Blue biotechnology
Vision 2030
New innovations and cooperation between sectors make use of technology to develop new products from marine biota, creating livelihoods and supporting employment in the archipelago and coastal regions.
The graph illustrates the main operations of the sector in the different zones of the marine area today and in 2030
Description
Blue biotechnology examines diverse marine species and seeks to find opportunities to use them in the development of new products, such as chemicals, food products, wellbeing products (e.g. food supplements and cosmetics), pharmaceuticals and energy sources.
With regard to marine biomasses, biotechnology makes it possible to use less valuable fish, fish farming side streams, microalgae, macroalgae, mussels and common reed, for example. Blue biotechnology is based on the technological use of biomasses and a high level of added value. Blue biotechnology can also be used to improve the state of the marine environment by removing nutrients from the sea with biomass.
Blue biotechnology is a new and emerging sector. Sufficient resources for research, innovation and the development of operating methods are prerequisites for growth in the sector. Blue biotechnology is closely linked to other sectors, such as fishing and aquaculture, and cooperation between various operators creates favourable conditions for the further development of the sector. The development of the sector calls for infrastructure investments, such as investments in new processing plants for using the side streams of fishing.
In marine areas, operations related to blue biotechnology can be located in conjunction with aquaculture plants and fishing operations, for example. Effective infrastructure in marine areas and between the sea and the mainland – such as the location of biomass production and collection areas, logistics routes, unloading sites and further processing facilities – creates favourable conditions for operations.
Roadmap
– Development of high added value products (e.g. bio-oil, new food products, proteins, bioactive peptides, biogas, the use of fish bones and scales)
– Support for industrial symbioses
– Promoting cooperation across technology and industry boundaries
– Support and sufficient funding for research and innovation programmes and experiments
– Using less valuable fish and the side streams from domestic fish catches
• Development of fishing technologies, e.g. the use of artificial intelligence
• Investments in infrastructure, e.g. processing plants
• Productisation
Background information
Synergies and conflicts
View the Synergies and conflicts table for all industries.
Ecosystem services
Blue biotechnology uses at least the following ecosystem services produced by the marine ecosystem:
– Production services: fish and other marine organisms, microalgae, macroalgae and other biomasses, e.g. common reed
– Maintenance and regulation service: habitats, carbon sequestration
– Factors affecting ecosystem services: e.g. the purity, temperature and lighting conditions of fry production areas
(For more information about ecosystem services, see the report on the premises of maritime spatial planning, for example)
Current trends
– The sector is new and is in an early development stage. Preliminary calculations have been made on the profitability of fish side stream processes, and based on the calculations, the business opportunities are promising.
– The sector has growth opportunities in Finland, because of Finnish expertise in technology, the circular economy and the chemical industry, as well as the country’s long coastline and extensive archipelago.
– Blue biotechnology can provide solutions to global environmental challenges through energy, food and other bioproducts produced using blue biotechnology.
