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Description
The main goal for the current projects is to develop and to submit a competitive and high-quality application for the international project call with the provisional title “Sustainable and innovative technologies for better utilisation of by-products”.
The project will help scientists from Baltic countries and Norway (LV, EE, LT, NO) to develop a new project application with aim to solve current problems faced by the agricultural, food and fishery industries, applying research knowledge and up-to-date methods, maximally preserving the product''s biologically active compounds considering sustainability principles.
The project partners will have a better understanding of the scientific capabilities of each institution, closer contacts will be established and possibilities will be identified for future cooperation in project development and implementation, personal contacts and PhD students exchange.
Summary of project results
The project was considered essential for researchers, partners, and industries across several countries, as it provided a significant opportunity to foster the development of new ideas and project applications aimed at leveraging shared knowledge and experience. Without the support of the project, realizing such initiatives would have been challenging. However, by joining forces, we can enhance both our theoretical and practical capabilities, while facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience. Moreover, collaborating enables us to discover new partners and building lasting friendships. The expected socio-economic impact of the project outcomes for the Baltic states and the region would likely be multifaceted and significant. Firstly, the project could boost economic growth by fostering innovation and creating new opportunities in key sectors such as biotechnology, food processing, and engineering. By developing new products and technologies, the project could stimulate job creation and attract investment, thus strengthening the region''s economy. Secondly, the project may enhance competitiveness and sustainability in industries related to by-products, plant-based seafood and algae processing. By improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact, the project outcomes could help businesses in the Baltic states and the region stay competitive in the global marketplace while promoting environmental stewardship. Thirdly, the project could have positive social implications by promoting collaboration and knowledge-sharing among researchers, industry partners, and stakeholders. By working together across borders, the project fosters a sense of community and cooperation, which can lead to long-term relationships and partnerships that benefit the region as a whole. Overall, the socio-economic impact of the project outcomes for the Baltic states and the region is expected to be substantial, contributing to economic development, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion.
The current project needed to develop a new idea for the project application. The easiest way is to develop and submit a pre-prepared project, but our team decided to broaden both its knowledge and partners. By organising online meetings in a web environment, new partners were attracted, which encouraged us to focus on the medical sector.The research team has attracted new partners from Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Israel, Spain and Lithuania. The project partners identified the needs and the global situation in the food and medical sector, taking into account green processing technologies (pulsed electric field), while looking for possible applications of food waste to create high added-value products, with the aim of using them in hydrogel production. The expected impact on the Baltic States will be in different areas: first, new approaches for the use of by-products will be developed – hydrogel production. If the project is successful, the new use of by-products (animal and plant origin) will reduce production costs and negative environmental impacts. Chronic wounds in patients with more severe forms of diabetes or other diseases are a major problem at global level. Such wounds are difficult to heal and the micro-organisms that cause them are often resistant to antibiotics. A team of researchers from Lithuania, Norway, Latvia, Estonia, Spain and Israel is therefore planning to develop an effective and environmentally friendly medical device – a therapeutic patch in the form of a gel that can be injected directly into the wound.
To achieve the objective, the activities were grouped into several work packages with corresponding tasks.
1. Developing the project idea. In this task, the project partners researched the latest knowledge on the current state of the art and potential applications of by-product recycling worldwide. As a result of their research, the scientists involved in the project came to the conclusion that milk whey proteins, polyphenols, collagen and other valuable compounds isolated could have medical applications.
2. Statement of the project aim and objectives. For this task, the project partners held an online meeting in an internet environment. During these meetings, the partners discussed the various challenges, taking into account each partner’s specialization, research infrastructure and availability of human resources. By gathering information from different sources, the main aim and objectives of the project proposal were developed through discussions, 5 work packages were defined and work package leaders were nominated. During the discussions between the partners, the project leader was identified – LT – FTMC
3. Identification and description of project results. For this task, during the online meetings, the project partners described the expected project results and the work schedule, allocating responsibilities among the partners according to the planned tasks.
Given that the ERA4Health project application process is carried out in two phases, some tasks (4. Description of project risk assessment and prevention measures. 5. Development of an information and publicity plan for the project) will be completed in case the project is positively evaluated in the first round.
6. Development of the project timetable. A work schedule has been developed for the successful implementation of the project and the achievement of the objective. Taking into account the number of analyses, the time required, the transport of samples and other activities that could affect the implementation timeframe, the project implementation schedule was approved.
7. Project budget planning and development. Knowing the objectives of the project, the number of samples, publicity costs and other possible expenses, a project budget was developed
8 Preparation and submission of the project application. Working within the Teams programm, over several months the partners were actively involved in completing the project application form, which resulted in the drafting and submission of a project application. All necessary documentation was collected by the responsible persons, all documents were checked and signed. The project application was developed and submitted to the Era4health call.
The project has provided experience and practice in working in a team with people from different disciplines, understanding and looking into other issues and problems that the researcher does not face on a daily basis. The main challenge in preparing the project application was the lack of time, as the preparation of the application is a time-consuming process, which is used both for idea generation, preparation of formal documents, etc. The expected added value of the trans-national cooperation in the AdvGreeNanoGel project is significant given the complex and interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology applications in the biomedical field. By bringing together researchers, clinicians and experts from different countries, the project gains access to diverse types of knowledge, different research methodologies and complementary skills. This collaborative effort is likely to contribute to the development of innovative antibiotic-free approaches to NEI hydrogels, providing a broader understanding of their application and potential benefits in the treatment of chronic wounds. In addition, transnational collaboration promotes the integration of cultural and contextual perspectives by contributing to a contract on standardization of NEI therapeutic hydrogel use in chronic wounds, which includes protocols and pre-clinical validation.
Indicators achieved in the project: 2 joint project applications for further funding was submitted, 5 researchers were supported.
Summary of bilateral results
The partners had previous experience in working together, and now have continued their collaboration in developing new projects proposals: “Valorization of Micro- and Macroalgae Species into High-Quality Seafood Alternatives (AlgVal)”; “Nano and advanced technologies for disease prevention, diagnostic and therapy (NANOTECMEC)”. If the project proposal is successfully evaluated, the team will work on project implementation, resulting in co-authored publications and promoting new ideas for participation in open project calls. One of the partners was the Norwegian institute SINTEF. The project partners carry out daily research on the extraction of chemical compounds from a wide variety of seafood. The Norwegian partners therefore had to work on extracting valuable substances from seafood. Scientists at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology (FAFT) of the Activities implemented in the project (LBTU) are working on recycling by-products from the dairy industry, expanding their use.The Department of Functional Materials and Electronics (FTMC) at Vilnius University is dedicated to the application of environmentally friendly and innovative processing methods. FTMC uses pulsed electric field (PEF) technology. PEF is an innovative and promising processing technique that is already helping to obtain valuable compounds with anti-inflammatory properties and is used in food processing as an alternative to traditional heat treatment methods. In addition, PEF effectively reduces microbiological contamination in food products. This technology has proven to be a fast and efficient method, and it should be noted that it also consumes less energy. Therefore, the project team put forward the idea of adapting PEF to extract valuable compounds from fish, algae and dairy by-products.A fourth partner, the Estonian company TFTAK, a private research laboratory, dedicated to applying innovative technologies to the development of new products, has also joined the project.