Seaweed

Seaweed is rapidly emerging as a transformative force in the blue economy—offering solutions for food security, environmental resilience, and economic diversification. From Asia’s traditional coastal farming systems to cutting-edge ocean farms in Europe and the Americas, seaweed cultivation is being reimagined as a scalable, climate-smart industry. This theme explores the expanding potential of seaweed across multiple sectors: as a sustainable food and ingredient source, as a key component in livestock feed and bioplastics, and as a powerful tool for carbon sequestration and nutrient remediation. With its ability to grow without freshwater, land, or synthetic inputs, seaweed is uniquely positioned to contribute to global sustainability goals.

Conference sessions will highlight innovations in cultivation systems—both nearshore and offshore—post-harvest processing, product diversification, and market development. Technical discussions will examine genetics and breeding, farm design, mechanization, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) models. Attention will also be given to food safety, certification, and investment readiness for both small-scale and commercial producers. This theme will also explore policy and ecosystem governance challenges, including permitting, spatial planning, and ecosystem impacts. As regulatory frameworks begin to catch up with industry growth, there is a critical opportunity to align science, industry, and policy to support sustainable seaweed expansion.

Experts will share insights on seaweed’s role in regenerative ocean farming, blue carbon initiatives, and emerging blue finance mechanisms. Case studies from successful farms, cooperatives, and start-ups will showcase the real-world potential of seaweed to create jobs, diversify coastal economies, and restore marine ecosystems. By bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, policy-makers, Indigenous leaders, and coastal communities, the seaweed theme aims to spark cross-sector collaboration and advance a shared vision for this fast-growing sector.

Key Topics

• Genetic Improvement in Seaweed: Breeding for Resilience and Yield
• Unlocking Seaweed Biochemistry: Bioactives, Nutrients, and Functional Compounds
• Scaling Up Seaweed Farming: Innovations in Offshore and Nearshore Systems
• Smart Farming for Seaweed: IoT, Automation, and Monitoring Tools
• Ecological Roles of Seaweed: Restoring Coastal Biodiversity and Water Quality
• Seaweed and Blue Carbon: Quantifying the Climate Impact
• Post-Harvest Technologies: Drying, Processing, and Storage for Quality and Efficiency
• Seaweed as a Superfood: Nutrition, Product Development, and Market Trends
• From Ocean to Shelf: Building Global Supply Chains for Seaweed Products
• Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA): Designing Sustainable Seaweed Systems

• Seaweed Under Stress: Physiology and Adaptation in a Changing Ocean
• Seaweed in Livestock Feed: Health Benefits, Market Value, and Sustainability
• Seaweed Bioplastics and Packaging: Circular Economy Applications
• Omics Technologies in Seaweed Research: Genomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics
• Emerging Pathogens and Biosecurity in Seaweed Aquaculture
• Financing the Seaweed Revolution: Investment, Risk, and Market Readiness
• Certification and Standards for Seaweed: Building Consumer and Market Trust
• Success Stories in Commercial Seaweed Ventures: Lessons from Asia and Beyond
• Regulatory Frameworks and Policy Gaps in the Global Seaweed Industry
• Building Seaweed Startups: Entrepreneurship, Incubation, and Partnerships