HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-07 | Circular Aquatic Biomass: Connecting Fisheries, Aquaculture and Bio-Based Value Chains

AquaBioTech Group seeks to complement a consortium preparing a proposal under HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-07 — Improving biomass flows for a sustainable and circular bioeconomy.

We propose to contribute fisheries, aquaculture and blue-bioeconomy expertise to improve the collection, aggregation, management and valorisation of aquatic biomass. Our contribution would connect resource suppliers with processors and end users, helping transform underutilised biomass and production side-streams into reliable inputs for circular value chains.

The proposed approach would focus on sustainably available resources, including fisheries and aquaculture processing by-products, algae residues and other suitable aquatic biomass streams. Potential applications would be selected according to resource characteristics, technical feasibility, market demand, environmental performance and regulatory requirements.

Proposed contribution

• Resource mapping and flow analysis: assess biomass sources, volumes, seasonality, composition, existing uses and disposal routes. Identify practical constraints affecting availability, quality and continuity of supply.

• Collection and aggregation planning: develop approaches for connecting dispersed producers and processors, assessing shared collection, storage, transport and pre-treatment arrangements.

• Quality and pre-treatment requirements: work with technology and processing partners to define segregation, preservation, stabilisation and standardisation requirements for selected biomass streams and intended applications.

• Supplier–user connections: support the development or strengthening of biomass platforms by engaging fisheries organisations, aquaculture producers, seafood processors, technology providers and potential buyers.

• Feasibility and business models: assess costs, logistics, infrastructure needs, commercial risks and revenue opportunities. Develop business cases for shared services, aggregation facilities and partnerships between biomass suppliers and users.

• Valorisation pathways: evaluate opportunities for selected resources to enter food, feed, bio-based ingredient or other product value chains where technically suitable and legally permitted. Distinguish food-grade by-products from waste and other regulated material categories.

• Environmental and resource-efficiency assessment: contribute operational data, life cycle assessment and technical interpretation to compare proposed pathways with existing practices, identifying benefits and trade-offs.

• Stakeholder engagement and uptake: work with producers, SMEs, local authorities and communities to develop locally appropriate solutions, training materials and replication guidance.

  Potential demonstration contribution

  AquaBioTech Group could support an aquatic-biomass case study linking several fisheries, aquaculture or processing businesses with selected biomass users. Activities could include:

  1. Establishing a baseline inventory and identifying priority resource streams.

  2. Matching available biomass with user specifications and market opportunities.

  3. Developing collection, aggregation and pre-treatment arrangements.

  4. Supporting trials with specialist technology and processing partners.

  5. Assessing environmental performance, commercial viability and replication potential.

  The case study would prioritise reliable supply, quality preservation and viable logistics—not simply the theoretical potential to extract valuable products.

Potential outputs

• Aquatic-biomass resource inventory and flow maps.

• Supplier–user matchmaking and engagement plan.

• Collection, aggregation and pre-treatment concepts.

• Quality specifications for selected biomass applications.

• Techno-economic and environmental assessments.

• Circular business models and investment roadmaps.

• Practical guidance for SMEs and regional replication.

Cooperation sought

We welcome cooperation with fisheries organisations, aquaculture producers, seafood processors, algae businesses, logistics providers, bioprocessing companies, biomass-platform developers, research institutions and local authorities.

AquaBioTech Group could lead or support aquatic-sector resource mapping, value-chain assessment, feasibility analysis, stakeholder engagement and commercialisation planning. Specialist partners would provide complementary processing, analytical, digital-platform and product-validation capabilities.