29 June – 3 July 2026
University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
The University of Crete successfully organized and hosted the 8th European Summer School on Industrial Biotechnology (ESSIB 2026), held from 29 June to 3 July 2026 in Heraklion, Greece.
This year’s edition brought together 27 passionate participants—including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from several countries, from New Zealand to Colombia. The 2026 edition focused on the theme: “Sustainable solutions for local challenges: In situ valorization of side streams utilizing local biodiversity.”
Throughout the intensive week-long program, attendees delved into key pillars of modern biotechnology, featuring:
- Sustainable (bio)catalytic processes & Circular economy in waste management.
- Microbial life from extreme environments and its use in food production.
- Implementing FAIR data principles, and leveraging AI for enzyme identification and evolution.
- Enzyme Discovery for seaweed biorefineries & indigenous microbes and bioremediation.
Bridging the gap between academic theory and practical application, ESSIB 2026 featured interactive workshops on Carbon Footprint calculations and Life Cycle Assessment and the hands-on production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) membranes from waste. Furthermore, participants took part in educational field trips to Bioenergy Crete to visit an active biogas unit, and to Digenakis Winery to discuss industrial waste treatment in wine-making.
Within the framework of the summer school, the Enzyme Technology Group of the University of Crete presented its research activities and contributions to two major European projects: NEXTMARINE (discovering novel enzymes from extreme marine environments as a source for value-added targets) and WIDEnzymes (widening synergies for novel enzyme development).