Areas of Interest

Mapping socio-economic-scientific aspects of marine and freshwater ecosystems

OBJECTIVE

  • Understand the expectations and consumer values in the market.
  • Involve blue economy sector stakeholders in co-creation and food system design.
  • To perform consumer studies on LTS-based ingredient substitution possibilities with existing ingredients.

APPROACH

  • Conducting a pan-European consumer survey on their perspectives and preferences around sustainable marine and freshwater products. 
  • Offering training and education to bring stakeholders together for data collection and co-creation
  • Capitalising on links with ongoing and past activities to foster beneficial collaborations 
  • Conduct market research for IMPRESS products to map existing products, businesses, ingredients used and market trends. 

Innovative Processes and novel ingredients for waste reduction and sustainability

OBJECTIVES

  • To develop new valorization routes from fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing streams
  • To obtain high value ingredients for food and feed development in the context of a circular economy
  • To develop sustainable cultivation pathways for duckweed and microalgae using wastewater as a resource
  • To assess the growth of macroalgae in an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture system for sustainable aquaculture development

APPROACH

The objectives will be meant through 5 pilot studies

  • Pilot 1: High value ingredients from processing streams

  • Pilot 2: Duckweed cultivation from process water

  • Pilot 3: Microalgae cultivation from process water

  • Pilot 4: Macroalgae cultivation from aquaculture streams

  • Pilot 5: Low trophic species-based ingredients

Innovative food and feed products

OBJECTIVES

To utilise the obtained high value ingredients obtained in new food and fish feed product development

  • To evaluate growth performance of fish fed on formulated feeds
  • To design the new products in line with the specific consumer requirements
  • To characterise the products obtained in terms of nutritional value, bioactive, techno-functional and sensory properties

APPROACH

  • Produce and characterise a control and up to four different fish feed formulations, based on a definition of nutritional needs of certain fish varieties then evaluate their performance through trials
  •  Develop vegan fish-like and conventional fish, ready to eat products
  • Prototype food and non-food products based upon the consumer survey, the market analysis and any gaps identified in existing value chains
  • Conduct a screen of regulatory issues regarding animal feed, food and packaging.

Innovative and sustainable packaging

OBJECTIVES

To develop smart bio-based and biodegradable packaging films for seafood packaging applications and determine their end-of- life (Industrial composting, Biodegradation)

APPROACH

  • Developing polymer blends and composites
  • Focusing on biopolymer and protein-based coatings to improve the shelf-life of food products
  • Pilot-scale production of polymer composites, blends and proto-type packaging films
  • Creating a smart labels prototype food packaging to confirm the authenticity and shelf-life of the product
  • Investigating the compostability and biodegradability evaluation of biobased packaging

Zero waste approach towards sustainability

OBJECTIVES

  • To map and quantify waste generation for aquatic farm to fork
  • To promote innovative measures to reduce wastage at consumer level
  • To measure environmental and economic impact of the IMPRESS proposed solutions 
  • To propose evidence based solutions to reduce the waste generated and on closing the loop in existing value chains

APPROACH

  • Mapping and quantification of the fish waste from processing, retail and HORECA sector by combining material flow analysis of fish by-products from different sources and questionnaires
  • Conducting life cycle assessment (LCA) of novel ingredients, processes and products as well as a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis to address the economic dimension of sustainability.

Shaping the value chains for successful marketing of new products

OBJECTIVES

  • Generate interest around the project, effectively communicating and disseminating results broadly
  • To unite key players across newly established value chains and engage marginalised communities to broaden the ecosystem and enable lasting collaboration within and between sectors and regions
  • Secure a strong position for IMPRESS products in the EU marine and freshwater bio-based market

APPROACH

  • Develop and implement an extensive dissemination, exploitation and communication plan
  • Use of modelling tools (e.g., SWOT, PESTELE, BM Canvas) to develop business models and a sound go-to market strategy  that will support the commercialisation of IMPRESS’s innovative solutions to the EU market

SIGN-UP TO receive our newsletter

Subscribe now to be one of the first to recieved exciting project news and updates.