Join Our AlgaeProBANOS Summer School 2026! Algae-based products can contribute to healthier diets, sustainable materials, and sustainable innovations. Yet, despite these advantages, they remain rather unfamiliar and under-adopted. Join our AlgaeProBANOS summer school 2026 and learn how to co-create sustainable products, increase their market acceptance, and creatively showcase their benefits to the wider public! In the AlgaeProBANOS project, the CSCP supports algae entrepreneurs in increasing the market acceptance of their products by co-creating their sustainability storylines and supporting the exhibiting of their products. In June 2026, you will have the unique opportunity to join the AlgaeProBanos online summer school to deepen your skills on sustainable innovation, co-creative product development and consumer and stakeholder engagement! What’s in it? Together with the AlgaeProBanos partners we have put together algae knowledge and insights from the project and created a 4-week online summer school: Week 1: foundations of sustainable innovation in the algae sector Week 2: from sustainable algae cultivation to processing and product development Week 3: innovation and business development in the algae sector Week 4: relevance and insights of consumer and stakeholder engagement for algae acceptance; co-creation process for product development and further creative methods to increase algae visibility and uptake Who is it for? The summer school is designed for aspiring and active algae and blue entrepreneurs, students and researchers in blue bioeconomy disciplines (including biotechnology, marine sectors and business). The importance of consumer acceptance As part of the project, we recently published a report on influencing factors on consumer acceptance of algae-based food, feed, cosmetics, textiles, nutraceuticals and bio-stimulants. What we found: While health and sustainability are strong motivators, novelty, unfamiliarity, and accessibility are key barriers. Targeting health-conscious, innovative, and eco-conscious segments, and ensuring clear communication and consumer engagement, is essential to scale adoption across sectors. Would you like to learn more? Read the full report here! Methods to foster co-creation Beyond understanding why consumer acceptance and engagement matters, concrete formats and structured processes are needed to involve relevant actors effectively. In sustainable product development—particularly in emerging fields such as algae-based innovation—co-creation extends beyond consumers. It also involves entrepreneurs, value chain partners, and external stakeholders who influence feasibility, positioning, and market uptake. Each group brings different perspectives: strategic, technical, regulatory, or experiential. In the AlgaePro BANOS project, the CSCP implemented several practical formats to engage both stakeholders and end-users. At the summer school you will learn about our three-stage co-creation journey, leading you from ideation to experimentation to validation. You will also get exclusive access to our “Sustainable Product Guidebook” for algae entrepreneurs. How creative formats increase acceptance The CSCP hosted a successful first algae exhibition in Berlin in 2025, to showcase algae’s potential for sustainable product development. This and other creative formats will be presented to you to discuss with your peers and develop your own engagement strategy. As part of the AlgaeProBANOS project, the CSCP also researched factors influencing consumer acceptance of algae-based products in 6 different product groups and published a report. Subscribe to the project newsletter and follow the project page on LinkedIn so that you’re first to know when the registrations open!