Partners
NEXTMARINE brings together 12 partners from 9 countries, combining expertise across marine ecology, microbiology, engineering, AI, industrial biotechnology, ethics, law, communication and exploitation—ensuring discoveries move from seabed to society.
University of Crete (UOC) – Coordinator
University of Crete (UOC) – Coordinator
The University of Crete is a leading academic institution in Greece, recognized for its excellence in marine biotechnology and biocatalysis research. It brings strong expertise in enzyme characterization and protein engineering, ensuring that discoveries are translated into industrial applications. UOC also coordinates the entire project, managing scientific integration and exploitation strategies.
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)
HCMR is Greece’s leading governmental organization focused on marine science, operating under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Development and Investments. The organization plays a pivotal role in areas such as marine biodiversity and biotechnology, oceanography, aquaculture innovation, climate change adaptation, marine technologies and ecosystem management. HCMR maintains state-of-the-art facilities in Heraklion, Crete (Thalassocosmos campus), Athens, and Rhodes and it operates advanced research vessels such as Aegaeo, Philia, and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) like Max Rover, enabling cutting-edge exploration of extreme environments. Within NEXTMARINE, IMBBC-HCMR will organize expeditions to extreme environments of the Hellenic Volcanic Arc to test NEXTMARINE developed technologies, collect samples for metagenomic analyses and for the ecological characterization of these environments.
Lodz University of Technology (TUL)
TUL is a leader in polymer chemistry and biomaterials innovation, with a strong focus on sustainable materials. It develops packaging solutions from marine oligosaccharides using green chemistry approaches. TUL’s contribution supports the creation of eco-friendly alternatives for food and pharmaceutical packaging.
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
DTU is a global leader in biotechnology and computational biology, with a strong track record in enzyme discovery and industrial bioprocess development. The university combines advanced bioinformatics and AI tools to identify novel enzymes and predict their functionality. DTU plays a key role in bridging fundamental research with industrial innovation.
Slovak University of Technology (STUBA)
STUBA is a major technical university with expertise in bioprocess engineering and fermentation technology. It focuses on intensifying enzyme production and scaling up processes to meet industrial requirements. STUBA ensures that NEXTMARINE’s discoveries can be manufactured efficiently and sustainably.
NEAT Innovation AB
NEAT is an innovative company specializing in food technology and product development. It evaluates marine oligosaccharides as functional food ingredients, focusing on prebiotic activity and nutritional benefits. NEAT bridges the gap between scientific discovery and consumer health products.
AstraZeneca AB (AZ)
AstraZeneca is a global pharmaceutical leader with cutting-edge research and development capabilities. It applies halogenases for late-stage functionalization of drug molecules, enabling greener and more efficient drug development. AZ’s involvement ensures that NEXTMARINE’s enzyme discoveries have direct relevance to the pharmaceutical industry.
VITO – Flemish Institute for Technological Research
VITO is an applied research institute dedicated to sustainable process engineering and circular economy solutions. It designs continuous enzymatic processes and evaluates antimicrobial activity of marine-derived compounds. VITO ensures that NEXTMARINE’s technologies are scalable and ready for real-world applications.
EuroMarine Network
EuroMarine is a member-based, interdisciplinary, collaborative network of European marine organisations and research institutes that creates, facilitates and funds, training, networking and research opportunities to address emerging issues in marine sciences. The EuroMarine network advocates for evidence-based approaches to European marine policy and governance. It leads dissemination, outreach, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that NEXTMARINE’s results reach scientific, industrial, and policy audiences.
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research
GEOMAR is one of the world’s leading marine research institutions, conducting interdisciplinary studies in oceanography, marine ecology, and deep-sea exploration. Their research contributes to understanding climate change, marine biodiversity, and sustainable ocean resource management. In NEXTMARINE, GEOMAR spearheads Baltic Sea sampling, metagenomic sequencing, and ecological contextualization.
Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU)
JLU is renowned for its research in molecular biology and heterologous expression systems. It specializes in optimizing enzyme expression in diverse hosts and improving production yields for downstream applications. JLU’s work is essential for transforming genetic discoveries into functional biocatalysts.
Ploa Technology Consultants, S.L
PLOATECH is an underwater technology consultancy that provides advanced scientific and customized engineering services. With expertise in robotics, imaging systems, and AI-based solutions for marine exploration, it develops hyperspectral imaging technologies and advanced mapping tools to enable precise and sustainable seabed sampling. PLOATECH’s innovations reduce environmental impact while improving data quality.