Faro, Portugal, Oct. 27, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's Algarve region is positioning itself as a national and international benchmark in the blue economy, developing projects that “could change the future” of food and pharmacology, according to the Regional Coordination and Development Commission.
With projects funded by the EU ALGARVE 2030 programme, which aims to promote competitiveness and diversification of the economy and regional sustainability, valuing regions and their people, the region is positioning itself as a living laboratory for the blue economy, where science, industry and sustainability “come together to create solutions in various areas and in the relationship with the ocean itself”, according to a note from the Regional Coordination and Development Commission, CCDR, of the Algarve.
For José Apolinário, president of CCDR/Algarve, quoted in the note, the importance of investments “is essential because the knowledge generated” is not only solving regional problems, but also positioning the region “at the forefront of tomorrow’s solutions for pharmacology and global food”.
“We want to establish the region as a leader in the blue economy, while also strengthening cross-border cooperation within the Algarve-Alentejo-Andalusia Euroregion," adds the president of the ALGARVE 2030 Management Authority.
The Algarve strategy places the sea at the centre of economic development, with solutions ranging from biotechnology to the shipbuilding industry and sustainable aquaculture.
Among the projects, “Inovacel” stands out, promising to revolutionise cellular agriculture, with a success rate of between 85% and 90%, “by replacing the expensive and ethically sensitive” foetal bovine serum (FBS) with a sustainable microalgae-based substitute, essential for the production of meat and fish in the laboratory.
Another example is “Softcrab”, which transforms the blue crab — an invasive species in Ria Formosa natural park region — into a soft-shelled gastronomic delicacy, converting an environmental problem into a product with commercial value.
There are also investments in sustainable aquaculture and support for companies such as Sea4US, which develops innovative drugs, including for chronic pain, based on marine organisms.
In the shipbuilding industry, companies such as Nautiber and Sopromar are investing in advanced technological solutions for maintenance and construction, strengthening the value chains linked to the sea.
Portugal’s national meteorological institute (IPMA) and the collaborative laboratory S2AQUAcoLAB consolidate the Algarve’s role in research and technology transfer for aquaculture and biotechnology.
The Algarve Marine Observatory (OMA) brings science and business closer together, promoting sustainable practices in tourism and catering, in line with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria.
The University of the Algarve also plays a central role in the development of the blue economy, “with a position that is inseparable from the affirmation” of the concept that translates the sustainable enhancement of the ocean as an engine for economic growth, productive innovation and the creation of skilled jobs, says the rector of the academy, also quoted in the same note.
A publication launched today by CCDR/Algarve, entitled “Algarve Blue Economy: Innovation and European Funds in the Region”, presents the business projects developed in the region and financed by European funds.
In the same publication, the cross-border dimension of the Algarve’s blue economy is highlighted by the Councillor for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Development of the Junta de Andalucía (Spain), a partner in the Euroregion, considering that it could “row together with the momentum of other Spanish regions or with that developed by the Algarve, with which it shares objectives, economic ties and friendship”.
For CCDR/Algarve, this strategic vision for the Algarve “not only reinforces its maritime identity, but also establishes itself as a compass for sustainable blue growth”, leading solutions that unite science, industry and international cooperation.
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