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Agenda

2 October, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Online

Casa Africa C. Alfonso XIII, 5, 35003 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain

9:30 - 9:50 | Welcome message
Luis Serra Majem

Rector ULPGC

Miguel Hidalgo

Consejero Sector Primario y Seguridad Alimentaria, Cabildo de Gran Canaria

José Segura Clavel

Director General Casa Africa

Celine Rebours

Møreforsking AS

Organized by

Flavio Guidi

Department of Biotechnolgy, Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias

Juan Gómez Pinchetti

Banco Español de Algas

Dr. Joaquin Ortiz Cortés

Macrocarbon

Rafael Robaina

ULPGC

Moderator

Lorraine Gallagher

The Seaweed Company

Maeve Edwards

Irish Seaweed Consultancy

Ines Oliveira

ALGAplus

Martins Lastovskis

Submariner Network

Moderator

Vagner Morais

BGT Consulting Group

Oriane Georges

F6S Tech

Luis Lombana

Ficosterra

Daniel Silva

F6S Tech

Moderator

Organized by

Alejandro Baez

Cabildo de Gran Canaria

Javier Franco Hormiga

Director Agencia Canaria de Investigación

Rafael Robaina Romero

Moderator

Eduardo Portillo Hannfiedl

Deprtament of Biotechnolgy, ITC

Rafael Robaina Romero

Universidad De Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, ULPGC

Jessica Knoop

NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

Ilse Fraeye

KU Leuven

Kaat Vanhegen

VIVES University of Applied Sciences

Modarator

Caterina Verde

European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, EISMEA

Rafael Robaina Romero

Universidad De Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, ULPGC

Daniel Silva

F6S Tech

Organized by

Address: C. Alfonso XIII, 5, 35003 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain

Casa Africa

Speakers

Céline Rebours

Dr. Rebours is a senior researcher at Møreforsking AS (Norway) and worked on production and products development the last 28 years both in the industry and academia. She has an interest in environmental, financial and social assessments of aquaculture and focuses on risks to ecosystems and carbon footprint. Her main expertise lies in low-trophic level organisms (e.g. algae, echinoderms) and the study of integrated sea and land-based production systems.

Rafael Robaina Romero

(Ph.D., ORCID: 0000-0003-4265-5809)

is Full Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. His research focuses on the physiology and reproductive biology of marine plants and macroalgae, especially Grateloupia imbricata. He has published widely on carrageenan biosynthesis, jasmonate and ethylene signaling, and algal transcriptomics in leading journals. He has coordinated European and national research projects, including the EU-funded PHYCOMORPH network, advancing fundamental seaweed biology as well as applied approaches for biotechnology and marine ecosystem restoration.

Daniel Silva

coordinator of the I3-4-SEAWEED project, is a senior project manager with an extensive background in project management and innovation. Currently, he works at F6S as a project manager and coordinator, leading F6S participation in 4 EU projects taking the role of coordinator, FSTP manager, WP leader, and business advisor. His career also spans business development and consultancy roles, emphasizing business strategy and innovation management.

Joaquin Ortiz Cortes

A biologist with a master’s degree in Toxicology, he obtained his doctoral degree in biological oceanography from the GEOMAR marine research institute in Kiel, Germany. With extensive research experience in the fields of artificial upwelling & ocean alkalinity enhancement, he joined MacroCarbon from its inception in 2023 as Head of Research, shifting the focus towards large scale seaweed aquaculture to produce sustainable fuels and materials. MacroCarbon S.L. is a Canary Islands-based company made up of an international team of specialists in algae ecology and the carbon cycle, as well as biomass processing and transformation.

Ilse Fraeye

Ilse Fraeye obtained her master’s degree in 2004 and her PhD in 2009, both at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at KU Leuven. Since 2012, she is affiliated to the research group ‘Meat Technology and Science of Protein-rich Foods (MTSP)’ at KU Leuven Campus Ghent, where she is an associate professor. She is a co-author of over 70 peer-reviewed A1 publications and a (co-)promotor of 6 finished and 7 ongoing PhD’s. She teaches several courses in food science and technology at the Faculties of Engineering Technology and Bioscience Engineering of KU Leuven.

Juan Luis Gómez Pinchetti

Professor at the Faculty of Marine Sciences, scientific director of the Spanish Bank of Algae, and member of the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. His main research interests focus on the biotechnology, physiology, and cultivation of marine micro- and macroalgae. He has extensive experience in laboratory- and pilot-scale cultivation of marine macroalgae, microalgae, and cyanobacteria. His research objectives include the physiological and biochemical characterization, transformation, and applications of algal biomass.

Alejandro Báez

I have currently served as Director of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries for the Gran Canaria Island Council since 2018.
I have been a marine biologist for the Gran Canaria Island Council since 2004, dedicated to promoting sustainable artisanal fishing and, in particular, aquaculture on the island.
From 2003 to 1997, I worked as a consultant and production manager at aquaculture facilities in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and La Gomera.
From 1992 to 1998, I developed and participated in research projects at the University of La Laguna on marine reserves, fisheries biology studies, heavy metal content in deep-sea sharks, and more.

Oriane Georges

Oriane Georges is a Marine Scientist and Bio-industries Engineer dedicated to environmental preservation. She has been working for the past few years on R&D&I EU projects related to marine, environmental, and ecosystems restoration as a Project Manager, Communication Manager, Work Package leader, and Open Call Manager within Blue economy sectors. 

Vagner Morais

Vagner Morais is director of BGT Consulting Group – a Brussels-based innovation, research and advisory company, specializing in strategic growth, ventures and innovation funding, with a track-record of over 50M raised in the last years. He is a seasoned innovation, and growth funding advisor with over 15 years of experience within global corporations and international/European organizations. Vagner has led and been involved in the advisory and fundraising for more than 50 start-ups and SMEs from a wide range of industries, in particular deeptech, industrial and low carbon technologies. He holds an engineering degree and a postgraduate qualification from the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, as well as an MBA from London Business School. He is board member of the Belgian-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, and a venture partner in a search fund, with focus on entrepreneurship through acquisition. His main interests lie at the intersection of innovation, funding and scale-up strategies, and regional innovation ecosystems.

Lorraine Gallagher

Dynamic Operations and Aquaculture industry professional with over 15 years of experience spanning leadership, market development, and corporate buying. Currently Head of Operations at The Seaweed Company and Interim Board Member of the Irish Seaweed Association, with a proven track record in scaling sustainable aquaculture and driving international market growth. Formerly Market Development Manager UK & IE at ASC and Corporate Buyer for Fresh Fish & Seafood at Aldi Ireland, bringing deep expertise in supply chain management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability strategy.

Caterina Verde

Caterina Verde is a policy and project expert with over 18 years of experience in the EU institutions and private sector. As a Project Adviser at EISMEA, she is of the Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3 Instrument) team. I3 Instrument is a flagship EU funding initiative supporting innovation-driven value chains across regions. Her career spans EU policy and legal affairs, including strategic programme coordination, stakeholder engagement, evaluation and monitoring procedures, and project development within the domains of research, innovation, and sustainability. She holds a degree in Law and a postgraduate degree in European Legal Studies, and is qualified as an Italian lawyer.

Kaat Vanhegen

I am a bioscience engineer and researcher at the Food Processing research group of VIVES University College (Belgium), specializing in innovative plant-based ingredients with a particular focus on seaweed. My work explores the impact of post-harvest processing on the nutritional, sensorial, and functional properties of seaweed, alongside product development using seaweed as a key ingredient. By bridging scientific knowledge with practical applications, we aim to demonstrate seaweed’s potential as a sustainable, versatile food resource. At VIVES, our mission is to support and inspire food companies to create innovative, healthy and future-proof food products.

Jessica Knoop

Jessica Knoop is an applied phycologist at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research in the Netherlands with the vision to utilise seaweeds as a sustainable bioressource. Her research focuses on advancing fundamental knowledge in seaweed ecology and physiology to optimise land-based, nearshore and offshore cultivation practices as well as the biochemical composition of seaweed biomass enabling high-value applications. While working with kelps (Saccharina latissima, Alaria esculenta, Undaria pinnatifida) and green algae (Ulva spp.), a major interest lies in life cycle control in red algae, particularly Porphyra spp. and Palmaria palmata.

Inês Oliveira

Inês holds an MSc in Marine Sciences/Resources from the University of Porto. Since joining ALGAplus in 2021, she has contributed to seaweed cultivation, strain improvement, and domestication of novel species. As an innovation technician, she also manages Portuguese and European R&D projects, including Seamark and I3-4-Seaweed. Inês has presented her work at national and international conferences and contributed to high-impact publications in the field, combining hands-on expertise with strategic project leadership in sustainable marine biotechnology. She is about to embark on a new PhD journey in partnership with the University of Aveiro and ALGAplus, focusing on seaweed production and valorisation.

Maeve Edwards

Maeve Edwards holds a PhD in macroalgal cultivation and has been working with red and brown seaweeds since 2002. She has specialised in applied phycological research and her work always strives to advance the scalability of seaweed production from research concept to commercial scale. In 2013 she co-founded the Irish Seaweed Consultancy to provide business-based solutions around seaweed as well as being involved in EU research projects such as I3-4-Seaweed. More recently, she has been developing ISC into a commercial seaweed hatchery to produce seeded string and nets for supply to the Irish (and EU) industry.

Flavio Guidi

Head of section at ITC Biotechnology Department, Flavio is responsible for company incubation in Blue Biotechnology, Aquaculture and Water Technologies at Pozo Izquierdo. He earned a PhD in Environmental Sciences (University of Bologna, Italy), specializing in aquatic microbial ecology and interactions between toxic microalgae and bacteria. Later, he advanced as R&D chief in a company producing microalgae-based nutraceuticals. His current research focuses on developing and optimizing sustainable processes for algae production in industrial applications, emphasizing alternative sources of water and nutrients (wastewater, brine, flue gases) to enhance both water and energy efficiency.

Luis Lombana

is the Founder and CEO of Ficosterra, with over 20 years of experience leading innovation in cleantech sectors, including water, environmental monitoring, wind energy, and agro-biotech. He specializes in transforming business models through high-performance teams and strategic leadership. Luis co-founded Exten Control (acquired in 2011) and founded Envirodata, focused on integrated water cycle management. His international expertise as a CEO and business developer has made him a trusted voice in environmental strategy and sustainable growth. Luis brings deep insight and entrepreneurial vision to every stage, inspiring change across industries facing global environmental challenges.

Lluís Serra Majem

Rectorado: Sede Institucional de la ULPGC, calle Juan de Quesada, 30
Licenciado (1982) y Doctor (1987) en Medicina y Cirugía por la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Sus líneas de investigación incluyen el estudio de la nutrición como determinante de la salud pública, la epidemiología nutricional y la obesidad, las políticas públicas de alimentación y nutrición y la dieta mediterránea como patrón alimentario saludable y sostenible, entre otras.
Ha dirigido 45 tesis doctorales. Es autor de más de 700 artículos científicos indexados y 80 libros y está entre los 100 científicos más citados (más de 50.000 citas) en España y el primero en Canarias con un índice H de 100.
Coordinador del Grupo de Nutrición y Toxicología de Las Palmas del CIBER OBN del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (2012-2025) y miembro del Comité Directivo de sus dos estudios más emblemáticos: el PREDIMED y el PREDIMED PLUS.
Fue director del Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas de la ULPGC desde el año 1997 hasta el 2010.