HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-09 | Upcycling Aquatic Resources: Circular Bio-Based Products and Coastal Industrial Symbiosis

AquaBioTech Group seeks to complement a consortium preparing a proposal under HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-09 — Increasing the circularity of bio-based sector: upcycling and recycling for higher value and environmental benefits.

We propose to contribute fisheries, aquaculture and blue-bioeconomy expertise to develop viable circular value chains from aquatic processing residues, algae-derived side-streams and other suitable secondary biological resources.

Our contribution would connect resource suppliers, technology developers, processors and product users to identify, validate and scale selected upcycling pathways. The focus would be on converting suitable side-streams into marketable bio-based products while demonstrating environmental benefits, commercial feasibility and responsible resource use.

Proposed contribution

• Resource assessment and pathway selection: identify available aquatic side-streams and assess their volumes, seasonality, quality, existing uses and regulatory status. Prioritise pathways offering credible value creation without displacing more beneficial existing uses.

• Technology and process integration: work with specialist partners to assess collection, preservation, pre-treatment, extraction and conversion requirements. Develop practical integration concepts linking resource suppliers with processing facilities.

• Bio-based product development support: contribute aquatic-sector knowledge and market requirements to the selection of product pathways. Potential applications could include marine-derived components for bio-based materials, formulations or other industrial products, subject to technical and regulatory validation.

• Coastal industrial symbiosis: identify opportunities for fisheries, aquaculture, seafood-processing and biotechnology businesses to share resources, infrastructure and services, including opportunities for water and energy recovery.

• Feasibility and commercialisation: develop techno-economic assessments, market analyses, business models and investment roadmaps addressing processing costs, supply reliability, product specifications and buyer requirements.

• Environmental performance: contribute life cycle assessment, operational data and technical interpretation to compare proposed pathways with existing practices. Assess resource efficiency, emissions, residual streams and environmental trade-offs.

• Traceability and marketplace requirements: support digital partners by defining aquatic-resource specifications, supplier information, quality criteria and user requirements for the consortium’s marketplace.

• Stakeholder engagement and skills: engage producers, processors, technology providers, authorities and potential buyers to validate proposed solutions, identify adoption barriers and develop practical training materials.

Potential demonstration contribution

AquaBioTech Group could lead or support an aquatic-resource case study linking selected fisheries, aquaculture or processing businesses with specialist conversion partners and product users.

Activities could include:

1. Selecting and characterising priority secondary resource streams.

2. Defining product specifications and suitable processing pathways.

3. Supporting integrated trials with technology and processing partners.

4. Assessing product suitability, environmental performance and commercial viability.

5. Developing supply agreements, business models and replication plans.

Specialist partners would provide extraction, conversion, analytical and product-validation capabilities. ABTG’s proposed role would focus on aquatic-sector integration, feasibility, environmental assessment and market uptake.

Potential outputs

• Aquatic side-stream inventory and pathway-selection assessment.

• Integrated processing and industrial-symbiosis concepts.

• Technical specifications and traceability requirements.

• Techno-economic and environmental assessments.

• Commercialisation strategies and investment roadmaps.

• Stakeholder training and replication guidance.

Cooperation sought

We welcome cooperation with seafood processors, aquaculture producers, algae businesses, biotechnology companies, bio-based product manufacturers, digital-platform developers, research institutions and industrial end users.

AquaBioTech Group could lead or support aquatic-sector case studies, resource assessment, technical integration, feasibility analysis, stakeholder engagement and commercialisation planning.