Paris, 18 October 2024 – The European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC) has set out its vision for strengthening partnerships with private sector researchers. As ocean-related economic activities outpace the global economic growth, the need for sustainable management of marine biological resources and innovative solutions has never been more urgent. The research infrastructure has the expertise and facilities to support emerging industries within the ocean economy, particularly marine aquaculture, biotechnology, and marine observation.
EMBRC is a vital hub for knowledge transfer between academia, industry and policymakers. As a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), EMBRC aims to accelerate innovation by fostering positive connections for knowledge exchange, enabling industry partners to co-develop cutting-edge technologies, test prototypes and advance blue growth across Europe.
Looking ahead: a three-year implementation plan
EMBRC has unveiled its Industrial Engagement Strategy, which will be implemented over the next 3 years with the active participation of all EMBRC country members to drive progress in the sustainable blue economy sector across Europe.
To support this ongoing mission of promoting sustainable blue economy growth, EMBRC will:
- Integrate its resources and expertise into the innovation ecosystem to encourage regional collaboration and innovation across industries
- Increase industry use of services, resources and expertise for economic growth by improving visibility of marine technology and innovation initiatives
- Measure and report the impact of its innovations on the ocean economy to support informed decision-making and future growth
For more details, read EMBRC’s industrial strategy.
Stronger industrial engagement
“By strengthening our industrial engagement even further, EMBRC can help advance innovation and blue growth across Europe,” says EMBRC’s Industrial Liaison Officer, Mery Piña.
“We can offer private sector researchers unparalleled access to marine biodiversity in all European seas, from northern Norway to tropical Israel, through our EMO BON observatory and more than 500 scientific services.”
EMBRC has identified three key sectors – aquaculture, marine observation, and biotechnology – where accelerating innovation and technological development will support the sustainable Blue Economy and contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Bolstering emerging industries
The EU imports 70% of its seafood and is responsible for around 2% of global aquaculture products. Leveraging Europe’s renowned R&D expertise within the sector could help the EU position itself as an aquaculture leader, which will benefit communities and economies. “EMBRC ‘s support can be game-changing in helping the marine aquaculture sector improve their technologies” says Pina.
“EMBRC offers access to robust facilities for feed trial studies, microbiome studies, up-scaling, quality and nutritional assessment studies, selective breeding, genetic studies, and testing innovative disease-control approaches.”
EMBRC brings together a catalogue of marine biological resources and a portfolio of technological platforms to identify, isolate, and characterise new molecules that could lead to the development of innovative solutions for pharmacology, supplements, food additives and feed. Researchers from the private sector are welcome to exploit our multidisciplinary expertise by performing genomic and chemical analysis, bioactivity tests, and taking advantage of access to our facilities for up-scaling their production. The research infrastructure will also create a network of Core Facilities, dedicated to advancing high-impact, reproducible research.
EMBRC also hopes to work with more companies that can use its data and expertise – for example, genomics data generated through EMO BON, the marine omics biodiversity observatory – to improve environmental monitoring and impact assessments. This knowledge could help companies meet environmental and sustainability reporting requirements, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
Benefits of closer collaborations
By facilitating more cooperation between academia and the private sector, EMBRC will support researchers in the development of sustainable technologies that address global environmental challenges.
Working with EMBRC allows industry partners to ensure their innovations are science-based and reduces the risk involved in developing new technologies. Engaging directly with researchers from the private sector enables the EMBRC community to adapt more quickly to their scientific needs. Industry stakeholders benefit from access to science and technology experts who can help them develop their proof of concept and increase their innovation’s Technology Readiness Level.
Find out more
Industry partners who are interested in accessing EMBRC’s services can find more information here.
