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The cultivation of macroalgae needs to focus on local species for ecological reasons. Conversion of these local species to products needs to be coupled to the cultivation experiments. So research should be focused on the whole chain from sea to end product. Most research programs from governments are focused on specific products or on parts of the chain. This fragmented research funding forms a important barrier to the further development of the marine biomass industry in Europe. The main challenges for the production of energy from microalgae are: • High cost of cultivation; • The need for CO2 injection in the process water to stimulate the growth rate; • The need for oxygen removal in closed (photo bioreactor) systems; • Harvest of the very small organisms; • Breakdown of the algae cell to free the produced oil/lipids; and • Conversion of the lipids to diesel or bio kerosene that could safely be used in the market. Table 0.20 Drivers in the energy sector Existing Drivers A growing market of biofuels Strong demand for technical innovations Need for sustainable low GHG emitting biomass sources Drive to reduce production costs and increase efficiencies Knowledge about marine living resources Research facilities Highly developed SME landscape Knowledge and technology base Current extent +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ +++ strong, ++ medium, + small, ↑supporting drivers Table 0.21 Barriers of in the energy sector Existing Barriers Large scale cultivation of raw materials Necessity of combined cultivation and biorefinery pilots for a broad rang of products Regulations Recognition of the value of innovation within the sector Public perceptions of the risks associated with biotechnology in the sector Financing, venture capital, high costs of innovative techniques and products Recognition within policy of the contribution that MB can make within the sector to improved sustainability Current extent +++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ barriers evolving in absence of measures +++ ++ +++ ++ ++ ++ ++ barriers evolving with successful measures ++ ↓ + ↓ + ↓ + ↓ ++ + ↓ + ↓ Drivers evolving in absence of measures ++ +++ ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ Drivers evolving with successful measures +++ +++ +++ ↑ +++ ↑ +++ ↑ +++ ↑ +++ ↑ +++ ↑ Study in support of Impact Assessment work on Blue Biotechnology 145

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