Tech project for algae industry receives ¥27m national fund

Writer: Wang Jingli  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-05-13

A project aimed at boosting innovation and solving technological problems for the algae-related industry has received a national fund of 27 million yuan (US$3.8 million).

The integrated innovative public service platform for the Shenzhen marine algae industry has been approved by the State Oceanic Administration.

The platform was initiated by Shenzhen University (SZU) and headed by Professor Hu Zhangli from SZU’s College of Life Sciences and Oceanography.

Shenzhen is said to be among the first batch of cities across the country to develop the algae-related industry.

At present, the city has seen a group of small and medium-sized high-tech companies working in the field of algae foods, algae active medication, algae energy and algae biological fertilizer.

However, these firms are small in scale and are facing challenges concerning algae farming, control of harmful algae and algae reproduction.

The building of the platform can help to solve key technical issues and to improve the city’s, and even the country’s, independent innovation capabilities to upgrade the whole industry, which is of great importance to the sustainable development of the marine economy, said Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

Additionally, the project will focus on industrial demands of algae-related companies in Shenzhen and in southern China to develop a batch of new algae-related products and technologies.