Finanziaria Ligure per lo Sviluppo Economico – FILSE S.p.A.

Genova, Vigo

Liguria, Galicia

EcoeFISHent demonstrates a replicable systemic and sustainable cluster for territorial deployment of the climate-neutral circular economy by creating six multilevel and synergic circular value chains (CVC) interconnecting blue- and green-economies to reconcile human industrial and economic activities with marine ecosystems and marine protected areas.

The EcoeFISHent innovative biomass pre-treatment and extraction technologies will enable sustainable and efficient exploitation of fish processing side streams (FPS) by obtaining bio-actives and galantine for high-value-added food supplements and skin care products, and biodegradable and compostable barrier layers for food packaging. Other fishing- and fish industry side streams (FFS) will undergo the Black Soldier Fly bioconversion to yield innovative soil fertiliser, oil for biodiesel and chitin for cosmetic applications. End of life fishing nets from aquaculture and fisheries will be recycled and converted into automotive polymer-based components and into packaging for cosmetic products.

The multilevel interconnected cluster will be managed by a cloud-based platform communicating with physical IoT systems enabling safe and efficient operation of the logistic and transport infrastructure. The cluster business model and the cluster digital twin will allow simulating critical and optimal scenarios for quantitative analysis of cluster performance measured by dedicated KPIs, also enabling the assessment of the cluster replicability in other geographic areas and fostering investments pipelines.

Community and stakeholders’ involvement will be promoted also in the implementation of specific actions for marine ecosystem preservation by modelling, application of better practices and technologies for strongly reducing by-catch and for stopping ghost gears. Social and justice inclusion programmes will be implemented by employing disadvantaged individuals to increase overall cluster employment and to apply distributive justice criteria.

1. Two industrial scale pilots for side stream pre-treatment allowing the exploitation of valuable components in FFS (D.2.2 – WP2);
2. one pilot for larva breeding (D3.4 - WP3);
3. stakeholders’ engagement for ghost gear recovery and sustainable fishing techniques implementation (D5.1 – WP5);
4. industrial scale pilot for bioactive extraction to be used in cosmetic and nutraceutical products (D3.1 - WP3);
5. monitoring and management platform for the implementation and widening of the territorial cluster (connecting the nodes and monitoring the flows) (d1.5 – WP5).
6. Digital Twin for replicability in other territories (D6.1 – WP6);
7. prototype/sample products in different field: cosmetics, nutraceutics, food, automotive, packaging, agriculture, energy (D3.7, D3.8, D3.9 – WP3) (D4.1, D4.2, D4.3, D4.4, D4.5, D4.6, D4.7, D4.8, D4.9 – WP4).

• Territorial industrial symbiosis;
• multi-circular value chains to reach zero waste and 100 % circularity;
• connection between environmental, ecosystem, social and economic issues and challenges;
• needs to involve local authority for updating regulatory issues allowing the implementation of new processes;
• need to reach economic and environmental sustainability of the new industrial ecosystem in order to assure the continuity over time and to involve new
• pushing the request of new regulation, new products and new systems based on circular approach for the end users (consumers, citizens, retailers, fishermen).

• Share information and knowledge of the project with CCRI-CSO;
• take an active part in CCRI support activities of Pilot and Fellow cities and regions;
• participate in CCRI events;
• innovative CSS on innovative biomass pre-treatment and extraction technologies;
• participate in CCRI webinars and thematic working groups;
• guidelines for regulatory adaptation on the new requests and mythologies of CCS;
• innovative use of bioconversion;
• stakeholders’ engagement and nudging methodology to support the adoption of new value chains and new industrial ecosystem;
• experience in systemic cluster replicability in Europe and Africa.

Stakeholder agreement of sustainable fishing methods, on the recovery of fishing nets from seabed  and the collection of fishing nets to transform them in new products and materials.

Main bottleneck is the regulation for transportation (inbound and outbound) and for receiving side streams coming from fish indsutry, whicha re considered animal by-products and have specific regulatory procedures.

Regulation related to End of Waste.

EcoeFISHent proposes to probe the feasibility of a ‘green bond’ issued by one or more partners for financing the project’s unfunded expenses, as well as supporting partner in the exploitation.

A description of some of the environmental outputs/outcomes generated directly or indirectly by the project:

• implementing eco-design approach to assure the lowest environmental footprint;
• promoting marine ecosystem protection and regeneration through the action of avoiding or lowering by-catch rates, cleaning seabed from ghost gears and avoiding further marine discard;
• reducing the biomass wasted by 90 %;
• avoiding landfilling large amounts of polystyrene (350 000 tonnes/y in EU);
• EcoeFISHent shows a reduction of GHG emissions in terms of GWP in the order of 25.7 % and an average of 57 % in reduction of environmental impacts in all considered impact categories in the bioactive extraction process;
• BioFoam® shows a reduction of 40 % CO2 emission compared to EPS.
• recycled PA6/PA66 declared a saving equal of 90 % in Global warming potential (kg CO2 eq) and a reduction of 65 % in Gross Energy Requirement (MJ-eq).

A description of some of the social outputs/outcomes generated directly or indirectly by the project.

• hiring disadvantaged people to be allocated to the collection and transport of side streams;
• support local communities’ livelihoods relying on blue bio-economy and to apply ethical principles and the principle of distributive justice;
• local solution for collecting, storing and recycling aquaculture and fishing nets;
• consumers and citizens: to be involved in new responsible practices.

A description of some of the environmental outputs/outcomes generated directly or indirectly by the project:

• implementing eco-design approach to assure lowest environmental footprint;
• promoting marine ecosystem protection and regeneration through the action avoiding or lowering by-catch rates, cleaning seabed from ghost gears and avoiding further marine discard;
• reducing the biomass wasted by 90 %;
• avoiding landfilling large amounts of polystyrene (350 000 tonnes/y in EU);
• EcoeFISHent shows a reduction of GHG emissions in terms of GWP in the order of 25.7 % and an average of 57 % in reduction of environmental impacts in all considered impact categories in the bioactive extraction process;
• BioFoam® shows a reduction of 40 % CO2 emission compared to EPS. Recycled PA6/PA66 declared a saving equal to 90 % in Global warming potential (kg CO2 eq) and a reduction of 65 % in Gross Energy Requirement (MJ-eq).

Industries, Citizens, Retailers

Moreover, other fishing industry side streams will be converted into soil fertilisers, oil for biodiesel, and chitin for cosmetic applications. Even old fishing nets will find new life through their conversion into polymer-based automotive components and packaging for cosmetic products. The EcoeFISHent project’s overall aim is to demonstrate a replicable, systemic and sustainable cluster for the territorial deployment of a climate-neutral CE.

• European Business and Innovation Centre Network AISBL, Belgium
• Federazione Nazionale Cooperative Della Pesca Associazione, Italy
• Cooperativa Armatori Motopescherecci Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy
• Aqua Società Agricola Srl, Italy
• Coop Italia – Societa' Cooperativa Scrl, Italy
• Generale Conserve Societa Per Azioni, Italy
• Omnia Consorzio Opportunità Lavorative Società Consortile in Forma di Cooperativa Sociale Onlus, Italy
• Cooperativa Sociale Il Rastrello Società Cooperativa A Responsabilità Limitata - Onlus, Italy
• Azienda Multiservizi e D'igiene Urbana Genova S.P.A., Italy
• Ge.Am. – Gestioni Ambientali Spa, Italy
• Themis Spa. Italy
• Università Degli Studi Di Genova, Italy
• Angel Consulting Sas Di Matteo Zanotti Russo & C, Italy
• Asociacion Nacional De Fabricantes De Conservas De Pescados y Mariscos-Centro Tecnico Nacional De Conservacion De Productos De La Pesca, Spain
• Nofima AS, Norway
• Nasekomo AD, Bulgaria
• Consorzio Per La Promozione Della Cultura Plastica Proplast, Italy
• Aimplas – Asociacion De Investigacion De Materiales Plasticos y Conexas, Spain
• Green Evolution - Soc Coop, Italy
• I.C.S.S. Industria Cartaria Santo Spirito Spa, Italy
• Gomeh Solutions Ltd, Israel
• Limhealth Srl, Italy
• WWF Italia, Italy
• Panel Of Eminent Development Consultants Limited, Kenya
• Tecnologie Innovative Per Il Controllo Ambientale E Lo Sviluppo Sostenibile Società Consortile A Responsabilità Limitata, Italy
• Micamo Srl, Italy
• Cloud – Consulting And Production It Integration Ltd, Israel
• Wiise Srl, Italy
• Bar Ilan University, Israel
• Ardes Srl, Italy
• Consorzio Di Gestione Dell'area Marina Protetta Del Promontorio Di Portofino, Italy
• Consorzio Per Il Centro Interuniversitario Di Biologia Marina Ed Ecologia Applicata G. Bacci, Italy
• Syspro Automation SL, Spain
• Le Pouvoir Des Idees, France
• Agenzia Regionale Per La Protezione Dell'ambiente Ligure - Arpal, Italy
• Saes Getters S.p.A., Italy
• Project Sas Di Massimo Perucca, Italy