The Horizon Europe-funded IMPRESS project has concluded its 4th Annual Consortium Meeting, held on 14–15 April 2026 in Gdynia, Poland, marking a step toward real-world application. Hosted by MIR-PIB, the two-day project partners’ meeting brought together partners from across Europe to review achievements, align on next steps, and showcase tangible innovations.
Demonstrating innovation across the value chain
The meeting featured in-depth discussions and live demonstrations of technologies developed within the IMPRESS framework. Recent results highlight progress in translating circular bioeconomy concepts into practical applications. Partners are developing food, feed, and non-food prototypes based on low-trophic species and side-stream resources.
Examples include sprat-enriched fish products with higher omega-3 content, plant-based fish alternatives using microalgae and legumes, and high-protein fish sausages with improved stability. Duckweed-based fish feed formulations have also shown promising performance, offering potential to reduce reliance on conventional protein sources, as a novel food category.
At the processing level, partners have achieved pilot-scale production of high-value ingredients from fisheries by-products, including protein isolates and hydrolysates. Circular cultivation systems are also being utilized, using aquaculture side streams to grow microalgae and duckweed. In addition, more than 20 product concepts have undergone initial regulatory screening to support validation and impact assessment.
While optimisation and large-scale validation are ongoing, these results confirm the technical feasibility of multiple IMPRESS solutions.
Key developments highlighted during the meeting include:
- MIR-PIB presented the launch of educational materials through the IMPRESS Knowledge Base.
- Neoalgae showcased progress in developing pet food products derived from microalgae, highlighting new opportunities for low-trophic aquatic resources.
- Teagasc, project coordinator, presented advances in biorefinery processes for converting aquatic biomass and side streams into valuable ingredients.
- Comex demonstrated fully operational NFC-enabled labels, enabling improved traceability and smart packaging solutions.
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD) reported progress toward a working prototype for advanced, sustainable packaging solutions, contributing to reduced environmental impact and improved product shelf life.
Advancing towards circular, zero-waste food systems
Partners reviewed activities across all technical work packages, including processing technologies, ingredient development, food and feed formulations, sustainable packaging, and circular value chain design.
Discussions reinforced the project’s mission to valorise underutilised aquatic resources and processing waste, while addressing environmental and economic challenges. Partners also outlined the next priorities, including the potential contributions to the EU Innovation Radar, and steps toward validation and market uptake.
Strong collaboration driving measurable progress
The meeting highlighted both technological advances and strong collaboration across the consortium, bringing together research and industry partners from across Europe.
As the project moves toward its final stages (2023–2027), partners will focus on scaling solutions, strengthening value chains, and supporting uptake in European markets.
The outcomes presented in Gdynia underline the project’s transition from research to application, with several solutions approaching validation and real-world deployment.
About IMPRESS
IMPRESS is a Horizon Europe-funded research initiative dedicated to advancing sustainable food production from marine and freshwater sources. By focusing on circularity and innovative processing technologies, the project supports a transition to a more resilient food system.
For more information, visit https://impress-he.eu
Notes to editors:
At a glance – Key facts and figures
- Instrument: Horizon Europe
- Total Budget: € 6,725,261.25
- Duration: 4 years, 2023-2027
- Consortium: A total of 14 partners from 7 countries
Project Coordinator | Prof. Brijesh Tiwari Teagasc Food Research Centre Dublin D15 KN3K, Ireland Brijesh.Tiwari@teagasc.ie |
Project Communication | Christopher Kennard REFRAME FOOD ASTIKI MI KERDOSKOPIKI ETAIRIA L.SOFOU 20, 57001 Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece ckennard@reframe.food |
Disclaimer
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
