"The sector hasn’t failed to scale— the system hasn’t adapted to value it."

Eva Andrésen
3 hours ago
2 min read

The CEO of Ocean Rainforest, Olavur Gregersen, was invited in his role as coordinator of the Horizon Europe SeaMark project, to participate in the workshop “Algae Solutions for a Thriving Blue Economy” during the European Maritime Day in Cyprus this week.

The discussions reinforced one very clear message: The European seaweed sector has not failed to scale. The system has not yet adapted to value it.

Over the last decade, the EU has invested more than €650 million into algae innovation through 250+ projects. We now have the science, cultivation methods, refinery technologies, breeding programmes and product innovation to scale a competitive European seaweed industry.

Yet many of the products developed through this public investment still face major barriers to market access in Europe.

A striking example is seaweed-based biostimulants for agriculture:

Today, it can be easier and faster to certify a seaweed-based biostimulant made from cultivated seaweed species for the US market than for the EU market itself. Meanwhile, EU policy and research funding have spent years encouraging the transition from wild harvest to cultivated biomass.

This is exactly where Europe needs policy innovation.

Seaweed cultivation can contribute directly to some of Europe’s biggest challenges:

• Food security

• Fertiliser dependency

• Nutrient pollution

• Climate resilience

• Rural and coastal jobs

• Circular bioeconomy development

Seaweed-based biostimulants can help reduce dependency on conventional fertilisers, improve nutrient efficiency and support more resilient agriculture systems.

At the same time, cultivated seaweed delivers ecosystem services that today are still largely unvalued by the market.

The technology is ready.

The biomass can be cultivated.

The companies are ready to scale

The investors are looking for investable cases

What is missing is faster market adaptation and regulatory frameworks that reflect the realities and opportunities of cultivated marine algae biomass at scale.

Europe already has the knowledge and momentum. Now we need implementation.

Because if Europe truly wants sustainable, regenerative solutions for agriculture and healthy food systems, cultivated seaweed must become part of the strategy and not just part of the research agenda.

(Myndir 📸 OceanRainforest.fo)