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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MYSIS (A novel weaning diet to optimize performance of farmed shrimp larvae)

Teaser

Summary

Shrimp are high-market value product with an increasing demand for global supply, currently representing 15 % of total globally traded fishery commodities and the second most traded commodity (both in value terms), following salmon. However, the shrimp farming industry is currently facing both production and environmental sustainability challenges. To tackle these challenges, SPAROS, a Portuguese SME devoted to the development of new products and processes for fish/shrimp feeding and nutrition, conducted a feasibility study to globally commercialize a disruptive weaning diet for shrimp larvae farmed in aquaculture. This feasibility study included an evaluation of market dimensions, including potential clients and competitors, as well as requirements and a roadmap to launch MYSIS in the global market, including an assessment of legal barriers and regulatory issues. Furthermore, this feasibility study comprised an evaluation of intellectual property rights protection over MYSIS, including a prior art study that comprised a freedom to operate and a freedom to patent analysis. The current feasibility plan estimated that MYSIS will have a major economic impact not only in SPAROS activities, but also in the prospective users of MYSIS. MYSIS will contribute to revolutionize the shrimp industry by significantly increasing shrimp larval growth rates and survival, leading to the production of high-quality juveniles. Shrimp hatcheries adopting the MYSIS microdiet can expect an average direct net gain of 22%. MYSIS will also contribute at societal level to a more sustainable shrimp farming industry. In conclusion, SPAROS positively evaluated the viability of the MYSIS project, deciding that a future application to the SME Instrument Phase 2 will be instrumental to move MYSIS in the innovation pathway, bringing the project to market.

Work performed

Work performed during project MYSIS focused on elaborating a feasibility plan to industrially launch in the global market an innovative weaning diet that will boost the shrimp farming industry. For such purpose, a detailed market assessment and business plan was elaborated to create a realistic feasibility study for the MYSIS project. The market analysis provided a quantitative estimation of its size, value segmentation, willingness to adopt/pay, focusing particularly Latin American and South-East Asian countries, where most shrimp hatcheries and nurseries are located. An assessment of legal barriers and regulatory issues was performed, resulting in a predictive roadmap to launch MYSIS in the global market. Furthermore, an assessment of intelectual property rights was conducted, including a prior-art study that focused on a freedom to operate and freedom to patent analysis. Results from this analysis showed MYSIS is at the moment liable to patent and commercialize in intended markets. To general, the strategic vision in what concerns the objectives, concept, approach and the impact of the MYSIS project has not changed considerably as described in the grant agreement. A further development of the MYSIS business plan will require an eventual future application to SME Instrument Phase 2, being instrumental to acquire funding to leverage the initial marketing, key customers demonstration trials, and a small R&D effort to further improve and establish alternative contingency feed formulation scenarios (in case one or more ingredients faces legal constrains, availability problems, or unaffordable price) for the MYSIS microdiet.

Final results

Project Mysis aims at commercializing a disruptive weaning diet for shrimp larvae that will revolutionize the shrimp farming industry, which is currently facing serious sustainability challenges. These are caused by ecological problems caused by excessive effluent pollution and wastes and high energy usage. By integrating a holistic approach of technological production the novel MYSIS diet will contribute to reduce the emission of excessive solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in effluents of shrimp hatcheries. Therefore, MYSIS will be more effective in nutrient delivery than current commercial diets for shrimp larvae. Furthermore, by increasing the robustness of shrimp larvae, the MYSIS diet will contribute for shrimp to reach the post-larval and juvenile stage at a better physiological state, making them more resistant to stressful conditions and even diseases. Therefore, MYSIS will be of extreme importance in boosting the efficiency of the shrimp farming industry, being a more sustainable alternative than shrimp fisheries, which are currently trawling and provoking serious environmental damages on the bottom of the oceans.