IDEA looks back at an exciting and productive 2021 with pilot trials, in vivo application trials with algae biomass, a dissemination event and the start of the IDEA+ capitalization project. IDEA was programmed to close the project with a final dissemination event on July 2021. However, early 2021 the consortium applied for a project capitalization opportunity that was offered by Interreg NWE. This capitalisation project (IDEA+) was granted in May 2021. As such, the IDEA event in July became an intermediate dissemination event and IDEA will continue till the end of 2023 with a slightly altered IDEA+ consortium and new challenges.
Looking back at the IDEA algae value chain event on July 6th, 2021
The IDEA dissemination event was organized as an online webinar on July 6th to share IDEA findings and interact with other projects like Interreg 2seas ValgOrize and Interreg NWE AlgAD. The algae value chain was the focus of the webinar, with attention for algae growth and harvesting, processing of algae biomass toward ingredients for feed, food and cosmetics, and economic and logistic aspects. Besides plenary presentations, break-out discussion sessions and virtual tours, an e-poster session was prepared. All presentations and videos are accessible via the IDEA website.
More than 120 people were registered and the participation degree during the day varied between 65 and 85 attendees. Based on poll results, the profile of the participants was diverse with representatives from industry, authorities and scientists, the latter forming the main body of participants. The poll also revealed that most stakeholders along the value chain were present, which led to interesting discussions from multiple points of views. Read the full report comprising the results of all polls and main conclusions of the discussion sessions.
Kick-off IDEA capitalisation project IDEA+
On September 6th, the extended IDEA consortium gathered in an on-line meeting for the kick-off of the IDEA capitalization project IDEA+. IDEA+ was granted by Interreg NWEurope with an additional budget of 1.44 Meuro to capitalizes initials findings in other application fields. One of the new challenges is to evaluate to which extend side-streams such as residual heat, nutrients, water and CO2 can be used to cultivate algae biomass. To evaluate the use of digester outputs (nutrients, CO2, residual heat) three new partners joined the IDEA consortium, being Swansea university (UK, link with Interreg NWE AlgAD project), Heirbaut aLgriculture (B) and Circular cluster (B). Besides algae cultivation in closed photobioreactors, also open ponds operating on process water are being considered, where the MAF-technology will be used to harvest the algae. The application areas studied before (feed, food, cometics) are extended to crop protection, for which PCfruit (B) was involved as new IDEA partner. Meanwhile the IDEA+ activities were initiated and first results are becoming available.
Short updates
OVAM ecodesign award for algae project. Master student Arthur Verboven (University Antwerp, Product development) elaborated in his master thesis a concept to cultivate algae on industrial roofs with re-use of heat and medium. By use of residual heat, algae growth can be extended to the colder seasons. The VITO MAF-technology was integrated for medium re-use and local pre-harvesting of the algae. The thesis was elaborated in collaboration with VITO as scientific promotor, who facilitated interactions with other IDEA partners. We hope the OVAM Ecodesign award will stimulate the further development of this innovative algae growth concept and that it will contribute to the longer-term effects of the IDEA project.
Verspreet, J., L.Soetemans, C. Gargan, M.Hayes, L.Bastiaens. (2021) Nutritional profiling and preliminairy bioactivity screening of five micro-algae strains cultivated in Northwest Europe. Foods, 10, 1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071516
Bermejo-Padilla E., Kinsou H., Filali R., Perez-Bibbins B. and Taidi B. (2021) Rapid indicators for monitoring the health of a culture of Chlamydomonas nivalis during preservation. Journal of Applied Phycology. May 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-021-02517-w