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Description
Offshore aquaculture in Norway and the World in general, requires solutions to maintain the quality of the nets and cages, and avoid the accumulation of fouling. Current solutions are based on the use of metal-based pesticides, persistent and toxic for the environment.
The outcome of this EEA Project is an effective, non-toxic, environmentally- friendly antifouling marine paint BLUEPAINT for fishnets in aquaculture. BLUEPAINT is a protective coating containing the biodegradable BMX-11 antifouling agent developed in Portugal.
During this project, we will optimize BLUEPAINT and test it in operational conditions in Norway, as well as validate requirements to reach the market, achieving a maturity of TRL7. A partnership was established between BioMimetx (PT) and IDN/Morefish group (NO) to support this technology development.
Our ultimate vision is to make the safer BluePaint the leading antifouling paint for aquaculture in Norway and the world while replacing the use of toxic agents and current marine paints. The implementation of this project proposal relies on two main axis: the technical development and validation of an innovative antifouling solution BLUEPAINT for coating aquaculture nets in aquaculture and the business strategy definition of such product, including registration processes required for its commercialization. The main actions consist on:
- the development of the antifouling coating prototype based on BMX-11 as main antifouling agent;
- the execution of a full-scale test in a salmon farm - demonstration in operational environment;
- the gap assessment for registration of the antifouling paint BLUEPAINT;
- the implementation of an updated market analysis and business plan for BLUEPAINT development