6–7 November, 2025
The VASEACAD consortium met in Dublin, Ireland, on 6–7 November 2025 for the project’s official kick-off meeting, marking the start of a three-year collaboration to develop sustainable solutions for the valorisation of seafood side streams across Europe.
Hosted by Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and coordinated by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR, Greece), the meeting brought together researchers, industry partners and SMEs from the seven participating countries to establish a shared roadmap for the project and begin planning the scientific, technical and communication activities that will be carried out over the next three years.
Building a common vision
The kick-off meeting provided the consortium with the opportunity to present the objectives of each work package, discuss the project timeline and agree on the first activities to be implemented.
VASEACAD addresses a common challenge faced by the fisheries and aquaculture sectors: large quantities of fish heads, bones, skins, trimmings and other processing by-products are generated every year, yet much of this biomass remains underused despite containing valuable proteins, oils and bioactive compounds.
The project will investigate practical ways of converting these side streams into high-value ingredients for aquaculture feeds, food products and health-related applications. At the same time, the consortium will evaluate the environmental, economic and social implications of these new processing pathways to support their future uptake by industry.
An interdisciplinary European consortium
VASEACAD brings together ten organisations from seven European countries, combining expertise from marine research, biotechnology, aquaculture, seafood processing, sustainability assessment and communication.
The consortium includes:
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece) – Project coordination, fish nutrition and feeding trials.
- Technological University Dublin (Ireland) – Development of bioactive protein hydrolysates targeting skin and muscle health.
- SINTEF Ocean (Norway) – Pilot-scale processing and demonstration of the Mobile Sea Lab.
- Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology – IRTA (Spain) – Evaluation of novel feed ingredients in aquaculture species.
- Frederick Research Center (Cyprus) – Economic viability, life cycle assessment and sustainability analysis.
- Blue EcoTech Ltd. (Malta) – Dissemination, stakeholder engagement and pilot demonstration activities in Malta.
- Karadeniz Technical University (Türkiye) – Production of hydrolysates, fish meal and fish oil from seafood side streams.
- Blue Island Plc (Cyprus) – Supply and valorisation of aquaculture processing side streams.
- KIMAGRO Fish Farming Ltd. (Cyprus) – Supply and valorisation of aquaculture processing side streams.
- BioAtlantis Ltd. (Ireland) – Industrial-scale production of protein hydrolysates and process scale-up.
Together, the partners will work on seafood biomass originating from the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, creating new opportunities to improve resource efficiency throughout the seafood value chain.
From laboratory research to industrial application
One of the distinctive features of VASEACAD is its focus on demonstrating technologies that can be transferred to industry.
Among the activities planned are the development of bioactive protein hydrolysates from species such as Atlantic bluefin tuna, European seabass, gilthead seabream, blue whiting and sprat, the production of sustainable aquafeed ingredients from biorefinery co-products, and the deployment of SINTEF Ocean’s Mobile Sea Lab in the Mediterranean to test pilot-scale processing directly where seafood by-products are generated.
By combining laboratory research with pilot demonstrations and sustainability assessments, the project aims to provide solutions that are technically feasible, economically viable and environmentally responsible.
The VASEACAD consortium partners during project kick-off meeting in Dublin
Visiting BioAtlantis
Following the consortium meeting, the partners visited BioAtlantis Ltd. in Tralee, County Kerry (https://www.bioatlantis.com/), one of VASEACAD’s industrial partners.
The visit provided an opportunity to explore BioAtlantis’ production facilities and learn more about the company’s experience in developing natural bioactive products from marine resources. Discussions focused on industrial processing, scale-up opportunities and the role that industry partners will play in translating the project’s research into practical applications.
The visit also strengthened collaboration between academic and industrial partners, reinforcing one of VASEACAD’s core objectives: ensuring that research outcomes are relevant to industry and have the potential for real-world implementation.
The VASEACAD consortium partners during BioAtlantis Ltd. visit
Looking ahead
The Dublin kick-off meeting established the foundation for the collaborative work ahead. Over the next three years, the consortium will develop and validate new approaches to recovering valuable compounds from seafood side streams, while engaging with industry, policymakers and other stakeholders to support the transition towards a more sustainable and circular blue bioeconomy.
About VASEACAD
VASEACAD (Valorising Seafood Side Streams, Residues, Unwanted Catches and Discards for the Production of Bioactive Protein Hydrolysates and High Added-Value Biomolecules) is a three-year research and innovation project funded by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) and co-funded by the European Commission together with the national funding agencies of the participating countries. The project brings together ten organisations from seven European countries to develop sustainable solutions that transform seafood processing side streams into valuable ingredients for food, feed and health applications, supporting Europe’s transition towards a circular and sustainable blue bioeconomy.