The consortium
ReSEAlience (Unlocking the Potential of Seaweeds and Halophytes through Biorefinery for Enhanced Resilience in the Aquaculture Agri-Food and Chemical Industries) is a consortium of 13 partners from 10 different countries worldwide, coordinated by Luleå Tekniska Universitet (Sweden).
The project started in July 2025 and will run for three years.
5 Universities
5 Research Institutes
3 SMEs
The ReSEAlience project, specifically targets the rich and biodiverse ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea (including the Aegean Sea), and the Atlantic Ocean (Northeastern, South, North).
Focusing on these sea basins, the ReSEAlience project aligns its research and development activities with the geographical, ecological, and socio-economic specifics of each region.
The inclusion of countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, and Brazil in the consortium enriches the project with a wide range of expertise, resources, and stakeholder perspectives.
Partners
Luleå Tekniska Universitet (LTU)
Division of Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Process Engineering
Sweden
Luleå University of Technology (LTU) was founded in 1971 and is Sweden's northernmost university. The Biochemical Process Engineering group focuses on the development of environmentally friendly technologies that optimise how renewable, fossil-based carbon reserves can be used. The emphasis is on keeping carbon atoms in the loop for a circular and sustainable society. Research includes molecular biology, metabolic engineering, biocatalysis, fermentation and process modelling; in short, a combination of biotechnology and chemistry. Renewable feedstocks include lignocellulosic resources and carbon dioxide emitted from industrial activities to become important raw materials for the production of fuels, chemicals, materials, feed and nutrients. Wastes such as plastics and textiles also have an untapped carbon potential that is not always efficiently recycled due to the complex nature of the materials.
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Role in the project: Valorization of terrestrial and marine biomass to produce chemical fuels and materials, terrestrial and marine biomass biorefinery processes, organosolv fractionation, enzymatic transformation, microalgae and Thraustochytrids.
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Contact: Prof. Paul Christakopoulos (Coordinator)
Prof. Ulrika Rova
Assoc. Prof. Leonidas Matsakas
Assoc. Prof. Io Antonopoulou
Asst. Prof. Alok Patel
Ege University (EGE)
​Fisheries Faculty, Aquaculture Department
Turkey
Ege University (EGE) was founded in 1955. According to the latest SCImago rankings, fully-accredited Ege University was ranked 6th among 132 universities in the national ranking and 639th out of 8,084 institutions in the world rankings. The Faculty of Fisheries (EGE-FISH), established in the year 1984. Aquaculture is one of seven strategic areas of fully-accredited EGE-FISH. A strong expansion of the activities and EGE’s national position as capital for research and development resulted in the establishment of Urla Research Unit in 1982 and Homa Dalyan Lagoon Research Unit in 1988. The scientific team of EGE-FISH has been participating in the projects including EU fundings as such as “ SEAWHEAT”, “ANTI-FOUL”, “MICROFEED”, “MAREX” etc.
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Role in the project: Seaweed's 1. Biobanking, 2. Phenotyping, 3. Nursery and Mass Cultivation, 4. On-shore/off-shore aquaculture systems, 4. RAS, IMTA, Hydroponics, 3. Bioremediation, 4. Nutritional and Chemical Profiles Sustainability assessment
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Contact: Associate Prof. Dr. Gamze Turan
SINTEF Ocean AS
Fisheries and New Biomarine Industry
Norway
SINTEF Group is one of the largest contract R&D organizations in Europe and has a long and successful track record both as participant and as coordinator in Norwegian and European projects. SINTEF Ocean delivers industrial solutions for the marine value chain, focusing on the interactions between raw materials, processes and products. SINTEF hosts the Norwegian national research infrastructure” Norwegian Center for Plankton Technology". This infrastructure includes laboratories to prepare samples (freeze dryers, freezers, etc.) and pilot plant infrastructures with diverse equipment dedicated to process and analyze marine raw material (mobile processing unit, enzyme reactors, evaporator, membrane filtration, analytical tools like LC-MS/MS and GCMS/MS, etc.).
Role in the project: Infrastructure needed for preservation, processing and analysis of seaweeds, upscaling of preservation technologies, evaluation of applied technologies.
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Contact: Dr. Rasa Slizyte
ELLINIKOS GEORGIKOS ORGANISMOS – DIMITRA (ELGO-DIMITRA)
Fisheries Research Institute (INALE)
Greece
The Fisheries Research Institute (www.inale.gr) belongs to the Hellenic Agricultural Organization—DIMITRA (ELGO—DIMITRA), supervised by the Ministry of Rural Development. A priority of the Benthic Ecology & Technology Lab, led by Dr. S. Orfanidis, is to study aquatic biodiversity following an ecosystemic approach. Another priority is the screening, isolation, and unialgal cultivation of indigenous seaweed species/strains to support seaweed farming with sufficient and high-quality stock material. Cultivation of macroalgae in the laboratory, in bio-reactors in the greenhouse, and multicultural aquaculture systems (IMTA, bioconversion) for the purpose of nutrient recycling and the production of secondary high-value added metabolites or for forest restoration—participation in research projects (NOVAFOODIES, SEAWHEAT).
Role in the project: Seaweed's Biobanking, Phenotyping, Mass Cultivation, Bioremediation, Nutritional and Chemical Profiles.
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Contact: Dr. Sotirios Orfanidis
Fundación Centro Tecnológico de Acuicultura de Andalucía (CTAQUA)
Department of Applied Research & Innovation
Spain
CTAQUA is an independent NGO focused on aquaculture and (sustainable) seafood processing. Research is focused on animal nutrition and wellbeing, species diversification, sustainable aquaculture (incl. Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA), seaweeds, etc.) and seafood processing and transformation. Installations include recirculating aquaculture systems for trials with marine and freshwater animals, pathology and microbiology labs, an indoor and outdoor seaweed cultivation facility and a food transformation facility. CTAQUA has participated in European (FP7, Horizon, Interreg) and national projects, as beneficiary, WP lead and project leader (Interreg projects INTEGRATE-IMTA and AQUAFISH0.0).
Role in the project: Seaweed farming in on-land systems and in former salt evaporation ponds in connection with other types of aquaculture (IMTA), cultivation and provision of halophyte biomass and evaluation of novel sustainable compounds for finfish diets.
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Contact: Dr. Erik-jan Malta
Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (INSTM)
Department of Blue Biotechnology
Tunisia
Marine seaweeds biotechnology for extraction and characterization of bio products from the marine algae, their micro-epibionts and microbial community. Projects include bio monitoring for marine ecosystems for algae and their microbial communities for several types sampled from natural areas, characterize their micro-epibionts and assessed their potential biotechnological applications for probiotic uses in aquaculture field , etc. The group has a large proprietary collection (bacteria,micro-algae), analyzed for their bioactive compounds. Marine natural products extraction and macro algae database.
Role in the project: Harvesting and culturing the invasive alien marine seaweeds and halophytes species, Quality and chemical characterization of the algae and halophytes to ensure purity during sampling, molecular characterization of bioactivities of microorganisms from the characterized samples screening of extracts and to assist for in vitro cultures dealt to determination and expression of enzymes.
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Contact: Prof. Monia El Bour
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Center for Biological Science, Department of Botany, Laboratory of Phycology
Brazil
​The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) has its main campus located in Florianópolis, capital of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Founded on 18 December 1960 with the goal of promoting teaching, research and outreach, UFSC delivers free and public education and is placed among the best universities in Brazil and in Latin America.The Lab of Phycology at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) focuses on marine micro and macroalgae, while also investigating their environment.
Role in the project: Organization of the algae production sector in Santa Carina-Brazil, which is the region with the greatest production and importance in mariculture in the country. This organization will include registering producers and their production potential, as well as assisting in the dissemination of sustainable algal biomass production techniques, coordination of the selection and pre-processing of the biomass produced in these systems for subsequent shipping and analysis in project partner laboratories, where we can also assist with analysis and data processing.
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Contact: Assoc. Prof. Leonard Rörig
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
Instituto de Oceanografia
Brazil
The Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG) is a public brazilian university established in 1969, located in the city of Rio Grande​. The Oceanography Institute of FURG has been a reference in the production of knowledge, the training of qualified professionals, and the building of a sustainable relationship with the ocean, actively contributing to scientific advancement and the development of Brazil.
Role in the project: Seaweed's Biobanking, Phenotyping, Mass Cultivation, Bioremediation, Nutritional and Chemical Profiles.
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Contact: Dr. César Costa
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR)
Aquatic Animal Health
Portugal
The Aquatic Animal Health (A2S) team at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) have strong expertise in fish immune responses and disease resistance, strong skills on modulating and assessing fish immune responses both at systemic and local levels, including their expertise in bacterial disease challenges. The A2S team aims to explore innovative and sustainable solutions to improve the health condition of farmed animals. Both fundamental understanding of the mechanisms involved as well as practical approaches in collaboration with companies are pursued. Current research includes the identification of solid biomarker signatures for animal health and welfare that will further support the development of innovative prediction tools and non-invasive biosensors as a scientific breakthrough in a precision veterinary medicine context, such as animal disease susceptibility, diagnosis, and treatment response for smart farming. With its involvement in five running projects as coordinators (including two Horizon Europe grants) and other five as partners in the field of aquatic animal health, the A2S team will play a pivotal and essential role in ReSEAlience.
Role in the project: Fish immunological assessment, participation in fish feeding trials.
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Contact: Dr. Benjamin Costas
Aalborg University (AAU)
Faculty of Engineering and Science, Bioenergy and Bioproducts (BIOE&P RG)
Denmark
The Bioenergy and Bioproducts research group (BIOE&P RG) at Aalborg University (AAU) have expertise on biomass characterisation, fractionation, and formulation of green biomolecules. The BIOE&P RG have a State-of-the art biorefinery lab, including a patented cascade extraction process in large scale (100 liter), autoclave reactors, and hydrolysis and fermentation reactors in scales from lab scale to small pilot scale (20-100 litres). AAU will develop optimised extraction methods for bioactive compounds from the selected biomass. AAU will also identify the chemicals and analyse the bio-activity of the extract fractions and isolate the pure components. In particular AAU will optimize and implement an innovative biocompounds extraction method (patent-pending) that involves a solvent-free, multi-step cascade extraction specifically tailored for saline
biomass that was developed in the European project Aquacombine.
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Role in the project: Extraction of bioactive compounds
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Contact: Prof. Mette Hedegaard Thomsen
Haloderma ApS
Haloderma Research and Development
Denmark
​HALODERMA is at the forefront of developing sustainable high-performance cosmetic products using marine-derived ingredients, namely halophyte plant extract and algae. HALODERMA has a capability to test and produce cosmetic and personal care preparations incorporation extracts and polysaccharises from Salicornia and Ulva residues. HALODERMA also has required competencies to tests the bioactivity of plant
and algae extarcts, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory properties. The company's role is to demonstrate the use and valorisation of process side streams in high-value application.
Role in the project: Extract characterization
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Contact: Henrik Tribler
Halorefine ApS (HR)
Denmark
Halorefine’s (HR's) core technology is a novel, climate-friendly, and low input cascade extraction method for plant-based and other sustainable biomasses for, among other things, the extraction of health-promoting bioactive compounds, e.g., polyphenols, vitamins, minerals. The solutions from HR adds value to animal feed additives, biorefinery, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical markets and industries, who are all looking to implement circular economy, low-CO2 impact processes and value-added side streams. HR is a university spin-off based on more than 20 years of R&D within biomass fractioning and bio-actives extraction. HR is determined to bring added value to any process involved in processing of biological systems containing seemingly low-value side streams, as these are often neglected and not utilized for their full potential.
Role in the project: Extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds on a large scale.
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Contact: Henrik Tribler
Soieries Elite N.V.
Production Department
Belgium
Soieries Elite is a twisting company, producing twisted yarns used in fashion and technical textiles. The company buys yarns, rework these yarn with other yarns to become other properties ( like antistatic and conductive yarn, metalloplastic yarn, fancy yarn, and so on ). Soieries Elite has customers in many different domains from the complete textile industry, and is very well placed to introduce new yarns to different contacts and customers.
Role in the project: Textile testing
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Contact: Wim Gernaey
Hogeschool Gent (HOGENT)
FTILab+
Belgium
HOGENT is the largest University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Flanders offering a wide range of programmes at eight campuses across the cities of Ghent and Aalst, in the Flemish part of Belgium. HOGENT strives to excel in education, research, service provision and practice of the arts. FTILab+ engages its multidisciplinary expertise in three main research areas: Biobased materials and circular economy, advanced manufacturing strategies in product development, manufacturing and value chains and Comfort and protection for both humans and animals through design and/or optimisation of products for sports, health, work & interior using smart materials and/or innovative manufacturing techniques
Role in the project: Fibre processing into yarns (ring-spinning technology), and both the fibres and yarns will be comprehensively characterized to assess their physical, chemical and mechanical properties.
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Contact: Alexandra de Raeve