Researchers from MARE lead a proposal for a European Centre of Excellence in aquatic biotechnology.

The European Centre of Excellence (CoE) in aquatic biotechnology, environment and energy technologies (AQUA-TECH) was one of the proposals selected under the European university alliance E³UDRES². It brings together a total of 14 researchers from MARE’s Regional Research Unit at the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (MARE-IPS), along with researchers from universities within the E³UDRES² consortium: MATE – Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Polytechnic University of Timișoara (Romania), St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (Austria), and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Latvia).

The creation of this CoE is part of MARE’s internationalisation strategy, strengthened by its regional research unit at IPS, aimed at establishing a European research network in aquatic biotechnology, environment and energy technologies. This distinction represents not only recognition of the quality of research carried out by MARE-IPS and the extension of CoastNet to this regional research unit, but also an opportunity to deepen international collaborations and actively contribute to sustainable solutions with regional and European impact.

AQUA-TECH is represented by MARE/ARNET's researcher Ricardo Salgado, whose research focuses on Environmental and Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture, more specifically on wastewater treatment and the valorisation and enhancement of the quality of marine-derived products with added value, such as macroalgae, halophyte plants and oysters.