Our Projects
Our focus on research and innovation has enabled us to develop world-class cultivation methods - making us a pioneer in our industry. Working with other experts in the field, we continually strive to improve the way we cultivate and process our seaweed in order to support people’s wellbeing and to make a unique contribution to our blue planet.
Ongoing Projects
SeaMark
SeaMark is a four-year project funded by Horizon Europe. A consortium led by Ocean Rainforest comprising 25 international, cross-disciplinary partners has been awarded a prestigious €9 million Horizon Europe grant to upscale seaweed production and market applications across Europe.
MacroSystems
MacroSystems will use disruptive techniques to make macroalgae cultivation a commercially attractive business investment in less than 3 years! The main innovation components are to use selective breeding to increase harvesting yield and apply ground-breaking direct seeding on specially designed substrates to save time, energy and money in the hatchery phase.
ULTFARMS
ULTFARMS aims to revolutionize the application of Low-Trophic Aquaculture (LTA) systems through the integration of novel engineering, technical, ecological, and biological processes to optimize production in harsh offshore conditions, low-salinity environments, and within Offshore Wind Farms (OWFs). This will be achieved through the development of six LowTrophic Aquaculture Pilots (LTAPs) located in offshore wind farms across the North and Baltic Seas.
MAB4
The MAB4 project focus on cultivating seaweed on a large scale and using it for food and skin products.
While running out of farmland, new opportunities show up for growing sea-crops in the oceans. Many seaweed species are highly nutritious and rich in bioactive substances, those can serve as ingredients for food and cosmetics.
Climate Feed
Seaweed could contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. The research project Climate Feed will develop seaweed feed supplement with funding from Innovation Fund Denmark.
Iodecline
The overall aim is to characterize and reduce the iodine content of seaweed products, by technology development for the products to comply with the legislation and therefore increase the product portfolio of seaweed producers and facilitate their market entrance.
The technical University of Denmark (DTU), The Food Institute, is leading the research project "IODECLINE", which is to develop process technologies to reduce the extremely high iodine content in sugar kelp and winged kelp extracts.
AquaVitae
AquaVitae aims to increase aquaculture production in and around the Atlantic Ocean by developing new species, processes and products. The focus of the project is placed on low trophic species (e.g. algae, echinoderms, shellfish), contributing to the circular economy and the Belém Statement.
Previous Projects
Macro Cascade
MACRO CASCADE will prove the concept of the cascading marine macroalgal biorefinery. This is a production platform that covers the whole technological chain for processing sustainable cultivated macroalgae biomass – also known as seaweed – to highly processed value added products.
MacroPro
MACROPRO came up with concrete solutions for improving the primary processing of the biomass through state of the art data collection and analysis, method development for storing and extraction processes, and market tests together with commercial end-users.
MACROPRO also interacted with the secondary processing and related product innovation within the pre- and pro-biotic food and feed markets, as well as utilized the liquid side stream product from the storage stabling process for the organic fruit and vegetable fertilizer market.
Macro Biotech
The purpose of MACRO BIOTECH was to continue development - and prove the technical and commercial viability - of a concept for macroalgae cultivation in the open ocean. Cultivation was here used in the broadest sense and encompasses seeding, cultivation, harvesting and bio-refining. The project aimed to develop efficient methods for these activities, including harvesting methods to achieve storage stability of the resulting produce.
Macro Value
There was an increasing demand for new sustainable marine sources for products within food, feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and the energy sector. The European seaweed – or macroalgae - industry relies on wild harvest and growth is limited by ecological sustainability considerations. But large scale macroalgae cultivation can satisfy this demand. However, macroalgae cultivation needed increased knowledge and understanding of seasonal variation of growth rates and biological content development. This lack of knowledge was one of the main obstacle in making large scale production of macroalgae economically feasible. In addition there was a need to develop cost effective and energy efficient methods for ensuring a storage stability.
Tara Tekstil
The goal of the project MACRO TEX is to study the feasibility of “Blue Fashion” using seaweed cultivated and harvested in the North Atlantic and process it into seaweed fibres, that can be used in knitted and woven fabrics.