Networking conference: Valorisation of marine co-products
18th October, 2.15pm, at the Infante D. Henrique Auditorium in Matosinhos
B2E – Blue Bioeconomy CoLAB will be organising the networking conference “Valuing Marine Co-Products” on October 18 at 2.15pm at the Infante D. Henrique Auditorium in Matosinhos, with a view to debating the present and future of marine co-products. Based on the examples of Norway and Iceland, leaders in the field of maximising the value of each fish, transforming fish waste into useful products with added value, the idea is to bring some of the best practices adopted in those countries to Portugal.
After the opening session with the presence of Matosinhos City Council’s Councillor for Economic Activities, Marta Pontes, the networking conference will include the participation of the Innovation Manager of NCE – Norwegian Seafood Innovation, Björgolfur Hávardsson, and the director of the Iceland Ocean Cluster, Alexandra Leeper, representatives of companies and innovation systems from Norway and Iceland, totalling almost 200 entities.
On the Portuguese side, the conference includes representatives from research centres and companies operating in the area of co-products, namely Soja de Portugal, ETSA – Empresa Transformadora de Subprodutos Animais, CIIMAR – Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental and 3B’s Research Group, from the University of Minho. Registration for the conference is free but compulsory and can be done here, until 11th October.
The event is part of the Roadmap4MarineCoproducts project, led by B2E CoLAB, which brings together strategic partners and their knowledge through cross-border collaboration and is funded by the EEA Grants programme.
At this stage, the project aims to carry out a survey of existing innovative technologies and sustainable practices, map the different value chains of the sector’s industry in Portugal, identifying the types of co-products generated and exploring the possibilities for their use in various areas, such as food, textiles, carpentry and other industries, as well as networking actions between Portugal, Norway and Iceland. This project is an important step towards one of B2EC CoLAB’s objectives, which is to draw up a Portuguese strategic roadmap with diagnoses and concrete recommendations for boosting and adding value, namely stimulating the development of new products and applications in the value chain.
It is estimated that more than 10 million tonnes of uneaten, high-quality fish waste is wasted worldwide. But this waste, such as heads, bones, skin or viscera, represents a potential source of added value for the industry, for competitiveness and for more environmentally responsible production.
By utilising the unused parts of fish, seaweed, shellfish and other marine organisms – known as co-products – new products are created that are used in various sectors, from the food industry to the pharmaceutical industry. In Iceland, for example, fish skin, heads and bones are processed into products such as skin extracts to treat burn wounds, collagen, fish oil rich in omega-3, or protein-rich fishmeal.
About EEA Grants:
Through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are partners in the internal market with the Member States of the European Union. As a way of promoting a continuous and balanced strengthening of economic and trade relations, the parties to the EEA Agreement established a multi-annual Financial Mechanism, known as the EEA Grants.
The EEA Grants aim to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe and strengthen bilateral relations between these three countries and the beneficiary countries.
For the 2014-2021 period, a total contribution of 2.8 billion euros has been agreed for 15 beneficiary countries. Portugal will receive 102.7 million euros.
Find out more at eeagrants.gov.pt.
