The Algarve Collaborative Laboratories GreenCoLAB, of the Association for the Development of Green Ocean Technologies and Products – Oceano Verde Association, and S2AQUA, of the Association for a Sustainable and Smart Aquaculture, will see the funding they receive under CRESC Algarve 2020 reinforced.
This decision by the Algarve Operational Program Directive Commission aims to "accelerate productive innovation, increasing the levels of technological intensity and knowledge in the value chains of the regional economy", according to the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission.
«The Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB) are instruments to reinforce competitiveness, promoting the articulation between the institutions of the scientific and technological system and the business fabric, the transfer and incorporation of knowledge, the consolidation and dissemination of productive innovation and the animation of the ecosystem of innovation, seeking to combine the production of scientific knowledge with practical application», states the same entity.
GreenCoLAB , a collaborative platform between research and industry, brings together several institutional partners, such as the Sea Science Center (CCMAR) of the University of Algarve (UALG), the National Laboratory for Energy and Geology (LNEG) and the University of Aveiro (UA), and four companies, namely Allmicroalgae, Necton, Algaplus and Sparos, «proposing to accelerate industrial and market development in the areas of food and feed, CO2 sequestration and mitigation, wastewater treatment and use of biofertilizers for soil recovery'.
S2 AQUA integrates the following scientific institutions: Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPM), UALG, CCMAR and Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, and companies and cooperatives in the aquaculture sector: Necton, Sparos, AtlantikFish, Viveiros da Espargueira, Bivalvia, Oceano Fresco, Riasearch, Acuinova, Pisciculture Vale da Lama, Cooperativa Formosa and the Municipality of Olhão.
Implementing “new technological approaches to processes and products in the food industry” is its main objective.
In addition to these two Collaborative Laboratories, there is a third in the Algarve, linked to the tourism sector, the Knowledge to Innovate Professions in Tourism (KIPT), «this one has yet to receive funding».
«As a whole, the CoLABs present in the region have the direct participation of more than four dozen companies, university institutions and research centers and have contributed to attracting around two dozen new highly qualified professionals, supported under the CRESC Algarve 2020 , with funding in the order of 3,4 million euros”, highlights the CCDR.
«In a region where the business fabric is characterized by micro and small companies, which have shown strong constraints to develop R&D activities autonomously, it is important to emphasize the importance of joint projects/co-promotion and clustering dynamics, including around chains of value, which allow us to gain scale of action, bring knowledge centers closer to companies, implement the transfer and circulation of scientific and technological knowledge, ensuring the development of collaborative ecosystems», he adds.
In 2019, expenditure on R&D&I, in the Algarve, «came to 41,3 million euros, which represented only 0,41% of the regional GDP, a proportion much lower than that observed in the country (1,40%) and in the EU28 (2,14%). Although the regional business sector has slightly increased investment in R&D, this dynamic is still far from what is observed at national level (0,74%)».
«As academia and research centers have always been the driving force behind innovation, representing 0,29% of R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP (compared to 0,60% at national level), it is important to strengthen and accelerate cooperation between parties and the transfer and incorporation of knowledge, which CoLABs can increase”, concluded the CCDR of Algarve.
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