Seaweed Highlights
Seaweed Square opens at World Horti Center
30/10/2026 - Could greenhouses be the future of seaweed cultivation?
CONPAX: From seaweed innovation to millions of food packs
30/10/2026 - The Dutch company produces folding carton packaging and supplies a broad range of disposables to the foodservice, food industry and retail markets. Sustainability has long influenced that portfolio. Commercial Director @Wilco Wieling describes @Conpax as a sustainability driven organisation, working predominantly with raw materials from natural sources such as paper, cardboard and sugar cane.
Monkeys by the Sea: creating the next generation of seafood
30/10/2026 - For more than thirteen years, Thijs Wullems worked across the international seafood industry. He visited wholesale markets, processing facilities and fishing operations, and negotiated between producers, retailers and food service companies. That experience now forms the foundation of Monkeys By The Sea, a Dutch company creating food products inspired by seafood and made with plant-based ingredients from land and sea.
SeaSpark: Less litter, more glitter
11/09/2026 - Glitter is designed to attract attention. Unfortunately, it also has a habit of sticking around long after the party is over. SeaSpark wants to change that. The young Dutch company is developing plastic free glitter made largely from seaweed, creating something that can sparkle brightly during use, but does not need to remain in the environment for years afterwards. For co-founders @Karlijn Besse and @Xu Ben Zhang, it brings some welcome colour to the world of sustainability.
From edible bubbles to industrial scale: how Notpla is rethinking packaging
11/08/2026 - Starting with the famous edible Ooho bubble, Notpla has grown into a materials company developing seaweed based alternatives for takeaway packaging, coatings and more. Today, its technology is already being used at major events, stadiums and restaurant chains, with close to 50 million pieces of single use packaging replaced.
Experience the possibilities of seaweed in Breskens
27/07/2026 - The Seaweed Hotel Room has arrived in Breskens for the summer, where it forms the centrepiece of the Zjí Seaweed Experience, hosted by ESWA member Zjí Sea Wellness.
From rebuilding an island to rebuilding a blue economy
20/07/2026 - On the small Estonian island of Ruhnu, life moves at a different pace. During winter, around fifty people call the island home. There is a small harbour, an airfield, a school, two churches, two local shops and a restaurant, all serving a community surrounded by more than forty kilometers of Baltic Sea.
From runway to real world: how Kelptex is turning seaweed into a new material category
13/07/2026 - In an industry built on spectacle, where materials are often hidden behind aesthetics, Runa Ray is doing the opposite. On runways and even on screen, her work does not just attract attention, it raises questions. What if fashion started with the material, not the design?
What If Seaweed Did Not Need the Sea?
06/07/2026 - Inside OceanBites’ Vision for Scalable Dulse Production. Rather than starting with a specific species or product, OceanBites began with a broad exploration of the sector. The team analysed different seaweed species, cultivation methods and markets before making strategic decisions.
European Seaweed 2026 kicks off at Gastvrij Rotterdam
02/06/2026 - European Seaweed 2026 will take its first step inside the food industry at Gastvrij Rotterdam, taking place from 21–23 September 2026 at Rotterdam Ahoy. Formerly known as North Sea Seaweed, European Seaweed 2026 marks a new approach: instead of bringing the sector together at a standalone event, we are showing up where markets already meet. Gastvrij Rotterdam offers exactly that setting. As a leading trade fair for gastronomy and hospitality professionals, it brings together chefs, restaurant owners, F&B managers, hospitality entrepreneurs, buyers, wholesalers, foodservice operators and other decision-makers shaping what ends up on the plate.