After four years of research, innovation, and collaboration, the Vertical Algas project has officially come to an end. The closing session took place at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) in Lisbon, bringing together partners, researchers, companies, institutional representatives, and other stakeholders to present the main results achieved by what is considered the largest national initiative dedicated to algae biotechnology.
After four years of research, innovation, and collaboration, the Vertical Algas project has officially come to an end. The closing session took place at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) in Lisbon, bringing together partners, researchers, companies, institutional representatives, and other stakeholders to present the main results achieved by what is considered the largest national initiative dedicated to algae biotechnology.
As part of the Blue Bioeconomy Pact and supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), the project mobilized an investment of approximately 44 million euros and involved 37 partner entities, fostering close collaboration between research and industry to accelerate the development of the algae value chain in Portugal.
GreenCoLab played a central role throughout the project. In addition to actively participating in all subprojects, it coordinated Subproject 2 (SP2) – Biorefinery, dedicated to developing innovative processes for the comprehensive valorisation of algal biomass and the production of high-value-added ingredients for applications in the food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and animal feed sectors.
The project also helped strengthen GreenCoLab’s scientific and technological capacity by supporting the creation of new infrastructure to demonstrate circular economy processes, enabling the expansion of research, development, and technology transfer activities in the coming years.
During the morning session, GreenCoLab’s General Coordinator, Hugo Pereira, presented the paper “Synthesis of Vertical Algas Results”, in which he summarized the project’s main results, highlighting the advances achieved in the production, processing, and valorization of algae, as well as the scientific, technological, and economic impact of the initiative.
In the afternoon, Ana Ramos presented the results from WP2: Biorefinery, while Ana Teresa Gonçalves outlined the main advances in WP5: Animal Feed, highlighting the potential of algae to develop functional ingredients and innovative solutions for aquaculture.
Over the course of four years, the Vertical Algas project has driven the development of new products, processes, and technologies, promoting the optimization of cultivation systems, the digitization of production, the comprehensive valorization of biomass, and the creation of innovative solutions for human food, animal feed, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and sustainable agriculture. The project also helped strengthen Portugal’s position as a European leader in algae biotechnology.
The closing event served not only as an opportunity to take stock of the results achieved but also to reflect on the sector’s future challenges, particularly regarding the regulatory framework, industrial scalability, and the transfer of innovation to the market.
Although the project has come to an end, the knowledge generated, the infrastructure created, and the partnerships forged provide a solid foundation for new opportunities in research and innovation, reinforcing GreenCoLab’s commitment to the sustainable development of the blue bioeconomy.
