Work Packages

The MACRO CASCADE project has been organized into eight work packages (WP) covering the entire chain. WP 1 deals with the biomass input into the core work-packages (WP 2 and WP 3), which provide produce low-hanging fruits, i.e. easily developed products, as well as residues into the extraction, separation (WP 4) and refining (WP 5) parts of the project. WP 6 will synthesize the information and knowledge gained in the preceding work packages into feasibility assessments, with focus on environmental, social and financial sustainability. WP 7 and WP 8 focus on the more general aspects of management.

WP1 Biomass supply 
Activities aim at selective breeding towards optimized levels of target components; cultivation of selected seaweeds using 1D and 2D cultivation substrates; mechanical harvesting to supply dedicated biomass to the integrated biorefinery processes

WP2 Conditioning, pre-treatment and storage
The overall objective of WP2 is processing of fresh/stored seaweeds for the production of intermediates to be converted to high-value compounds in subsequent work-packages, i.e. develop methods for conditioning, pre-treatment and storage of harvested seaweed for microbial refining.

WP3 Microbial refining for food and feed
Develop economically feasible processes for producing food and feed ingredients via microbial refining from cultivated and conditioned seaweed biomass delivered from WP2.

WP4 Extraction and separation
Development of cell free biocatalyticprocesses for conversion of laminarin, alginate, fucoidan and other polysaacharides into high value products

WP5 Enzymatic refining
Development of cell free biocatalyticprocesses for conversion of laminarin, alginate, fucoidan and other polysaacharides into high value products

WP6 Economic and sustainability assessments
Activities aim to produce a robust and representative assessment of the economic viability and the sustainability of the entire seaweed-derived production chain, considering techno-economic, environmental, and social aspects.

WP7 Dissemination, communication and exploitation
Exploiting the results of the MACRO CASCADE project through an effective dissemination, communication, innovation and IPR management and strategy.

WP8 Project management
Management of the project is a joint effort of all partners to monitor progress, take appropriate actions on external and internal events, maintaining a good cooperation and reporting