Portugal already has significant scientific expertise, infrastructure and projects in the field of blue biotechnology. The challenge now is to translate this knowledge into solutions capable of achieving industrial scale and reaching the market.

The first deliverable of the BLUEVALSTEP project, developed under the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), sought precisely to explore this reality through a diagnosis of the National Innovation System linked to the valorisation of marine co-products. The work included mapping the entities that make up this ecosystem, as well as identifying the main scientific, technological and institutional competences associated with the sector.

The study identified a national ecosystem composed of 53 entities, including Collaborative Laboratories, research centres, science and technology parks, incubators, scientific infrastructures and test beds. This diversity highlights the existence of an already significant network capable of supporting research, technological demonstration and knowledge transfer.

The analysis of scientific and technological competences focused on projects and patents identified in the area of marine co-product valorisation. A total of 36 core projects were mapped, with technology readiness levels mostly between TRL 4 and TRL 7, indicating that many solutions have moved beyond the initial proof-of-concept phase and are undergoing validation in relevant environments.

In the field of intellectual property, five patent families were validated between 2020 and 2024, all belonging to universities and research centres. This demonstrates that Portugal is producing relevant scientific and technological knowledge, but also highlights a persistent gap between academic research and industrialisation.

At the same time, the work identified three main strategic areas of development: biomedical and cosmetic applications, industrial circularity and new materials, and functional nutrition and aquaculture 4.0. These areas illustrate the potential of blue biotechnology to generate new products, materials and high value-added solutions from marine resources and currently underutilised co-products.

From an institutional perspective, Portugal benefits from a strategic framework aligned with European priorities, through instruments such as the National Ocean Strategy 2021–2030 and the Mar 2030 Programme, which recognise blue biotechnology as a priority area for economic and sustainable development.

However, the study also identified significant regulatory challenges. There is currently no specific legal framework for marine co-products, with this domain remaining dependent on fragmented rules associated with waste and animal by-products. This fragmentation may hinder the economic valorisation of these resources and create uncertainty for companies, investors and scientific organisations.

In summary, Portugal today brings together natural assets, scientific expertise, technological capacity and a relevant innovation ecosystem to position blue biotechnology as a strategic sector. The key challenge now is to accelerate the connection between science, industry and the market, creating the conditions for knowledge to be translated into economic activity, industrial innovation and stronger value chains.

Through this work, B2E CoLAB aims to contribute to a more structured knowledge base on the sector, supporting the design of instruments that strengthen the link between research, technology, industry and public policy. The goal is to help create the conditions for a more competitive, circular and sustainability-oriented blue bioeconomy, focused on the efficient valorisation of marine resources.