution. This EAStalk webinar provided an overview of the EU-funded INNOAQUA project, which has been running for 18 months, exploring innovative approaches for integrating algae into sustainable aquaculture practices and high-value food applications.
The webinar covered key aspects of the project, including coupled algae and fish production (salmon and sole), algal extractions and their diverse applications, and the importance of international collaboration in developing new algae-based food products.
The session was particularly relevant for land-based aquaculture experts, food value chain operators, algae producers, and researchers, offering valuable insights into the potential of algae in the aquaculture industry.
Short biography of the presenter:
Dr. Dorinde Kleinegris is Principal Investigator Microalgae at NORCE and holds a part-time position as associate professor in Marine Biotechnology at the University of Bergen. She has a background in bioprocess engineering from Wageningen University. The research of Dr. Kleinegris focusses on microalgae strain selection and improvement, cultivation and process design, as well as techno-economic and life cycle assessment studies of the microalgae production chain. Next to scientific participation and supervision in projects, she has strong background in project management, both of EU and national projects as well as bilateral projects with industry.
Rui Pedro Gonçalves Pereira is presently the Head of Seaweed Division at A4F – Algae for Future, a Portuguese company with more than 15 years of experience in the field of algae biotechnology. Academic trained as a Biologist, after a typical research career he moved from the academic to the business world in 2012, when he co-founded Algaplus, where he stayed until 2020. As researcher, including also the years within the business field, he accumulates the experience of participation in >20 national and international projects, published several book chapters and >40 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals.
Dr. Maria Roca-Ayats is Senior Product Scientist at Algemy, a Spanish start-up that cultivates and processes microalgae for the food and cosmetic market. She has over 12 years of experience in chemistry research applied to sustainability and green energy, focussing on the synthesis and characterization of different products and materials. During her research career Maria worked both in public and private research and transfer projects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and a PhD in Chemistry
Visit INNOAQUA's website [ www.innoaquaproject.eu ]
Download the presentation here.