The Bioga cluster will coordinate BIOCHAINS Atlantic, funded with 1.8 million euros from the EU, and will also participate in CLIRAQUA, which seeks to strengthen aquaculture resilience against climate change.

The Life Sciences Technological Business Cluster (Bioga), which brings together more than 130 entities from the Galician biotechnological ecosystem, will play a leading role in two major initiatives of the European Interreg Atlantic Area program, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This program promotes cooperation between Atlantic regions of Spain, Portugal, France, and Ireland to address common challenges.

Bioga, chaired by José Manuel López Vilariño, will coordinate the BIOCHAINS Atlantic project. With a budget of 1.86 million euros, its goal is to optimize and strengthen the microalgae and macroalgae value chains along the Atlantic coast. This initiative will contribute to the development of the blue bioeconomy by mapping stakeholders and regulatory challenges, creating digital resource management models, and validating prototypes applicable to sectors such as food or cosmetics. The project aims to improve the competitiveness of SMEs, promote innovation, and consolidate market opportunities to foster sustainable growth in the Atlantic area.

Joining Bioga in BIOCHAINS Atlantic are six main partners: ANFACO-CYTMA and GLECEX (Spain), CATAA and WeDoTech (Portugal), Biotech Santé Bretagne (France), and the Munster Technological University (Ireland). Eleven other entities join as associate partners, including the CIM of the Universidade de Vigo, DomusVi, Viratec, BlueBio Alliance, and Algolesko, alongside stakeholders from Portugal, France, and Ireland.

Meanwhile, Bioga will also serve as a strategic partner in CLIRAQUA, a project led by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Chemistry and Biology (CICA) of the Universidade da Coruña, with a budget of 1.96 million euros. This initiative seeks to strengthen the resilience of Atlantic aquaculture against climate change through ecosystem-based technological solutions, such as multitrophic aquaculture, the use of halophytes, the restoration of marine habitats, and the implementation of early warning systems to detect diseases.

CLIRAQUA will develop a repository of climate and ecological data, vulnerability maps, and management protocols. All these tools will be available to producers, researchers, policymakers, and local communities to advance toward a safer, more efficient, and sustainable aquaculture.

Committed and Optimistic

“The actors that make up the biotechnology ecosystem in Galicia are committed to and excited about these two projects, which will enhance the value of resources on the Galician coast and help improve their habitats in the face of climate change,” noted López Vilariño.