Milestone reached: GEOMAR led Interreg-Baltic Sea Region project brings first natural cosmetics product on the market

The #Baltic Blue Biotechnology Alliance (ALLIANCE), a transnational consortium encompassing ca. 30 partners from the Baltic Sea Region (BSR)’s leading marine and biotechnology research institutes as well as business support organisations and blue biotechnology companies, achieved its first blue bioproduct success.

Selected through an idea pitching to an international panel and enrolled in the ALLIANCE mentoring programme since October 2016, the Estonian company Furcella OÜ recently launched the “Berrichi” cosmetic product line (https://www.berrichi.ee/), a portfolio of facial creams formulated with key antioxidant ingredient Furcellaran originating from the Baltic red alga Furcellaria lumbricalis.

Benefitting from the mentoring system and the network provided by the ALLIANCE Consortium, Furcella OÜ liaised with suppliers of the raw algal material from the BSR and received further support on cosmetics marketing and regulation. Further collaboration with ALLIANCE partners is under way to find a “blue” solution such as algae-based bioplastics for packaging their cosmetic products. This initial success story demonstrates the dynamic, transnational and transdisciplinary cooperation between different blue biotechnology actors taking place in the BSR within the ALLIANCE project and shows how effective joining forces can be.

The ALLIANCE service offer and network is expanding and more success stories are expected. Promising case studies currently enrolled in the ALLIANCE are searching for solutions in areas such as medical devices, food and feed, biofuels or environmental monitoring technology.

Currently a new ALLIANCE call for ideas is open, which invites all start-ups, spin-offs, SMEs and business with a marine biobased product idea to apply for the ALLIANCE mentoring programme (www.balticbluebioalliance.eu). The deadline for submission is 5. March 2018 and selected applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas in Copenhagen, Denmark on 10. April 2018.