The Salinexis project, developed by a team from the University of Leiria and Oeste (ULO) with the aim of creating a biotechnological solution for the sustainable production of cosmetic ingredients from Peniche’s coastal resources, was the overall winner of the national Poliempreende competition, according to a press release.
According to the same source, after winning the regional phase held in June, the project again stood out in the national final, held on September 3, at the University of Algarve, which brought together the winning teams from the institutions that form the Poliempreende network.
Salinexis proposes a biotechnological solution for the sustainable, standardized, and scalable production of biomass and bioactive compounds of coastal origin, intended for the cosmetics industry. The solution rests on plant cell culture technology, which allows these compounds to be produced in a controlled environment, ensuring greater consistency, traceability, and independence from the seasonality of natural raw materials. The research starts from sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum), a plant found on the Peniche cliffs and with characteristics of interest for applications in cosmetics and well-being.
In a first phase, the team intends to establish and optimize laboratory cultivation and validate the properties of the produced compounds, subsequently moving forward to technological development. Over a horizon of about 48 months, the objective is to have a portfolio of products and pilot-scale production capacity.
“This prize is the recognition that the idea and the concept have a high potential for growth and industrial development. It is very gratifying for us to realize that we are starting this path with great ambition and motivation, with a clear objective of creating value with impact for the region and for society,” says the team, composed of Celso Alves, Joana Silva and Thalisia Cunha, researchers at MARE-ULO, and Diogo Cardoso, a Biotechnology student at the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology of the ULO.
The project emerged as a response to the cosmetics industry’s growing demand for differentiating natural ingredients, in a context marked by seasonality and variability of raw materials and by the difficulty in ensuring production consistency. Through bioreactors and controlled conditions, the solution aims to guarantee products of constant quality, also reducing dependence on harvesting raw materials directly from nature.
“The victory of Salinexis demonstrates the potential that exists when the knowledge produced at the University is accompanied by a perspective of valorization and proximity to the market. This project is a very concrete example of the ability to create new opportunities from knowledge developed at the institution and to bring research closer to the needs of the business sector. In this journey, we count on Startup Leiria as a strategic partner in mentoring and overseeing the projects and in bringing them to the market,” says Eduarda Fernandes, the ULO’s Vice-Rector for Knowledge Valorization and Corporate Relations.
The team is also evaluating the possibility of creating a spin-off or startup originating from CETEMARES.
“This distinction demonstrates the ability to transform research and knowledge into projects with potential for application and economic and social impact. It is this kind of link between the University, the companies and society that we want to continue to reinforce, creating conditions for the knowledge produced at the ULO to contribute more and more to the development of the territory and of the country,” says Carlos Rabadão, the Rector of the ULO.
