Making Algae’s Potential Tangible at the EU Algae Awareness Summit 2025 Are your curious about algae and how they can be used to achieve greater sustainability? At our “Feel the Sea” exhibition as part of the Algae Awareness Summit 2025 held in Berlin, Germany participants explored different uses of algae, got to know algae innovators and most importantly were able to touch, taste, and feel algae! As part of the AlgaeProBANOS project (co-funded under the EU’s Horizon programme), the CSCP Creative Communication team designed and hosted the algae experience exhibition—an interactive space where visitors could touch, taste, and feel algae. The exhibition set out to surprise, spark curiosity, and build connection to an organism that humans have used for at least 30,000 years. From facts to connection When communicating about sustainable solutions, like new applications of algae and its derivatives, it is important to also connect to people on an emotional level. There are countless facts and scientific findings about algae, but raising awareness and encouraging people to try a new product or process is often not enough. As Alessandra Portis, Communication Officer at the European Commission put it, the exhibition “made algae easy to get”. A short history of a long partnership This is why the exhibition starts with a dive into our shared human–algae history. Even seasoned experts at the 2nd EU Algae Awareness Summit were surprised by the many ways people have utilised algae: from bull kelp used as waterproof containers by indigenous peoples around the Pacific, to the production of alkali for glass, soap, and explosives from the 17th to early 20th century. We’ve also eaten algae for centuries—Spirulina harvested from lakes in regions such as Mexico and Chad as a high-protein food or laverbread as a nourishing Welsh staple for at least 800 years. From pilot to product—made tangible To make innovation concrete, we showcased the life-cycle stages of our AlgaeProBANOS pilot companies: algae species, intermediate materials, final product. Visitors could see (and in some cases taste) real algae products—making it clear what algae can become in everyday life. Mapping a thriving ecosystem At our Algae Innovator Board, over 50 innovators shared key facts about their solutions, offering a quick overview of the field and an easy way for participants to connect with relevant teams. Where algae can move the needle A rotating block installation highlighted eight promising impact areas for algae: climate, health, chemicals, food, textiles, agriculture, biomaterials, and beauty. School children who visited the exhibition particularly loved this interactive component. While there are many more applications for this “slimy jack of all trades”—as a German newspaper described it and as cited at the event by the German Minister of Agriculture, Alois Rainer—these eight focus areas help make the potential of algae more tangible. Thanks to our “Share Your Thoughts” sculpture and the many conversations inspired by the exhibition, we received valuable feedback that will help us enhance the impact of the next algae experience exhibition. Stay tuned for updates on the project and the location of the upcoming “Feel the Sea” algae experience! For further questions, please contact Nikola Berger.