WORK PACKAGES
The Baltic MUPPETS project consists of 7 Work Packages covering the entire mussel supply chain, from production to product development and marketing, as well as strategies for business scale-up.
Below is a brief description of the main activities carried out in each Work Package (WP).
WP1 – Market Analysis & Business Models
Lead Partner: Coastal Research & Management | KMF, UTARTU, BLR
– Develop a market analysis for small mussels and mussel powder for feed and pet food.
– Elaborate two business cases:
- Industrial mussel production and processing of mussels for pet food in the Central Baltic.
- Industrial mussel farming in the Western Baltic, where small mussels are exported to the Swedish site, to secure critical mass for processing.
– Compile a report on the regulation of mussel production and the use of mussels as feed.
– Development of digital maps as a business tool for area planning and site selection for new mussel farms.
– Elaborate on a report on the sustainability of mussel farming and the production of pet food, and the value of ecosystem services from mussel farming.
WP2 – Mussels Farming
Lead Partner: ECOPELAG EF | KMF, BLR, VVM, WIS
– Deployment of mussel farms:
- Identification of suitable sites, permit applications, deployment, and knowledge sharing of submerged farming techniques,
– Develop and implement harvest and monitoring solutions:
- Innovative new techniques and/or improved techniques to increase cost efficiency, bulk storage solutions, and digital solutions for remote monitoring of farming sites.
– Development of production manuals for submerged mussel farms.
– Implementation of feed safety legislation control/permits connected to farming locations.
WP3 – Mussel Processing & Logistics
Lead Partner: ECOPELAG AB | BSF, CAU, GBR, WIS, VVM, KMF
– Development and optimisation of a production line.
- Procurement, installation, testing, and permit approval of complete mussel meal line including shell and mussel meat separator, drying, and grinding.
– Implementation of a transport system for harvested mussels.
- Internal system for transporting/pumping mussels within the factory between bulk storage process lines
– Valorisation of mussels’ waste and shells.
- Hygienisation/controlled composting process for the valorisation of mussels’ waste (linked to WP4).
- Evaluation of valorization possibilities for mussel shells (e.g. garden fertilizer, health care products).
– Evaluation of the nutritional value of small mussels, isolation and extraction technique for mussel meat and shell.
WP4 – Pet Food Product Development, Validation & marketing
Lead Partner: Kieler Meeres Farm | ECO, BSF, GBR, KMF, CAU,
– Consumer product development
- Improve and refine the existing recipes for cat and dog feed.
- Compose garden fertilizer products based on mussel shells.
– End-product review
- Determine the nutritional content and storage stability of developed products.
– Identify and evaluate contract manufacturers for the developed products.
– Sales and marketing strategies
- Identify end products and launch strategies to maximize sales.
- Explore possibilities to introduce products to markets.
– Certification and labeling
- Identify possibilities of EU-Organic Certification of ingredients and end-products.
- Explore possibilities of external labels for more customer transparency.
WP5 – Third part-financing
Lead Partner: F6S | SUB, SEA, ECO, CRM
– Test solutions and optimise technology in collaboration with third-parties to support the future sustainability of mussel farming businesses, through a:
- Innovation Call with a total budget of 100.000 EUR for startups and SMEs surrounding the mussel feed value chains and sustainable business strategies to foster: testing and piloting activities, market replication, product validation, market study, and business strategy to promote future sustainability and exploitability of Baltic MUPPETS results.
WP6 – Communication & Community of Practice (CoP)
Lead Partner: SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth EEIG | F6S, CAU, SEA, GBR, WIS, BLR, CRM, GBK
– Communication and dissemination activities.
– Organise four business events with a focus on marketing strategies for innovative Baltic MUPPETS products.
– Promote activities within the SUBMARINER Mussels Working Group, physical workshops, and online meetings. The Mussels Working Group is hosted on the BlueBioMatch.
– Manage the online community platform BlueBioMatch.
- Groups & topic spaces
- Event management
- Entrepreneurs, company, project database
- Mentors
– Develop a Sustainability and Exploitation Plan.
– Organise study visits and the project’s final conference.
