The Life Sciences Technology Cluster will also participate in another initiative of the Interreg Atlantic Area program that will strengthen the resilience of Atlantic aquaculture to climate change
Santiago, October 2, 2025. The Galician Life Sciences Business Technology Cluster (Bioga), and consequently the Galician biotechnology ecosystem, will participate extensively in two projects of the Interreg Atlantic Area program, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which promotes cooperation between Atlantic regions of Spain, Portugal, France, and Ireland to address common challenges. Bioga, chaired by José Manuel López Vilariño and representing more than 130 stakeholders in the Galician biotech sector, will lead the BIOCHAINS Atlantic project, with a budget of €1.86 million. It will also be one of the main partners in CLIRAQUA, with a budget of €1.96 million, which will be coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA) at the University of A Coruña (UDC).
Bioga will coordinate the BIOCHAINS Atlantic project, which will have a budget of €1.86 million. Its objective? To optimize and strengthen the value chains of microalgae and macroalgae from the Atlantic coasts of Spain, Portugal, France, and Ireland. This initiative aims to contribute to the development of the blue bioeconomy. Among the tasks that BIOCHAINS Atlantic will undertake are mapping stakeholders and regulatory challenges, creating digital models for managing resources and agents in the value chain, and validating prototypes for sectors such as food and cosmetics. This project will seek to improve the competitiveness of SMEs, promote innovation, boost cooperation between regions to consolidate market opportunities, and foster more resilient and sustainable growth in the Atlantic area.
Who is involved in BIOCHAINS Atlantic? In addition to Bioga, which is the coordinating partner, there are six other main partners: ANFACO-CYTMA (Spain), GLECEX (Spain), CATAA (Portugal), WeDoTech (Portugal), Biotech Santé Bretagne (France), and Munster Tecnological University (Ireland). Eleven other partners have also joined the project as associate partners: Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM) of the University of Vigo (Spain), DomusVi (Spain), Viratec (Spain), BlueBio Alliance (Portugal), InovCluster (Portugal), Cluster Algues Bretagne (France), Chambre Syndicale des Algues et Végétaux Marins (France), Algolesko (France), BIM Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency (Ireland), Kerry County Council Economic (Ireland), and Nutramara (Ireland).
The resilience of Atlantic aquaculture
The CLIRAQUA project, led by CICA with Bioga as one of its main partners, has a budget of €1.96 million and will strengthen the resilience of Atlantic aquaculture to climate change by seeking ecosystem-based technological solutions. What tools will it rely on? Multitrophic aquaculture, the use of halophytes, the restoration of marine habitats, and early warning systems for diseases.
CLIRAQUA will create a repository of climate and ecological data, interactive vulnerability maps, and management protocols. It will also make all these tools available to producers, policymakers, researchers, and local communities to ensure safer and more efficient aquaculture.
Its strategic partners, in addition to CICA and Bioga, are the Instituto Universitario de Acuicultura Sostenible y Ecosistema Marinos de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain); Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas del CSIC (Spain); Serviço de Ciencia e Tecnología de la Universidade dos Açores (Portugal); IPMA (Portugal), CIIMAR (Portugal), Marine Institute (Ireland), College of Science and Engineering de la University of Galway (Ireland); INRAE (France) and CAPENA (France). As an associate partner Seafood Legacy.
“Those of us who are part of Galicia’s biotechnology ecosystem are committed to and excited about these two projects, which will enhance the value of Galicia’s coastal resources and help improve its habitats in the face of climate change,” emphasizes José Manuel López Vilariño. “From Galicia, we will make all our assets, talent, resources, and tools available to seek and find more sustainable solutions linked to the marine environment and its productive economy.”
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