The Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC) is leading the European project ATL.A.HUB, funded with €1.57 million from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), with the participation of partners from Spain, Portugal, France and Latvia

The facilities in Pozo Izquierdo (Gran Canaria, Spain) and Vila Franca de Xira (Lisbon, Portugal) will serve as platforms to foster new biotechnology products based on algae

The Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC), a public body attached to the Regional Ministry of Universities, Science and Innovation of the Government of the Canary Islands, headed by Migdalia Machín, held this week at its Pozo Izquierdo headquarters (Gran Canaria) the kick-off meeting of the European project ATL.A.HUB - Atlantic Hubs to boost Marine Algae Land-based Aquaculture and Biotechnology.

This strategic initiative aims to establish two Atlantic hubs in the Canary Islands and Portugal, which will act as centres of knowledge and innovation to accelerate the development of land-based algae aquaculture and marine biotechnology.

The meeting, which brought together the consortium members for the first time, was opened by ITC’s Director of R&D&I, Gonzalo Piernavieja, who underlined “the strategic relevance of this European initiative in strengthening the Canary Islands’ role as a space for marine innovation, through the creation of an Atlantic hub that aims at transforming the potential of algae biotechnology into real opportunities for sustainable economic development, facilitating the validation and scaling-up of new products.”

Javier Roo, Head of R&D&I projects at the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society (ACIISI), also took part in the event, highlighting the importance of public-private collaboration and the alignment of the project with the Canary Islands’ Smart Specialisation Strategy (‘RIS3 Ampliada’), which promotes economic diversification around the blue economy and sustainability.

Via telematic connection, Julia Beile, project officer at the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) of the European Commission, also participated, stressing the strategic support provided by this European funding mechanism to boost the blue economy and biotechnological innovation.

ATL.A.HUB is one of four initiatives selected by the European Commission under the call Smart Specialisation for Sustainable Blue Economy and Regenerative Ocean Farming, designed to create blue innovation networks and promote a regenerative ocean economy.

A project to accelerate the Atlantic marine bioeconomy

The ATL.A.HUB consortium comprises seven organisations from Spain, Portugal, France and Latvia, contributing complementary expertise in marine biotechnology, regulation, sustainability, business internationalisation and market access. Its purpose is to attract talent and business activity, reinforcing the Atlantic’s role as a leading region in blue innovation.

Coordinated by the ITC, the partnership includes ACIISI and the University of La Laguna (ULL) as Canary Islands partners, along with the Portuguese Aquaculture Association and A4F AlgaFuel S.A. from Portugal; and the companies LCA Dynamics SIA (Latvia) and Edonia (France). In addition, the Canary Islands companies Macrocarbon and Fresh Fruta Canarias are participating as associated entities, contributing their experience and perspective from the regional production sector.

Funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) with €1.57 million from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), ATL.A.HUB reinforces the European commitment to expanding the algae-based production sector in the Atlantic, promoting collaborative networks between research centres, industry and public administration.

The project will leverage the scientific, technical and industrial capacity of two of Europe’s largest infrastructures for algae cultivation and processing: the ITC’s Blue Biotechnology and Aquaculture Experimental Area in Pozo Izquierdo (Gran Canaria), which includes the IAT BIOASIS high-technology incubator; and the ALGATEC Eco Business Park, promoted by the A4F group in Vila Franca de Xira (Lisbon). These facilities will serve as platforms to validate, scale up and transfer innovations to industry, as well as to explore opportunities for replicating their model in other Atlantic regions.

Scientific, technological and business cooperation

The consortium will work on developing commercialisation strategies, demonstrating successful case studies, creating catalogues of shared technological services, and designing regulatory and governance tools to facilitate the establishment of new blue innovation hubs across Europe.

Through ATL.A.HUB, the ITC and its European partners will contribute to consolidating new production models based on algae cultivation in Atlantic regions, strengthening the Canary Islands’ position as a benchmark territory in the blue bioeconomy and as a natural laboratory for sustainable innovation.

More information about ATL.A.HUB at: https://www.itccanarias.org/web/es/actividad/proyectos/atl-a-hub