How many co-products are generated in Portugal by blue bioeconomy activities, such as aquaculture, and how can the country capitalize on them by creating business opportunities and implementing circular economy models?

These are the questions that the new Roadmap4MarineCoproducts project – “Framework design of the Portuguese Roadmap for marine co-product valorization – Lessons Learned from Norway and Iceland,” funded by EEA Grants, aims to address. Based on collaboration with key entities in Norway and Iceland – two countries at the forefront of marine co-product assessment – Portugal will identify the best business ideas and circular economy practices and will try to implement them in the national fisheries sector.

The initiative brings together strategic partners and their knowledge through cross-border collaboration, such as the Norwegian Seafood Innovation Cluster (NCE Seafood Innovation) and the Iceland Ocean Cluster (IOC), and their networks of associates, namely companies and innovation ecosystems, in addition to CoLAB B2E, totaling almost 200 entities.

Why the Norwegian Seafood Innovation Cluster and the Iceland Ocean Cluster

Norway and Iceland have business models and value chains in the sector that are both different and complementary. The NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster, with over 120 members, brings expertise in sustainable growth in the seafood sector, new circular business models in value chains, and new circular economy solutions—mainly focused on aquaculture. On the other hand, Iceland is one of the European countries with the highest use of fish co-products for non-food purposes and biomedical research, and the IOC represents around 70 companies of different sizes that cover most of the value chain in the country, from fishing to fish biotechnology companies.

About the project

Roadmap4MarineCoproducts is a Bilateral Initiative with a one-year implementation period (from January 1 to December 31, 2023), funded by the EEA Grants. The initiative will focus on identifying challenges and opportunities in the marine co-products sector that are relevant to the sector’s success in Portugal. The main results will be information and key partnerships to develop a beta version of a Portuguese strategic roadmap, with recommendations for, among other things, new business models, new value chains, new technologies and processes, and new intermediary businesses. The project will include visits and knowledge exchange exchanges, as well as networking events for participating institutions and innovation ecosystems.

The project kick-off meeting took place on January 10, in a Zoom meeting where consortium members gathered and discussed various topics such as the schedule, tasks, responsibilities, and KPIs, fully motivated to make the most of this project and achieve the established objectives.