El jueves 20 de enero, a las 19.00 horas, se celebrará la charla "Biodiversidad marina en el golfo de Bizkaia y en el norte de Europa" en el Museo Marítimo Ría de Bilbao de la mano de "Bakea Bizkaia" y con la participación de expertos de AZTI-Tecnalia, la asociación Ambar y Ocean Sounds.

El evento, organizado por el "Bakea Pizkaia" -barco capitaneado por el aventurero Unai Basurko y con el que este centro tecnológico colaboratambién en otros proyectos de educación para la sostenibilidad y el desarrollo sostenible- se sumergirá en la interesante y rica biodiversidad marina que alberga el golfo de Bizkaia. Para ello contará con la dilatada experiencia de Heike Vester, bióloga marina encargada de Ocean Sounds, Javier Franco, biólogo coordinador del área de Gestión ambiental del medio marino de AZTI-Tecnalia, y Enrique Franco, vicepresidente de la Sociedad para el estudio y conservación de la Fauna Marina "Ambar".

Mediante las tres charlas impartidas por estos expertos, se presentarán algunos de los aspectos más relevantes para conocer el medio marino y la biodiversidad del golfo de Bizkaia. Así, se indicarán los medios empleados para evaluar el estado del medio marino y los principales factores que afectan a su calidad y se hará especial hincapié en los cetáceos, grupo que presenta un gran interés y variedad en estas aguas. Además, se mostrarán trabajos de investigación realizados sobre este grupo en el norte de Europa mediante técnicas acústicas.

La entrada a la charla es gratuita pero, debido a la limitación del aforo, los organizadores solicitan confirmación de asistencia en el teléfono: 94 491 35 96.

Conoce más sobre los ponentes y sobre el contenido de sus charlas

En las últimas semanas ha tenido lugar la ratificación del acuerdo de fusión entre los Centros Cidemco, ESI, Euve, Fatronik, Inasmet, Labein, Leia y Robotiker de cuyo proceso ha nacido la nueva entidad, Tecnalia Research & Innovation.

Desde AZTI-Tecnalia, queremos destacar la gran relevancia de este hito para la Corporación Tecnalia, en la que seguimos trabajando tras el objetivo común de contribuir al desarrollo científico y tecnológico de las empresas y, por ende, de nuestra sociedad. Y que así va a seguir siendo ya que no entendemos este nuevo reto como el fin de una historia, sino como el comienzo de una nueva etapa en la evolución de nuestra Corporación, la Corporación Tecnológica TECNALIA.

Como bien conoces, AZTI y Neiker cuentan con unidades de negocio en sectores específicos en los que desarrollan su actividad de I+D+i (investigación alimentaria y marina, agraria y medio ambiente natural) y por lo tanto con una especialidad tecnológica cuyas cadenas de valor no están presentes en otros centros de la Corporación que se han fusionado.

Los 3 Centros continuaremos compartiendo estrategias y modelo de negocio en el  marco de la Corporación Tecnalia, que a partir de este momento inicia una segunda etapa, con nuevos retos y objetivos a conseguir.

Recuerda, ahora somos tres: AZTI-Tecnalia, NEIKER-Tecnalia y Tecnalia Research & Innovation.

 

 

The AZTI-Tecnalia technological centre, in a project undertaken by the Tecnolat and Llet de Catalunya dairy product companies within the FUTURAL project, has verified that, as an alternative to the traditional heat treatment for decontamination of a number of dairy products, high pressure technology is highly recommendable. In fact, according to a press release from Tecnolat, the results, especially with ready-to-eat fruit products and in the inactivation of moulds and yeasts in other dairy products, "were highly positive and promising".

The research and trials carried out by AZTI-Tecnalia showed that, for example, sweetened ready-to-eat fruit products, once subjected to various high pressure treatments at different intensities, showed a total inactivation of the bacteria analysed. In this case the technology also showed itself to be a good technique for conservation, given that the progress of the treated samples was optimum, microbian growth not being observed throughout their useful life.

The trials also showed the effectiveness of this technology in the inactivation of specific moulds and yeasts in dairy foods. Once processed with high pressure, it was observed that the treated samples not only conserved their properties and characteristics of quality throughout their useful life (estimated to be three months) but also, sensorially - the products treated with high pressure tasted better than the traditional (heat treated) samples.

The project has acted to optimise the most suitable high pressure treatment for obtaining the usual ingredients in the dairy industry, as an alternative to traditional heat treatment, thus obtaining products with longer useful life and with practically intact organoleptic characteristics.

High pressure technology

High pressure processing is a technology of conservation which is an alternative to conventional heat treatment. Its particular characteristics make it such that it can develop and market food products which are not only innovative, but also have excellent hygiene quality and less affected sensorial qualities.

The High Pressure team subjected the food to high pressure - up to 6,000 bars -, which resulted in the inactivation of most altering or pathogenic micro-organisms. This would be the equivalent of pasteurisation, but modifying the properties of the food much less than using traditional treatment. Moreover, this technology can enable the prolongation of its useful life, affecting the sensorial quality of the food less than conventional heat treatment.

It should be pointed out that AZTI-Tecnalia has a pilot plant with 55 L equipment - the only one at world level for developing fresher, sterilised products, given that this equipment enables combining high pressures and high temperatures, while minimising heat treatment. This new technology, recognised by the USDA in the United States as an alternative for obtaining stable products with low acidity at ambient temperature; is also known as pressure-assisted thermal sterilisation.

Besides its participation in this project, AZTI-Tecnalia is working on the sterilisation of food products through applying high pressure with increases in temperature, also obtaining promising results with this new line of research.

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Translation: Basque Research

On 29 November the aquaculture company Ondartxo Arraiak inaugurated its new facilities in Getaria (Basque Country, Spain), where it is developing a pilot feasibility study that aims to test both the technique and profitability of using recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) for the on-growing production of marine species. The project, which has a total investment in the region of €4 million, has been 45% funded by the Department for the Environment, Spatial Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community (region) by means of the Structural Funds for Fisheries programme (EFF).

The company Ondartxo, located on the former premises of the company Orrua, was set up in 2004 by the aquaculture company Orrua and the AZTI-Tecnalia technology centre for marine and food research (ww.azti.es), with the aim of developing and validating technological know-how related to inland marine production technologies. Taking turbot, sole and cod as the reference species of the study, Ondartxo aims to develop and enhance the application of RAS technologies for the sustainable production of other marine species popular in the Basque market.

The Spanish aquaculture sector, in the case of sole and turbot, mainly uses RAS technologies within the hatchery and/or pre-fattening operations but rarely or seldom during the on-growing procedures of fish (mainly carried out by means of flow through aquaculture systems). It is hoped that the studies being carried out at Ondartxo, which will examine several different formulations of water circulation systems, will enable the production of the relevant marine commercial species that are of interest to the consumer habits of the region. The tested on-growing systems will not only address the biological requirements of the fish, but also will have to prove the economic profitability of each particular proposal regarding engineering and production operation details.

The first to analyse the feasibility of cod aquaculture

As far as cod aquaculture is concerned, this is a food production activity that is virtually non-existent within the Spanish sector. So, the development of the Ondartxo pilot cod fattening project through recirculation systems and engineering will constitute pioneer work in Spain, and even Europe-wide. In fact, right now, only Norway, Iceland, Ireland and the United Kingdom have marine research centres for cod production, although most of these countries produce cod by means of sea cages located in fjords or marine estuaries.
This specific part of the general innovation project is set to commence within January 2011 and will include the development of multiple R+D+i activities based on the on-growing of cod to understand the factors controlling growth, survival, product quality and the economic profitability of the production system proposed for cod, with special focus on the development of commercial exploitation concepts within the Basque region.

Water recirculation systems

Despite the fact that recirculation aquaculture systems have been developed and improved over the last thirty years, very few companies devoted to aquaculture production have put into effect such engineering systems, due to considerations like investment costs, energy cost, lack of knowledge and/or availability of specific technologies within the market. The project developed by Ondartxo will test the technique and profitability of using inland RAS systems during the whole on-growing process to verify the net economic feasibility of such production systems and their implementation potential within the local aquaculture sector.

The pilot tests being conducted here on the three species, and their outcomes, are expected to enable the creation of new spin-off companies linked to the development of specific RAS tools and technologies to be set up in the Spanish Basque autonomous region. Likewise, a significant attraction of this new food production activity for the region is the opportunity to bring the centre of production closer to the market and to maximise both the (shelf?)-life and traceability of the products. This will make it possible to offer the local consumer additional seafood products of high quality and excellent control, that are affordable in price and available in the fish markets throughout the year. Further, the implementation of the aforementioned production technologies will enable a better use of the coastal space and will propose an eco-friendly production system approach, a key element to reduce the limitations of the aquaculture sector development and expansion, within the European waters.