HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-03 | Circular Blue Bioeconomy Harbours: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Blue Biotechnology

AquaBioTech Group seeks to complement a consortium preparing a proposal under HORIZON-MISS-2027-03-OCEAN-03 — Green, circular and resilient harbours.

We propose to support the evolution of traditional fishing harbours into blue bioeconomy hubs, connecting fisheries with sustainable aquaculture, blue biotechnology and aquatic-resource valorisation. Our contribution would introduce new approaches, products and business models while improving harbour resource efficiency, environmental performance and community resilience.

Rather than replacing fisheries, this approach would diversify harbour activities and generate additional value from sustainably harvested or cultivated aquatic resources and seafood-processing side-streams. Working with specialist partners, we would assess opportunities to recover valuable components and develop new products, supported by viable supply chains and appropriate infrastructure.

Proposed contribution

• Harbour diversification planning: assess infrastructure, services, skills and business activity to identify opportunities for integrating fisheries, aquaculture and blue biotechnology.

• Resource and side-stream mapping: identify available aquatic biomass, processing residues and underutilised resource streams, considering seasonality, volumes, quality, traceability, ecological constraints and competing uses.

• Blue-biotechnology opportunities: collaborate with technology specialists to assess extraction and recovery pathways for valuable aquatic components. Select opportunities according to resource availability, technical feasibility, market demand and regulatory requirements.

• Infrastructure and technology integration: assess requirements for biomass collection, segregation, storage, stabilisation and pre-processing, including links to extraction and bioprocessing facilities. Identify shared services and infrastructure benefiting multiple harbour businesses.

• Circular resource management: evaluate water and energy efficiency, residual-stream management, and appropriate treatment and reuse solutions across harbour activities.

• Feasibility and commercialisation: develop techno-economic assessments, market analyses, business models and investment roadmaps for selected aquaculture and biotechnology opportunities.

• Community engagement and skills: work with fishers, cooperatives, aquaculture producers, processors and authorities to co-design diversification pathways, identify training needs and strengthen local participation.

Proposed harbour case study

A participating fishing harbour could demonstrate a phased transition towards a circular fisheries–aquaculture–biotechnology hub through:

1. Baseline assessment of resource flows, infrastructure, environmental pressures and local economic activity.

2. Identification of priority aquatic resources and side-streams for valorisation.

3. Development of selected product and processing pathways with technology specialists and potential buyers.

4. Demonstration of targeted resource-management, biomass-handling or pre-processing solutions.

5. Preparation of a business, investment and replication roadmap.

The case study would distinguish activities suitable for the harbour from those requiring external laboratories or processing facilities. Specialist partners would undertake extraction, analysis and product validation, avoiding the assumption that every processing stage must be located on site.

Potential outputs

• Harbour blue-bioeconomy diversification strategy.

• Aquatic-biomass and side-stream resource assessment.

• Product and value-chain feasibility studies.

• Shared-infrastructure and technology-integration concepts.

• Circular water, energy and residual-stream management plan.

• Business models, training materials and investment roadmap.

• Replication guidance for other fishing harbours.

Cooperation sought

We welcome cooperation with harbour authorities, fisheries organisations, aquaculture operators, seafood processors, blue-biotechnology companies, extraction and bioprocessing specialists, research institutions, municipalities and investment stakeholders.

AquaBioTech Group could lead or support harbour case-study development, resource and value-chain assessment, technical planning, feasibility analysis, stakeholder engagement and commercialisation planning. The demonstration would contribute to the consortium’s wider harbour-transition objectives, linking diversification to measurable environmental and socio-economic benefits.