Madalena Mendes attended the Workshop on Macroalgae Cultivation, organized by S2AQUAcoLAB, where she had the opportunity to represent GreenCoLab and contribute to the blue dialogue between research and industry.
During the event, Madalena Mendes GreenCoLab seaweed specialist presented the paper “Building bridges between academia and industry in algal biotechnology,” in which she highlighted the fundamental role of strategic partnerships in accelerating innovative algae-based solutions. The session gained even more momentum with her participation in the round table, alongside an experienced panel composed of Rui Pereira (A4F – Algae for Future), Frank Neumann (in2sea), Joana Melo Duarte (Rota das Algas), and Celso Alves (Portuguese Association of Applied Algology), moderated by Raquel Quintã (S2AQUA).
In her talk, Madalena Mendes presented some of the projects currently underway at GreenCoLab that highlight the potential of macroalgae in multiple applications:
- Food and Nutrition: development of innovative hamburgers based on Palmaria, demonstrating how macroalgae can be integrated into healthy and sustainable food solutions;
- Sustainable Agriculture: biostimulants solutions produced from blends of micro and macroalgae, with a positive impact on plant growth and resilience;
- Biorefinery: development of hydrolyzed algae ingredients, expanding the supply of bioactive compounds for various industries;
- Biological Resources: presentation of our new biobank, which includes several varieties of Ulva from the Algarve, reinforcing the importance of conservation, characterization, and availability of high-quality algal resources.
Madalena’s participation in the workshop reinforces the central role of her research at GreenCoLab and her contribution to strategic initiatives, such as the creation of our new macroalgae biobank, which strengthens the scientific capacity and future of the algae sector in Portugal.
