Project description
Towards industrial-scale industrial-scale microalgae cultivation in Europe
Current agricultural and manufacturing practices are causing irreparable environmental damage. Although microalgae are a promising solution to this problem, they are underexploited as a crop. This is because microalgae products struggle to achieve the same economies of scale as conventional products. The EU-funded MULTI-STR3AM project aims to provide valuable microalgal products for large end users in the food, feed and fragrance sectors by reducing costs, increasing scale and boosting sustainability. Its products will include lipids for edible spreads, protein, carbohydrates and lipids for feed ingredients for poultry, pigs and ruminants, and protein and small organic compounds as building blocks for the fragrance industry. The project will pave the way for sustainable industrial-scale microalgae cultivation in Europe.
Objective
MULTI-STR3AM is driven by a critical need to shift to a sustainable means of producing food, feed and raw materials. Microalgae represent a promising solution to address the growing recognition that current agricultural and manufacturing practices are causing irreparable environmental damage. Microalgae, have a vast biosynthetic potential and are a rich source of lipids, protein and high-value compounds such as pigments. Despite these advantages, they are underexploited as a crop. This is due to barriers of scale, which mean that microalgae products struggle to achieve the same economies as conventional products, such as palm oil or soybean. MULTI-STR3AM addresses these challenges by scaling up and lowering costs, providing valuable products for large end users in the food, feed and fragrance sectors. The project reduces costs, increases scale and boosts sustainability, through: i) constant improvement of strains through non-GM methods, to increase their productivity and meet end user needs; ii) design and engineering improvements to cultivation and harvesting technologies to reduce CAPEX and OPEX of biomass production; iii) exploitation of industrial and own side streams during cultivation in a circular economy design; iv) synergistic integration of different technologies in a multi-strain, multi-method, multi-product biorefinery (‘MULTI-biorefinery’); and v) valorisation of every fraction of the microalgal biomass in a zero waste approach. MULTI-STR3AM will demonstrate 7 consumer products, 6 of which are new, including: lipids for edible spreads; protein, carbohydrates and lipids for feed ingredients for poultry, pigs and ruminants; and protein and small organic compounds as building blocks for the fragrance industry. By engaging global actors from the industrial, academic and non-profit sectors, MULTI-STR3AM creates a roadmap for economically viable industrial-scale microalgae cultivation, towards a sustainable future for European bio-based industries.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules lipids
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- agricultural sciences agricultural biotechnology biomass
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.1.4. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology
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H2020-EU.3.2.6. - Bio-based Industries Joint Technology Initiative (BBI-JTI)
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
IA - Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-BBI-JTI-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1649 038 LISBOA
Portugal
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.