Meet Seaweed Scale-up
2021-11-30
What is Seaweed Scale-up?
Seaweed Scale up is a climate tech start-up (cooperation) in the blue economy that will farm and biorefine seaweed in Europe. In order to maximize the economic and ecological value of seaweed we will extract products via biorefinery processes out of our seaweed. In a cascade order we will extract proteins, alginate, pharmaceutical components, bio stimulants and/or bioplastics. Our customer/product focus and market demand define the products that we will produce. Seaweed Scale-up aims for product leadership.
Seaweed Scale-up is currently managed by two members. Jac Sandberg has a master’s degree in industrial design engineering and has extensive experience as management consultant and interim manager. Menno van den Eijnden has a master’s degree in (bio)chemical engineering and has many years of experience as program manager in the regulated world of life sciences.
We share a passion for value chain management, change management and new product introductions. Furthermore, we are supported by consultants who, over the last decades, have made their name in the seaweed world.
We are in a research phase in which we are defining our sweet spots in the seaweed value chain based on expertise and market pull/demand. We have created an initial roadmap for the next 5 years that will lead to a first large-scale farm and bio-refinery plant somewhere in Europe.
Let’s grow a better tomorrow together!
What makes Seaweed Scale Up a North Sea Farmer?
Our current land-based supply chain of our basic needs such as food, plastics and fuels is not sustainable. The forecast is a growth of the human population of 2 billion people, to 9 billion people by 2050. This will increase the pressure on our precious earth even more and might have devastating effects. This calls for a drastic change in the ways we supply ourselves in order to stop the abuse and deterioration of our earth.
The earth’s surface exists for 71% of oceans but despite their immense potential they deliver only 2% of our food.
We believe that part of the solution lies in the sustainable farming of macro algae in the oceans and the subsequent biorefinery into high value products.
It is our mission to grow a better tomorrow by sustainably supplying the world of high value products from macro algae.
What could other North Sea Farmers approach you for?
Anything regarding seaweed and seaweed-based products. We can share our knowledge and findings. On our turn we are looking for knowledge, customers, funding, equipment, partners, concessions, licenses and people.
What does North Sea Farmers mean to you?
We see North Sea Farmers as a community to learn, share and speed up each other’s businesses in order to be able to change the way we produce our food, feed and other products. We have high ambitions, but above all we realize there is a need for scale/competition in the field in order to supply the big companies and thus make a difference.
What is your greatest wish for the future regarding seaweed?
Up scaling of seaweed in Europe with feasible economics and in consent with nature, on a scale that really makes a difference.
