With the start of the new year 2023, the new research and innovation projects at EPC also begin. While TETRAS is part of the well known INTERREG Baltic Sea Program, EPC has now also been able to acquire national funding from the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Food with LandStarK.
TETRAS -Technology transfEr for Thriving Recirculating Aquaculture Systems in the Baltic Sea Region:
The TETRAS project addresses a well-known issue in the Baltic Sea region: much of the excess water or energy consumed in the industry is lost to the environment. What if we could capture these resources and use them for food production? How can we use water intelligently to balance the needs of industry with state-of-the-art food production systems? The solution is called RAS: recirculating aquaculture systems. On their own, RAS are expensive and energy-intensive. However, as an industrial "add-on," RAS can be highly efficient methods of food production. For example, in combination with geothermal heat exchange, water reuse (e.g., so-called "engineered" water), or agro-aqua symbioses such as aquaponics. In addition to food, RAS creates additional revenue streams, such as byproducts for use in cosmetics, bioplastics, fertilizers, or biogas. TETRAS will demonstrate how RAS can be placed in strategic geographic locations or combined with industrial processes to increase efficiency while producing affordable, healthy food. The partnership will jointly develop regional pilots and standardized tools for municipalities to evaluate and monitor RAS applications and match them with appropriate industries.
Partners: Klaipeda Science and Technology Park (LT - coordinator), SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG (DE), Klaipeda University (LT), Blue Research ApS (DK), Ida-Viru Investment Agency (EE), Guldborgsund Municipality (DK), University of Gdansk (PL), Business Lolland-Falster (DK), University of Wismar (DE), AB Linas Agro Group (LT).
LandStarK - Strengthening cultural and creative industries as drivers of socio-ecological transformation in rural areas:
The envisaged project "LandStarK" sees itself as the establishment of a methodical and practicable lighthouse for enabling and revitalising cultural and creative activities as well as participation in rural areas (regions) in Germany as part of the systemic change and the increasing departure towards sustainable transformation. Building on scientific and transfer excellence, this lighthouse will open up new ways of thinking and acting in socio-economic ecosystems in the eight participating rural areas in four federal states from 2023 to 2026: 1) Brandenburg - Prignitz; 2) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Ludwigslust-Parchim and Nordwestmecklenburg; 3) Lower Saxony - Lüchow-Dannenberg and Lüneburg; and 4) Saxony-Anhalt - Börde, Salzwedel and Stendal. Bringing eight rural regions under one umbrella in the Vierländereck builds on both existing and new collaborations and promises to improve coherence. All participating regions are linked by common borders, which favours the formation of a common cluster and reduces subsequent scattering losses.
Partners: Wismar University of Applied Sciences & Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences