info@valorish.eu
On Thursday, July 17, 2025, the Circularis Biocluster held its first internal workshop online. This session brought partners together from EU-funded projects ONE EARTH, PROMISEANG and VALORISH to exchange technical updates and early-stage findings, all aimed at promoting the sustainable conversion of agri-food by-products into valuable bio-based products.
Early Insights from ONE EARTH
Following a brief welcome from the cluster coordinators, the workshop launched into its first session, showcasing early research outcomes from the ONE EARTH project.
Researchers Lorenzo Bertin (UNIPM), Sebastian Wendeborn (FHNW), Yamini Satyawali (VITO), and Anna Laura Eusebi (UNIVPM) presented work on the characterization of agri-food side streams and the initial transformation of cheese whey into polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), compounds with promising applications in health and animal nutrition. Additional efforts focused on converting chicken feathers and fish scales into bioactive peptides and organic fertilizers.
VALORISH Technical highlights: Extraction and Hydrolysis
During the second part of the session, Laura Oleaga (PESCANOVA) and Borja Lagoa (ANFACO) from the VALORISH project showcased work on fish oil extraction technologies, including Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES), subcritical water extraction, and supercritical CO₂. These techniques are being optimized efficiently recover high-value compounds from complex waste streams such as fish oil hydrolysates.
They also highlighted progress in fermentation hydrolysis of fish by-products to produce fish protein hydrolysates. These hydrolysates are nutrient-rich products with potential applications in livestock feed, human nutrition and soil improvement. A recurring theme was the need to tailor processes to the unique properties of diverse feedstocks, an area all three projects are actively addressing through collaborative R&D.
PROMISEANG’s updates
Eloy Miranda (UVIGO) provided an overview of recent achievements within the PROMISEANG project, which is focused on valorising marine-based by-products. The team has identified promising raw materials—including fish residues and macroalgae—for fermentation-based ingredient production.
Furthermore, PROMISEANG is working toward the production of high-value protein extracts and additional non-protein compounds like polyphenols and chitosan. These ingredients will be valuable in different food, feed and non-food applications.
What’s next?
This starting internal session marks a key milestone for the Circularis Biocluster. By aligning strategies and sharing technical progress, the participating projects are paving the way for more efficient, circular bio-based value chains that respond to real-world industrial needs.
Looking forward, the cluster will soon announce its first external workshop. This upcoming session will open the conversation to a broader community of stakeholders, researchers, and industry players eager to connect and collaborate. Stay tuned for more updates.