ACCELERATION PROGRAM DEDICATED TO A NEW BLUE ECONOMY
BLUE BIO VALUE SECOND EDITION
NEW STARTUP PROJECTS JOINING FROM 9 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
/ 15 companies from 9 nationalities selected for the second edition of the Blue Bio Value Acceleration Program
/ 5 of the 15 participating startups come from Portugal
/ Second edition attracted more than double the amount of the 2018 nominations
LISBON, 8 October 2019 – The Oceano Azul Foundation and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation announce today the launch of the second edition of Blue Bio Value, an acceleration program for companies linked to the blue bioeconomy. In this second edition, of which more than 110 applications were submitted, 15 startups from nine countries (Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom and India) were selected.
Over the next five weeks, the selected companies will:
/ Validate the technology they have developed;
/ Acquire management skills and lay the foundation for sustainable and economically viable new business development so that they can compete in a global market;
/ Access a unique network of national and international mentors, expert partners from various industries and potential clients and investors.
Start-ups participating in the Blue Bio Value program will also be paid allowances of up to € 7,500. In addition to this financial support, stand out companies during the acceleration process may receive a prize of 45,000 € for the development of their projects.
Promoted by the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in partnership with Fábrica de Startups, the Bluebio Alliance and Faber Ventures, the Blue Bio Value program is also supported this year by Impact Hub and ESB – Catholic University of Porto’s Biotechnology School, which will host the companies during these five weeks. Program promoters and partners believe that the blue bioeconomy will play a crucial role in addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the world today. Some of the startups of this edition are already doing so by investing in the development of bioremediation solutions for wastewater treatment, cosmetic products made with algae from the Azores, biofertilizers for agriculture or natural and biodegradable glitter.
“We exceeded all our expectations by more than doubling the number of applications received and were able to attract projects from 21 different nationalities, which confirms our belief that Portugal is a serious candidate for leadership in the transition to a blue bioeconomy, and we believe this is already happening, ”says Miguel Herédia, from the Oceano Azul Foundation.
For Filipa Saldanha of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, “In this 2nd edition, we received a huge variety of market applications. This diversity of proposals indicates that the blue bioeconomy, which proposes a new economic model, is definitely a key element in the transition to more sustainable value chains from various economic sectors, both nationally and globally. ”
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