Dsolve - Biodegradable plastics in marine applications

Dsolve - Centre for research-based innovation - biodegradable plastics for marine applications for fisheries and aquaculture The vision of the centre is to reduce plastic litter and the associated problems (macro-/microplastics and ghost fishing) caused by the fishery and aquaculture industries. Our ambition is to place Norway at the forefront of research, development, and use of smart biodegradable materials to reduce the global problem of marine litter from fisheries and aquaculture. The goal of our centre for research-based innovations is to develop technologies and new products, improve the governance framework, and foster innovations that enable the plastic value chains to become more circular and resource efficient. This will reduce the carbon and greenhouse gas footprints to be more in line with the UN climate, energy, and sustainable development goals, i.e., 12, 13 and 14. The centre is designed to address the challenges described above. Several planned activities, especially within work packages one (polymer developments), two (biodegradation) and three (fishing gear trials), have been delayed because of the global covid-pandemic. It has also affected area four (incentives for implementation), five (circularity) and six (communication and outreach) of the centre. Our four PhD candidates have been active throughout the year with courses and publishing results. They been successful in achieving external funding from Handelens miljøfond, Erasmus and UArctic North-to-North to enhance research and mobility (Croatia, USA, Canada). At the beginning of 2024 two new PhD positions for research areas 3 on 4 on testing with longlines and Demersal seines and area 4 on incentives related to aquaculture. We have arranged seminars for students and supervised students at BSc and MSc level with works related to marine plastic pollution. A second generation of biodegradable plastics is now under testing in laboratories (research areas 1,2,3) and in Croatian fisheries. Tests with new biodegradable components (i.e., natural fibers and biobased plastics) have been continued with bottom trawls and demersal seines in Norway. The planned longline and Demersal seine trials are postponed due to late production of new monofilaments. During 2023 we have arranged two board meetings, two general assemblies and one annual meeting hosted by partner the University of Split, Croatia. We have had changes in the administration of the centre. Associate professor Jesse Brinkhof (UiT) is our new scientific coordinator and senior engineer Jørgen Vollstad and researcher Anja Alvestad (SINTEF Ocean) are leading working package 3 (tests at sea). In March we established the International Advisory Board (IPIMAR, Portugal, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada og Marine and Freshwater Institute, Iceland) and by September the Innovation Board was assembled by members from the industry. At the extraordinary meeting in October SalMar ASA, the second largest salmon producer in the world, became partner in Dsolve. Dsolve has produced several news articles, presentations from the centre at national and international events like Håp i Havet, SETAC (Dublin), NOSCA conference (Bergen), Norsk kjemisk selskap (Brumunddal), SFI Forum, Aqua-Nor (Trondheim), TV (Science days), International Conference on Polymeric materials in automative PMA (Smolenice), Plastic- and composite conference (Gjøvik), the First International Conference on Ghost Gear (Arendal), the 7th International Symposium Frontiers in Polymer Science (Göteborg), Clean Oceans Arena (Bergen), Arctic Plastic Symposium (Reykjavik). We have produced two podcasts during the year. Dsolve participates in several “spin-off”-projects funded by the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund and EU (Horizon 2020 SEARCULAR), together with Norwegian partners and foreign companies like SENBIS (Holland), GAYA biomaterials (Sweden), Kompost-It and CatchGreen (South-Africa). We have established a formal co-operation with the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries to assist in fishing gear recovery missions and analyse data. Published results are consecutively uploaded on the Dsolve webpage and communicated through LinkedIn, Facebook og Twitter.

The SFI DSolve addresses the problems associated with marine plastic litter (macro/microplastics and ghost fishing) caused by the fishery and aquaculture sectors . The negative environmental- and socio-economic impacts can be significantly reduced if traditional plastics in these sectors are replaced with new biodegradable materials. The goal of this SFI is to develop technologies and new products, improve the governance framework, and foster innovations that enable the plastic value chains to become more circular and resource-efficient in order to reduce their carbon and greenhouse gas footprints so that they are in line with climate, energy, and sustainable development goals (UN SDG 9, 12, 14). A highly qualified interdisciplinary consortium has been assembled to meet the SFI objectives. The consortium represents different disciplines and consists of a leading Norwegian university, research institutions, fishing and aquaculture companies, gear suppliers, industrial organizations, public management authorities, and NGOs. The SFI will be supported by key R&D institutions from the EU and a leading global polymer producer from South Korea (Part 3, Section 8). This international support will help maximize dissemination and exploitation of the project results and expand the market potential for new innovations. Results of this SFI will directly strengthen scientific knowledge, build up research capacity, and secure good management processes and sustainable value creation based on marine resources through innovation projects for the industrial sector.