Press Release
19 March 2026, Brussels, BE
On March 16, 2026, the IMPRESS project joined leading researchers and policymakers for a strategic online clustering workshop titled “Food from the Ocean and Freshwater Resources.” Organised by the European Commission’s DG for Research and Innovation, the event served as a critical touchpoint for advancing the Food 2030 framework, which seeks to transform European food systems into sustainable, resilient, and inclusive networks.
The workshop brought together a powerhouse of Horizon Europe initiatives, including IMPRESS and 15 other relevant projects, to address the urgent need for climate-neutral and circular aquatic food sources. During the session, project leaders delivered high-impact pitches focused on how their respective innovations contribute to the four pillars of Food 2030: Nutrition, Climate, Circularity, and Innovation.
Scaling Impact Through Collaboration
IMPRESS takes a diversified and collaborative approach to unlocking the full value of marine and freshwater biomass. Through ongoing co-creation and stakeholder engagement, the project develops solutions tailored to both consumer markets and business-to-business applications, with ingredients primarily targeting industrial use. At its core, IMPRESS advances a zero-waste, multi-product biorefinery model, led by TEAGASC, that transforms aquatic side streams into valuable outputs, including proteins, lipids, chitin and chitosan, and bioactive compounds, while also identifying innovative uses for liquid processing streams. By combining scientific excellence with practical application, the project not only feeds into future research and cross-project knowledge sharing but also supports the development of new products for the wider European market.
The IMPRESS project used the Food 2030 platform to highlight its latest breakthroughs in enhancing the sustainability of aquatic value chains. By sharing key objectives and early-stage impact data, the project team engaged in a cross-sector dialogue aimed at overcoming current industry barriers and identifying synergies with other EU-funded initiatives.
“This clustering workshop goes beyond discussion; it drives real collaboration,” said Christopher Kennard, Project Communication Manager for the IMPRESS project at reframe.food. “By aligning IMPRESS with Food 2030 priorities and working within an ecosystem of more than 15 projects, we’re able to connect, share insights, and coordinate our efforts. Together, we can work as the cogs that accelerate the transition from research to real-world impact and advance a common goal of more sustainable and resilient food systems across Europe.”