The Blue Bioeconomy in Portugal is essential in combating climate change, promoting sustainability, and valuing aquatic resources. Transforming this biomass into innovative products strengthens the economy, combining responsible exploitation with advanced technologies and efficient environmental management.

However, the path is not without challenges. Despite advances, limited funding, lack of training, technological insufficiency, and fragmentation of stakeholders hinder progress and innovation in the sector. These obstacles require creative and collaborative solutions to unlock the true potential of the Blue Bioeconomy.

Here, Knowledge and Technology Transfer plays an essential role in the Blue Bioeconomy, facilitating links between universities, research centers, and companies. Oceano Fresco, founded in 2015 in Nazaré, is a successful example of transferring scientific knowledge to the market, innovating in sustainable bivalve aquaculture with cutting-edge technologies and attracting more than €23 million in investments by 2024. On the other hand, Sea4Us, founded in 2013 as a spin-off from Nova Medical School, is a Portuguese biopharmaceutical company that develops new drugs based on marine compounds, excelling in the treatment of chronic pain with an innovative non-opioid analgesic, and has attracted significant investments, including €5.96 million from the European Innovation Council in 2023, to advance its research and development activities. Ínclita Seaweed Solutions and Fykia Biotech are recent spin-offs from CIIMAR that operate in the field of marine biotechnology and harness the power of seaweed for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, petceuticals, and functional foods and beverages.

At B2E CoLAB, we believe that Knowledge and Technology Transfer is organized to make technical knowledge applicable, promoting innovative solutions through partnerships, collaborative projects, and technology transfer and/or licensing, as well as encouraging mobility between academia and industry. Despite the challenges of creating start-ups and spin-offs in the Blue Bioeconomy, due to high costs and misperceived risks, B2E CoLAB supports these companies by acting as an intermediary in technology transfer and intellectual property management.

Another essential pillar is the training of stakeholders to face technical and commercial challenges, filling gaps in areas such as intellectual property management, open innovation, and entrepreneurship. B2E CoLAB aims to strengthen skills throughout the Blue Bioeconomy value chain, making qualification a competitive advantage that aligns the different agents with the demands of the sector.

Finally, the internationalization of Knowledge and Technology Transfer is a strategic opportunity to expand the Blue Bioeconomy, as the internationalization of knowledge and technologies made in Portugal connects the country to global markets, international partnerships, and financing, promoting innovation and visibility in the sector. Initiatives such as B2E CoLAB seek to integrate the sector into global networks, expanding access to new markets, competitive financing, and foreign investment. These alliances increase the visibility of companies in the sector and create a favorable environment for collaborative innovation.

In this context, B2E CoLAB reaffirms its commitment to being a catalyst for transformation in the Blue Bioeconomy. We work to connect people, ideas, and technologies, creating synergies that drive the sector and make Portugal a global benchmark. With a collaborative and results-oriented approach, we will continue to face challenges and embrace opportunities, consolidating our role as a driver of innovation and sustainable development.