According to the organiser the event will take a trans-sectoral approach to developing the ingredients from biomarine sources, covering key industries as diverse as cosmetics and personal care, to bioplastics, nutrition, pharmaceuticals and medicine.
The BioMarine Business Convention will be held at the Estoril Congress Center, a short drive from Lisbon, and is being organized by the BioMarine Organization to include a full three-day conference programme, gala dinner, networking opportunities and more.
What the programme offers
In addition to one on one meetings, the organizers are also offering participants the opportunity to meet innovators, investors and government willing to offer comprehensive packages to companies wanting to expand their footprint in the biomarine area.
“Each year, a blue region or a blue city welcomes the convention with a specific angle,” said Pierre Erwes, chairman of the BioMarine Organization.
“Portugal has proven its affinity with ocean related issues and the country is becoming a hub for marine biotechnology. It is no secret to say that many SMEs in Portugal working in the fields of cosmetics, nutraceuticals, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals using marine ingredients.”
The Blue Wave Trend
With agricultural land becoming an increasingly precious commodity, it makes sense to start exploring sustainable means of harvesting and extracting marine materials from the sea.
“Cosmetic and ingredient firms are developing new materials from marine plants, seaweeds, algae, sea minerals, and also low trophic organisms such as bacteria, echinoderms including sea cucumbers and jellyfish. These materials are especially favored by natural cosmetic companies seeking new sources of innovation,” Erwes said.
“High demand for marine ingredients has led to the increase in new raw material suppliers specializing in such products: the Australian firm “Venus Shell” has developed a novel range of ingredients derived from seaweed; “Jellagen”, a marine biotech company based in Wales (UK), is harvesting jelly fish; and the Mexican based company “Coco Chavida” is using sea cucumber collagen for advanced dermo-cosmetic applications.”
The role of biotechnology
One of the key tools to harvesting marine materials and producing ingredients from them is biotechnology, which is helping to make the process clean, efficient and potentially very profitable.
According to Erwes, cosmetics brands that have already embraced biomarine ingredients include Coco Chavida, Seppic, Buggy Power, Taramar, DCP dermo, which have been included in formulas as a means of providing novel new ingredients that are also sustainably sourced.
“Coco Chavida has set up sustainable aquaculture farms in Mexico and Tahiti to produce sea cucumbers for its natural cosmetics. For each sea cucumber harvested four are going back to the lagoon for natural repopulation. Around the world, many partnerships are being developed,” Erwes said.
The future is blue
Because the biomarine industry has evolved in an era where environmental impact and footprint are crucial elements, this has meant that the industry has had to evolve along lines that carefully incorporate these elements into all processes.
“Manufacturers have been diversifying sourcing to guarantee that raw materials were taken or grown in the purest waters. Many brands have adopted environmentally friendly practices, and activities are based in pristine waters,” Erwes said.
“Companies have therefore developed partnerships with communities to make sure that the entire process complies with the BioMarine label, especially with regards to socio-economic externalities.”