Insights
Stay up to date with the latest ERINN Innovation updates, including news from our projects and valuable insights into our work and impact.
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- Project News
January 18, 2024
EU project launched to better understand the combined impacts of light and noise pollution on aquatic biodiversity
A new EU project has been launched to improve our comprehension of how biodiversity is being impacted by Light and Noise Pollution (LNP) in aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, coastal and offshore waters. Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, AquaPLAN (Aquatic Pollution from Light and Anthropogenic Noise: Management of Impacts on Biodiversity) aims to quantify the combined impacts of LNP on aquatic biodiversity in European waters and facilitate the implementation of empirically sound strategies for managing these pollutants through novel interdisciplinary approaches. Our understanding of how LNP affects aquatic biodiversity has dramatically improved in recent decades. Evidence suggests that these effects are prevalent globally, in all types of aquatic ecosystems, from rivers and lakes to the seafloor. Despite our growing knowledge and having access to a range of technologies, best practice methodologies and policy interventions, there are still many critical knowledge gaps that, if addressed, would allow us to better manage and reduce these impacts. Project coordinator Prof. Elena Maggi from University of Pisa said: “Currently, existing regulations on the emission of Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) and anthropogenic noise are highly fragmented in inland, coastal and offshore waters. Moreover, we still need good datasets to understand how to monitor, protect and restore aquatic biodiversity effectively”. AquaPLAN will 1) review LNP impacts on aquatic biodiversity, assess local and regional regulator and decision-maker perceptions and their LNP management; 2) identify the mechanisms of LNP and quantify the combined impacts on biodiversity in aquatic habitats; and 3) explore and facilitate new, interdisciplinary management solutions to prevent and mitigate the combined impacts of LNP on aquatic biodiversity. The research teams are engaging with stakeholders for the project’s full duration to tailor their research outputs for applicability, efficiency and direct use, delivering practical tools that will allow regulatory and decision-making bodies along with maritime industries to proactively manage aquatic environments and their biodiversity both at European and international levels. “By engaging with stakeholder experts in aquatic biodiversity, LNP and the maritime industry throughout the project, AquaPLAN will provide sound recommendations on efficient LNP mitigation options as well on how to face potential barriers to their applications” Prof. Maggi added. AquaPLAN launched on 1 January 2024 and will run for four years. It is coordinated by the University of Pisa (UNIPI) and comprises a multi-actor, transdisciplinary team of 13 organisations from 9 countries. The consortium is gathering in Pisa, Italy for the project’s kick-off meeting on 24-25 January 2024. ERINN will lead Work Package 6: Ensuring Impact: Dissemination, Exploitation, Communication & Outreach.
- ERINN News
November 30, 2023
New insights and growth at the ERINN November Company Days
Last week, the ERINN team dedicated two days to making new connections and strengthening old ones amongst the team at the wonderful Clontarf Castle in Dublin. In the new paradigm of hybrid work, it was great to bring our team together in person from across Ireland, Spain, the UK and France for a jam-packed session of workshops, talks, team-building – and some excellent food and drink! The primary aim of our Company Days was to enhance team cohesion, learn from each other, and to strategise how we can further develop internally and for our clients. We feel confident that the event has been a resounding success on these fronts! We have grown as a team quickly over the past year – by over 40%! With that growth, we have welcomed some amazing people with diverse backgrounds, who we have already learned a great deal from. As a team, we’ve grown our skillsets, passions, and experience, and further advanced our business in line with our values. With thanks to the organizers, facilitators, and to our team, whose work over the past year has helped ERINN to develop steadily into a number of exciting ventures. A warm welcome to all the new staff this year, and looking to forward to growing further in the coming year!
- Project News
October 23, 2023
DeliSoil: New project under the EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’
Through the strengthened cooperation of a diverse EU-wide consortium, a new project has been launched to develop solutions for the processing of nutrient-rich side streams from the food industry and prevent environmental risks. DeliSoil (Delivering safe, sustainable, tailored & societally accepted soil improvers from circular food production processes for boosting soil health) will advance the EU Fertiliser Regulation’s goal of bringing safe and high-quality recycled fertiliser products to the market, while promoting the EU Farm to Fork strategy on sustainable farming. Five regional Living Labs will be set up (Finland, Denmark, Germany, Spain and Italy), with stakeholders from across the food value chain. The focus is on mitigating waste from food processing and valorising resulting by-products, while offering landowners products to be tested on their own farms. Innovative solutions will be shared using side-streams from vegetable, meat, insect cultivation, olive oil, wine and food industries. DeliSoil will be working together with other EU projects, and the European Soil Observatory (EUSO) to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of the Mission Soil goals. The four-year project kicked off on 1 June 2023 with €7 million in funding from the Horizon Europe Work Programme. Led by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), DeliSoil brings together 14 partners from research, industry and government sectors in 10 European countries. Reflecting on the impact of the project, DeliSoil project co-ordinator Ansa Palojärvi, Senior Scientist at Luke, said: “Up to 20% of food available in the EU becomes waste, of which big part is generated during food processing and manufacturing. This food waste has a high potential for recovery. DeliSoil is embracing the opportunity offered by the circular bioeconomy to use food waste from the food industry to develop organic fertilisers that can replace mineral fertilisers and improve soil health in Europe.” Other challenges addressed by DeliSoil include the production of environmentally sound and safe applications from waste streams, and ensuring the public are aware of their benefits. The project will facilitate knowledge exchange, improve interdisciplinary design processes and increase societal soil literacy to meet these aims. Please follow @DeliSoilEU on X and @DeliSoil-eu on LinkedIn for the latest updates. A new website is coming soon at delisoil.eu.
- ERINN News
September 15, 2023
ERINN Innovation at Aquaculture Europe 2023
Vienna Awaits! Join ERINN Innovation at Aquaculture Europe 2023 After our impactful presence at Aquaculture Europe 2022, we are thrilled to announce our participation in Aquaculture Europe 2023, Vienna, from September 18th to 21st 2023. Embracing the theme, “Balanced diversity in aquaculture development,” this year promises enlightening discussions and the amalgamation of minds striving for a sustainable aquaculture future. The ERINN team will be very happy to welcome you at our exhibition booth #35 for a chat. Come and say hello and talk with Marieke Reuver, our Executive Director, Keegan Porter (Senior Knowledge Transfer Officer) and Karla Corrales (Project Officer on the aquaculture projects AQUAEXCEL3.0 and Cure4Aqua) about our collaborations with innovative projects that are shaping the future of aquaculture, amongst others: AQUAEXCEL3.0 and ERINN Innovation: At the forefront of elevating the EU aquaculture sector is AQUAEXCEL3.0. The project opens up opportunities to all aquaculture researchers through its Transnational Access (TNA) programme, enabling free research access to top-class European aquaculture facilities, and offers free training courses on emerging topics. Taking a central role, ERINN Innovation leads the communication and dissemination of AQUAEXCEL3.0’s project results. Our contribution is not only limited to communication; we are also pivotal in the knowledge management and transfer, spearheading the activities on brokerage activities and events, including the upcoming industry brokerage event on 20 September in Vienna! Dive deeper into our contribution and the project here – https://aquaexcel.eu/ Cure4Aqua and ERINN’s Key Contributions: Cure4Aqua is a 4.5-year Horizon Europe project with the ambition to craft innovative solutions for the early detection of aquatic fish diseases and advocate for alternative treatments. ERINN champions the project communication, dissemination, exploitation, and public engagement, including training courses on fish health and welfare. Delve into the project here – https://cure4aqua-project.eu/ ERINN Innovation in PREP4BLUE: The ambitious Horizon Europe project PREP4BLUE aspires to lay the groundwork for co-creating and implementing the research and innovation needed for Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030. ERINN’s involvement is instrumental to this mission. We oversee the knowledge management and transfer aspects and crafted a comprehensive suite of innovative communication materials. Explore more about the project and our role here – https://prep4blue.eu/ We are also happy to talk about our service offerings, consisting of our expert-led practical training for Horizon Europe proposals and tailored hands-on support on proposal reviews and management, including guidance on concept, project structure, consortium considerations, how to approach the Impact section and how to create a strong proposal overall. Drop by our booth at Aquaculture Europe to interact with our team, delve deeper into our partnership projects, and discuss how we could support you on your upcoming proposals to maximise impact and your chance of success! We’re committed to guiding and accelerating impactful research and innovation. At Aquaculture Europe 2023, let’s get together to envision and craft a sustainable future, together.
- Project News
- Marine
May 4, 2023
BIOGEARS Project Highlights the Potential of Biobased Ropes to Support Aquaculture
Results from the EU-funded BIOGEARS project have highlighted that new, biobased ropes developed for mussel farming perform better than current commercial models. Funded by the European Union under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the four-year BIOGEARS project closed in April 2023. The aim of the project was to develop biobased rope solutions for the creation of an eco-friendly offshore aquaculture sector using a multitrophic approach and new biobased value chains. To meet this challenge, the research team identified suitable biobased materials and processed and developed fit-for-purpose prototype biobased ropes or “biogears”. The biogears were trialled over one year in real production environments. The results from the sea trials showed that biogears support higher production yields than their commercial counterparts maintaining their functional characteristics and durability for at least one year at sea. In addition to assessing the technical performance at sea, the BIOGEARS partners also completed a sustainability assessment to consider technical, environmental and economic aspects of the prototype ropes. Biodegradability tests showed that BIOGEARS ropes will not degrade in seawater at 20-30°C or below, while compostability tests demonstrated that biogears can be fully composted in industrial conditions (> 58 ºC). Composting, as an end of life (EoL) option for biobased ropes, could reduce the carbon footprint of longline mussel productions by 10%. The best-performing biogears prototype (B2) reduced by 34% the carbon footprint of mussel productions compared to conventional fossil-based ropes. The results showed that biogears have the potential to substitute conventional ropes in offshore longline mussel culture, promoting production yields, growth and quality of mussel and commercial benefits for “farmers, while supporting the creation of biobased value chains under the EU Bioeconomy Strategy framework,” explains Project Coordinator, Leire Arantzamendi “We are proud of the achievements of this project and look forward to developing this research further.”While economically the raw materials for the biogears are currently more costly than for fossil-fuel alternatives, there is an expectation that future trends of increasing biopolymer production to meet market demand could reduce the biopolymer price and make biogears more competitive. Furthermore, the higher mussel production yields can provide compensation for this. To find out more about the project please visit: biogears.eu, Twitter, LinkedIn or subscribe to news For more information, please contact us: Project Coordinator Leire Arantzamendi (larantzamendi@azti.es) or Communication and Press Jane Maher (jane@erinn.eu).
- Horizon Europe
- Project News
- Renewable Energy
February 22, 2023
Workshop on Practical Solutions to Decarbonise Energy Use In European Buildings
The EU-funded RES4Build project is hosting a workshop to identify technological, market and regulatory advancements for the heating and cooling of space and water in buildings. Taking place in Brussels on 29 March 2023, participants will have the opportunity to provide insight on solutions that will lead to the efficient decarbonisation of energy used in European buildings. Buildings account for more than 40% of energy consumption in Europe, most of which is still supplied by fossil fuels. Phasing out fossil fuel use in buildings can help address many of Europe’s most pressing challenges including climate change, air pollution and dependency on imported fuels. However, achieving this future requires the rapid upscaling of impactful, energy-efficient solutions. While approaches to decarbonising Europe’s buildings are available, the pace of change is slow. The workshop will bring together research, industry, policymakers, and end users to help identify the developments and conditions that are needed to accelerate this decarbonisation and meet EU policy objectives. The agenda will follow three key themes: The latest technological innovations to prioritise to enable EU decarbonisation objectives. Suitable market and regulatory conditions and how they can accelerate the pace of change. Incorporating end user and audience perspectives to implement these solutions. RES4BUILD is an EU-funded, Horizon 2020 research project that has made good progress in developing zero-carbon solutions for the building sector. The project’s integrated energy system incorporates heat pump and combined solar photovoltaic-thermal technologies together with thermal storage and smart management systems to produce low carbon heating and cooling for buildings. An impact assessment has indicated the technical potential of such integrated energy systems in the European market and ongoing work is clarifying the applicability of the approach to serve end users in their transition to decarbonisation. All public reports are available on the project website. For more information on the workshop, please visit: https://res4build.eu/news-events/news/Energy-Workshop-Brussels/
- Horizon Europe
- Project News
- Marine
February 2, 2023
BlueRemediomics: European project launched to harness the vast potential of marine microbial resources
A new European research project was recently launched which aims to leverage the untapped potential of marine microbial resources. The marine microbiome is one of the fastest growing segments of the blue bioeconomy, and its study is vital for the discovery, understanding, protection and utilisation of our ocean resources. BlueRemediomics will develop novel tools and approaches to explore marine microbiome data, uniting an international consortium of experts that will work on the discovery and production of high value sustainable marine microbiome-based products, processes and services. BlueRemediomics will systematically catalogue marine microbiome data and marine culture collections to facilitate the development of industrial processes that reduce waste, increase the reuse of natural products and by-products, and improve aquaculture processes. The project simultaneously aims to ensure equitable access to and sharing of benefits derived from any new products, such as new medicines or cosmeceuticals. It will also gauge the societal appetite for biobased solutions. “Marine microbes have evolved to exploit and reuse both natural and artificial resources that they encounter in their relatively nutrient-poor environment. This can be as simple as a single enzyme, or involve a series of processes involving different species,” said coordinator Rob Finn, Microbiome Informatics Team Leader and MGnify PI at EMBL-EBI. “The BlueRemediomics project will exploit existing data to help identify such processes and enable us to derive new biobased solutions for reducing waste or for bioremediation.” A key aim of the project is to develop an open access biodiscovery platform to integrate microbiome data, and to enrich this data with functional information to facilitate its exploration for potential biological products. The project will also develop innovative approaches for the isolation and growth of these microorganisms to further enable such exploration. “Marine microbial communities represent a vast unexploited treasure trove of bioresources that have the potential to strengthen the European blue economy,” said Chris Bowler, Director of Research at CNRS, co-coordinator of the project. “For example, to safely carry out aquaculture – the farming of our oceans – it is vital that we expand our understanding of the roles played by marine microbes for ocean health. The BlueRemediomics project will establish a Microbiome Health Index for monitoring marine environments, thus allowing us to promote healthy microbiome approaches and strategies in aquaculture in line with the ‘do no significant harm’ principle”. The project was awarded €7.65 million under the latest Horizon Europe Research and Innovation funding programme with an additional €1.54 million in Associated Partner funding provided by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). BlueRemediomics launched on 1st December 2022 and will run for four years. To keep up to date with the project, please visit twitter.com/BlueRemediomics. A website for the project is coming soon.
- Horizon Europe
- Project News
- Marine
January 25, 2023
Launch of SEALIVE Business Plan Tool to Support Sustainable Growth
Press release, 25 January 2023 Gate2Growth has launched a free, online tool to help companies to develop targeted business plans. Developed as part of the EU-funded, SEALIVE project, the Gate2Growth Business Plan Writer tool will guide entrepreneurs and business owners to develop business plans that uniquely include sustainability and circularity principles. The tool offers a one-stop shop to create a complete sustainable business plan, steering users through all the necessary steps from customer identification, production requirements, and management capabilities to funding strategies. SEALIVE is a €10.26 million, Horizon 2020-funded Innovation Action project that has the vision to reduce plastic waste and contamination on land and in seas by boosting the use of biomaterials and contributing to the circular economy with cohesive bio-plastic strategies. The new tool has been designed to support SEALIVE partners to develop business plans for project results. The tool is also open to the public and can be used by other entrepreneurs and SMEs to assess their own business plans, particularly through the lens of sustainability and circular economy principles. The Gate2Growth Business Plan Writer contains three components: An online business plan writer to ensure the business plan has a narrative, and that all business model components are outlined; A budget module to strengthen the financial background of the business plan, and; A business plan quality assessment to provide an indication of the completeness of the business plan and investor readiness. By working through all three parts, entrepreneurs can convert their business idea into a complete business plan and comprehensive budget overview while including considerations of circularity and sustainability. All data are saved in a protected space, and each user has full control over who can get access to the information uploaded. The final business plan can be downloaded as a PDF ready to be shared with potential investors or used in grant applications. Commenting on the significance of the tool, Carmen Bianca Socaciu, Senior Consultant at Gate2Growth said: “We know how hard it is to bring new ideas to market, particularly products that don’t follow conventional pipelines. With the Gate2Growth Business Plan Writer, SMEs and entrepreneurs have easy access to clear, tailored advice that will help their business goals take shape. We look forward to receiving participants’ feedback!” To access the business plan tool, visit g2g-tool.investornet.dk/sealive/. For more updates from SEALIVE, follow @EU_SEALIVE or visit sealive.eu.
- Project News
- Health
December 7, 2022
EU project launched to better understand marine biodiversity decline and restore ocean health
A new EU project has been launched to improve how biodiversity is recorded and protected in marine and coastal environments. Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, MARCO-BOLO (MARine Coastal BiOdiversity Long-term Observations) will structure and strengthen European coastal and marine biodiversity observation capabilities, linking them to global efforts to understand and restore ocean health. Coastal and marine areas are incredibly dynamic and productive oceanic regions, providing significant resources and services for both wildlife and people. They are also subject to intense pressures from agricultural and industry pollution in waterways, dredging, and building development. Many national and regional programmes assess environmental health and human impact on our coasts, but these programmes are often fragmented, short term, and uncoordinated at larger scales. MARCO-BOLO will address this problem by connecting existing initiatives, optimising and improving methods, and further innovating technologies for biodiversity observations. The project aims to deliver a transformative change in how marine biodiversity is monitored and managed. The research team will engage with diverse stakeholders to tailor research and observation data for direct use, delivering practical tools that will allow politicians and companies to determine biodiversity health, predict changes, monitor changes from imposed policies and proactively manage environments and their biodiversity. The project has four key objectives: Improve acquisition, coordination and delivery of marine, coastal and freshwater biodiversity observations to relevant users. Enable technologies for cost-effective, timely and accurate biodiversity observations. Test new tools, technologies and models to better understand biodiversity decline. Empower European biodiversity observatory operators, data producers and users by creating and sharing best practice guidelines for gathering and using biodiversity data to contribute to biodiversity restoration efforts. MARCO-BOLO’s innovations will address the full pipeline of data collection and use: from testing new monitoring tools using eDNA, robotics, optical and acoustic techniques, to data integration methods for environmental modelling, and guidance on how data can be stored, shared and applied in policy contexts. Project coordinator Nicolas Pade from European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC) said: “We need good data to protect and restore biodiversity effectively. By engaging with policy and decision makers throughout the project, we will ensure that our tools and techniques will support lasting, positive change in how we monitor and protect marine and coastal biodiversity in Europe and internationally.” MARCO-BOLO launched on 1 December 2022 and will run for four years. It is coordinated by the EMBRC and comprises an expert team of 28 partner institutions from 14 countries. For more information, follow @MARCOBOLO_EU.
About
ERINN Innovation is a value-driven company owned by the staff who support research and innovation to have impact.
Information
ERINN Innovation Ltd
Company No.: 600883 (Ireland)
Company No.: 600883 (Ireland)
Directors
David Murphy (IE/UK)
Laura Richardson (IE)
Marieke Reuver (NL)
Michael Papapetrou (GR/IE)
Reid Hole (NO)
