1st Seaweed applications – Opportunities and challenges 2019

The conference was organized by our group leader Finn Aachmann and by Øystein Arlov, Anne Tøndervik, Inga Marie Aasen and Håvard Sletta from SINTEF. It took place at Jegtvolden Fjordhotell in Inderøy, a few hours north of Trondheim. Several of the group members attended the conference.

Many aspects of the increasingly relevant seaweed utilization in Norway were addressed. Present at the conference were national and international actors from industry, farming and harvesting, research, funding, food safety authority and an NGO. It was an open atmosphere, and people from all over the “seaweed chain” had interesting conversations and debates. Speakers and debates during the meeting covered topics like cultivation and harvest of seaweed, processing, biorefining, future as well as established products and applications, cooperation and networking, sustainability and food regulations.

Since we are working with a basic science approach to alginate, we found it inspiring to learn more about the seaweed world out there. A lot is happening in this field now and it is an interesting time to be a part of it!