International Bioeconomy
& Macroalgae Center
Overview
The IBMC’s goal is to harness the biochemical richness, evolutionary significance, favorable physiology, rapid growth, and industrial scale-up potential of seaweed to drive innovation, sustainability and economic development in the global bioeconomy.
About IBMC
A Global Network to enable seaweed market growth
Established in 2024 by the EBI at the UC Berkeley campus, the IBMC comprises a network of international collaborations currently involving 10 countries and 15 institutions. Each institution hosts a unique advantage in the development of macroalgae-based solutions to address global sustainability challenges.
It draws on capabilities across the life sciences, including genomics, breeding, engineering biology, as well as social sciences, engineering, and commercialization strategies. The bioeconomy spans multiple sectors, each focused on distinct biological resources and their applications. The blue bioeconomy centers on the sustainable use of ocean and aquatic resources to develop marine-based products and services. At the heart of this emerging field is macroalgae.
Seaweed has traditionally been commercialized by the food industry, especially in Asia. However, recent discoveries have highlighted the economic potential of seaweed as a third-generation feedstock for a broad range of diverse industries including biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials due to their renewable nature and high biomass productivity.
With its rapid growth rate, minimal resource requirements (no need for fertilizers or freshwater), absence of lignin compared to terrestrial biomass, and significant decarbonization potential, seaweed presents a transformative opportunity, particularly for industries in energy, materials, and life sciences.
Seaweed as a
feedstock
IBMC’s Integrated approach promotes upscaling seaweed production through knowledge sharing, innovation, policies, workforce development, local community engagement & resource management. Our global team is specialized in all areas of the seaweed value chain:
By joining the IBMC, you are contributing to the advancement of the emerging blue bioeconomy by uniting stakeholders from industry, research organizations, universities and coastal communities dedicated to fostering innovation and growth across the seaweed value chain.
Our goal is to provide IBMC members with a centralized, robust, and dynamic platform for global coordination, facilitating meaningful collaboration, communication, and resource sharing. Through these efforts, we aim to establish a sustainable foundation that supports the continued expansion of new programs, initiatives, funding opportunities, and cross-disciplinary partnerships essential for the seaweed market growth and success.