Seaweed Highlights
Welcome aboard Searo Labs - member interview
17/10/2024 - In this Onboarding interview, Searo Labs share their journey to develop sustainable, seaweed-based alternatives to traditional materials such as paper and plastic. By tapping into the ocean's resources, they aim to reduce reliance on land-based crops and create innovative products that contribute to a circular economy. Discover how Searo Labs is working with the North Sea Farmers network to promote sustainable growth and share expertise in bioplastics.
A milestone event for the seaweed industry - North Sea Seaweed 24
10/10/2024 - On 3 October 2024, over 250 people gathered at De Pier in Scheveningen for the annual North Sea Seaweed conference. It was an inspiring day of insight, collaboration and innovation, all focused on attracting market players.
North Sea Farm #1 officially launched!
24/09/2024 - Today we officially launched the world's first commercial seaweed farm between offshore wind turbines; North Sea Farm 1! The event attracted a lot of media attention and we're excited about the potential impact of this project on sustainable seaweed farming and climate action.
Welcome aboard Noriware - Member Interview
05/09/2024 - I started working with seaweed three years ago. When I found out that it’s a super-fast growing and renewable resource that also supports natural ecosystems, I immediately saw the potential. The idea that we could make plastic alternatives that are 100% biodegradable made it a no-brainer for me. So, I quickly prioritized building a company around this topic, even while finishing my studies, which I completed last April. Now, we’re a team of seven, expected to grow to ten by the end of the year.
Welcome aboard Spaak - Member Interview
20/08/2024 - Spaak's ambition is to establish a sustainable circular economy in the seaweed industry in which no residue streams are wasted. We aim to assist the entire process from ideation to financing, ensuring that no valuable resources are wasted. By creating better connections within the network, Spaak hopes to unlock the full potential of the seaweed sector and drive impactful innovations.
Progress report in the AlgaeVALOR Project
15/08/2024 - At Phycology, Ghent University, our research is centered on the genetics, diversity, and life cycle control of marine macroalgae. We focus extensively on fieldwork, aquaculture, and the manipulation of seaweed strains to study their development, reproduction, morphogenesis, and genomics. We work with various seaweed species, including Ulva, Palmaria, Porphyra, Kelps, and Dictyota.
Onboarding Interview Rubisko
15/08/2024 - You might wonder why we chose seaweed. While our business focuses on emerging agricultural technologies, I personally got fascinated by seaweed after reading about its potential to reduce methane emissions in cows. This led me to get hands-on experience in the seaweed industry.
Onboarding interview with SeaGrown
15/08/2024 - SeaGrown was founded to develop a new marine industry in the UK. Our team has created an end-to-end growing system for offshore seaweed farming. Located 7,5 kilometers (4 nautical miles) off the coast of Scarborough, our systems are designed to handle extreme offshore conditions, with waves reaching over ten meters and strong tidal currents. We automated not only our harvesting mechanisms, but the whole system, to work efficiently when weather conditions are favourable.
Wind farm location of the world’s first commercial seaweed farm announced – Hollandse Kust Zuid
22/07/2024 - July 22nd, SCHEVENINGEN - This autumn, the world’s first commercial-scale seaweed farm will open within the wind farm ‘Hollandse Kust Zuid’ (HKZ), located about 18 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen in the North Sea. North Sea Farm 1, created by North Sea Farmers with funding from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, is a floating farm located between wind turbines where seaweed cultivation can be tested and improved. Scientific research will also be conducted on site into the potential of seaweed farms to capture carbon.
Bettafish joins North Sea Farmers
16/07/2024 - BettaF!sh from Germany creates plant-based tuna from seaweed that looks like tuna, tastes like tuna, works like tuna, but "doesn't cost a fortune". Secondly, they want to save the fish in the ocean and get people used to eating seaweed. BettaF!sh was one of the four winners of the Seaweed Innovation Challenge in 2023 and became a member for one year. We are excited that they have chosen to stay connected to the North Sea Farmers community and work together to make a difference with seaweed for food.