The blue value chain

Marine resources are renewable but inherently limited, so it is crucial to use whatever we harvest as efficiently as possible. In Sweden, about 26,000 tons of seafood processing residuals are generated each year. Today, only half of the side stream biomass from fisheries and seafood processing are, at best, used for low-value purposes such as feed.

At RISE, we can help any actor along the value chain: from seafood and (micro)algae producers that desire increased revenue on their side streams; to product and brand owners that want to replace their fossil-based feedstock with a blue sustainable counterpart or are searching for the next generation functional or bioactive materials

In our flagship initiative MAREFINE, we have brought experts from all parts of RISE to valorize; shrimp, algae, and fish, into high value cosmetic, nutraceutical, textile, and medtech products. A key technology is the biorefinery, intended to extract as many of the valuable components from the biomass as possible. Here, RISE offers both small lab scale testing and full pilot and demo scale refinery processes. To ensure that the refinery and valorization process are both economically and environmentally sustainable, we offer continuous life cycle assessment (LCA) and technoeconomic evaluations throughout the development. At the Kristineberg Marine Research and Innovation Centre in Fiskebäckskil, RISE is part of a large testbed that helps companies to develop new innovative blue value chains.

From marine resource to high value product

RISE has expertise and experience to extract and valorize a range of functional and bioactive components from various types of marine biomasses. Key examples include:

• Chitin & Chitosan – polysaccharides obtained from crustacean shells, e.g., shrimp and crab
• Alginate – a polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds (kelp), e.g., Laminaria digitata.
• Ulvan – a bioactive sulfated polysaccharide extracted from green seaweeds (sea lettuce), e.g., Ulva fenestrata
• Fucoidan – a bioactive sulfated complex polysaccharide from brown seaweeds (kelp), e.g., Saccharina latissima.
• Carrageenan – a sulfated polysaccharide from red seaweeds (sea moss), e.g., Chondrus crispus
• Collagen, gelatine and collagen hydrolysate – a fibrous bioactive protein from fish waste (skins, bones, scales) or other animal by-products
• Byssus (“sea silk”) – a proteinaceous fiber produced by mussels
• Diatom frustules – the mesoporous silica shells from diatoms, i.e., microalgae
• Chrysolaminarin – a neutral polysaccharide produced by microalgae to store energy
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids – bioactive lipids, e.g. omega 3 (EPA and DHA) produced by macro- and microalgae and found in fish
• Pigments – e.g. fucoxanthin and astaxanthin found in both macro- and microalgae as well as crustacean shells.

We develop our high value prototypes and products from the extracted marine components using a battery of manufacturing methods. With respect to textiles for fashion, wound dressings, nutraceuticals, drug delivery vehicles, and scaffolds for regenerative medicine, our key techniques include: 

• Solution spinning  – RISE has expertise in wet-spinning of biopolymers, from lab, pilot, to demo scale. Our workshop in Mölndal encompasses the entire value chain: from fiber development; via either continuous filaments or staple fibers including; cutting, crimping, carding, and yarn spinning; to knitted textiles.
• Solution blowing – A nonwoven fabrication technique that combines the versatility of electrospinning with the scalability of melt blowing. Can be used to design wound dressing, superabsorbents, filtration, and biomimicking tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Formulations and controlled release – many bioactive ingredients from marine biomass (e.g. antioxidant pigments from algae, fish oils, vitamins, and bioactive peptides) are most useful when encapsulated for protection and/or controlled delivery. In other cases, the marine-derived component can constitute the entire drug delivery vehicle. RISE’s formulation scientists develop emulsification, dispersion, coating, and encapsulation techniques to formulate sensitive substances in creams, gels, and micro- or nanoparticles.
• 3D-Bioprinting – RISE is actively exploring 3D-printing of biomaterials, particularly for medical and life science applications. Our technology is used to combine living cells with biological or synthetic materials to build tissue-like structures. 

We further offer full characterization of the products in terms of mechanical performance, chemical safety, and accredited testing of biological function in vitro and in vivo. Please contact us for more information.

Manufacturers of products for healthcare play a crucial role in ensuring that manufacturing and material choices are made with consideration for both chemical safety and sustainability from a life cycle perspective. 

Today, the healthcare sector worldwide produces large amounts of waste, averaging 2 kg per care place per day. By designing with a holistic approach from the start, manufacturers can reduce the amount of packaging material, simplify recycling, and support the transition from single-use to reusable products. When making changes in manufacturing processes, material choices, or recycling methods, it is important to carefully evaluate different options. The safety of both patients and healthcare staff must always be the primary consideration in all decisions. 

Our offer

To ensure that both functionality, safety, and environmental impact are considered from a life cycle perspective, we at RISE are inspired by the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) method. This method helps us evaluate several sustainability aspects of a product or process, from design to the end of the life cycle, where we strive to minimize negative effects and optimize both functionality and sustainability. 

We offer testing according to standards and can also tailor test packages specifically suited to your product, as well as adapted to the phase of product development you are in. 

For example, we can assist with the evaluation of:

Function

• Absorption capacity: Tests according to EN 13726 and EN ISO 9073 for nonwoven products.
• Abrasion resistance: Tests according EN ISO 12947.
• Antimicrobial efficacy: Tests according to e.g. EN 17854, ISO 20743 or AATCC TM100.
• Comfort: Tests for friction, thermal insulation, bending stiffness, draping, permeability, and Moisture Management.
• Personal tests in climate chambers: Ability to record moisture and temperature at various locations in garments and products on or near the human body during activity or rest in climate rooms.
• Aroma analysis: Tests according to SNV 195 651 (Panel odour test).
• Aging: Accelerated aging in controlled chambers.
• Cleanability: washing and drying of textiles and reprocessing of medical devices, including simulated use with test soil.
• Tensile properties of textile materials: Tests according to ISO 13934-1 and -2.

Safety

• Biological evaluation according to ISO 10993.
• Advice on biocides and related legislation.
• Chemical analysis and testing

Environmental impact

• Life cycle assessment
• Recycling: Evaluation of the recycling potential for materials and processes.
• Environmental product declaration, EPD
• Substitution of hazardous chemicals in products and processes

This feasibility study successfully showed that the concept is highly promising. A bio-based disposable product can significantly reduce environmental impact. The project established a strong interdisciplinary network and emphasized the importance of life cycle assessments in material and supplier choices. Prototypes were developed, regulations mapped, and a foundation laid for future innovation.

Challenges remain, but the possibility of using bio-based materials for invasive medical devices is groundbreaking. At RISE, we have extensive expertise and testing resources across key areas to support the transition to bio-based materials in disposable products—including LCA, biocompatibility evaluation, regulatory knowledge, and recycling potential assessment.

Customized Test Plans

Together with our customers, we tailor test plans that can include several different parts, both for the packaging and the product inside. A test plan can include:

• Accelerated aging
• Real-time aging
• Climate resistance
• Transport testing
• Evaluation

We often include a validation step with preliminary studies to ensure a quality assured and predictable process.

Customer-Specific Testing Methods

To determine whether a product has aged, we often need to develop customer or product specific testing methods. As far as possible, we prefer to base these on established standards and methods, but they often need to be modified or combined in ways that are unique to the specific project or product.

The project will develop unique processes and equipment for implants based on atmospheric plasma.

The intention is to develop fine cleaning and activation processes based on atmospheric plasma. These will result in improved adhesion between the implant and nanohydroxyapatite coating, without degrading the materials. 

The processes are expected to replace wet chemical processes and result in improved durability and working environment, while achieving good cleaning and high process speed.

The S0741 - CAIPIRENHA project has received funding from the Swedish VINNOVA and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action through Eureka and the Clusters programme and SMART Cluster. 

We offer multiple SEM-based services in the area of medical devices (e.g implants, surgical tools, dentistry equipment), where SEM and EDS can be used to evaluate microscale structure and composition of medical device surface as part of quality control or when troubleshooting production or functional failures. Further, SEM can be used to demonstrate functionality or mode of action of the device when imaging interfaces between medical devices and biological entities, such as cells, bacteria or tissues. Some specific examples of SEM applications in the field:

• Cleanliness control (detect and identify surface contaminants and particles) when validating production or decontamination process of medical devices 
• Pattern, pore-size or roughness evaluation of the device surface (stereo-SEM)
• Determination of integrity, special distribution, chemical composition and thickness of the functional coatings
• Particle size distribution in powders
• Localization of bacteria and biofilms on for instance retrieved implants for improving their design
• Visualization of biointerfaces between scaffolds/implants and cells/tissues 

The assignments are completely tailored to your requests, feel free to contact us with your inquiry!

At RISE, we have access to various bright field and fluorescence microscopes, allowing us to analyze different types of surfaces. By using different stains, specific parts of bacteria or cells can be detected and compared with various treatments. Examples of questions we can help you answer:

• For antimicrobial materials, a live/dead staining can be used to estimate the antimicrobial effect of the substance on the surface.
• We also have the capability to culture cells from various cell lines and evaluate growth with trypan blue staining, or by detecting different markers typical for, for example, migration and proliferation using various types of antibody staining with fluorescent markers.
• We can also analyze sectioned tissue samples from in vivo experiments to detect different markers for, for example, inflammation or similar conditions.
• We can also offer FISH analysis (Fluorescence in situ hybridization) and have expertise in karyotyping. FISH is a molecular cytogenetic analysis where specific genes are labeled with a fluorescent probe to detect, for example, loss, duplications, and translocations of chromosomal material.

The projects are tailored entirely to the customer’s needs and wishes. Feel free to contact us to learn more!