MARE IPLeiria qualifies for the national entrepreneurship final

The start‑up Salinexis and the BiopolyTech project, both developed by researchers at MARE‑IPLeiria, won first and second place respectively in the regional round of the Poliempreende competition, highlighting sustainable biotechnological solutions. Salinexis now progresses to the national final.

Winners

The start‑up Salinexis, created by researchers from MARE‑IPLeiria, won the regional round of the 22nd edition of  Poliempreende at the Polytechnic of Leiria, securing a place in the national final scheduled for 3 September at the University of the Algarve. The project proposes the development of sustainable bioactive ingredients for the cosmetics industry, derived from coastal plants native to the southern Atlantic coast of Europe.

The team is composed for Celso Alves e Joana Silva, researchers at MARE‑IPLeiria; Thalisia Santos, a visiting researcher at the same institution; and Diogo Cardoso, a Biotechnology student at the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM). The group received a €2,000 prize for their proposal, which focuses on producing ingredients through biotechnological processes that ensure quality, traceability and sustainability.

The species selected as the starting point for the project is Crithmum maritimum, chosen for its high potential for cosmetic applications. Salinexis has developed its proprietary SalinCell™ technology, a plant cell‑culture system that ensures batch‑to‑batch consistency and traceability in the production of biomass and bioactive compounds. The technology also reduces dependence on wild harvesting and mitigates the effects of seasonality, making production scalable to meet the demands of the cosmetics industry.

2nd place

In the same edition of the competition, João da Costa, a research fellow at MARE‑IPLeiria, won second place with a €1,500 prize for the BiopolyTech project. The proposal aims to transform biomass from invasive algae along the Iberian coast into sustainable biomaterials for the food‑packaging industry, through a conversion process that produces biodegradable bioplastics, valorising marine waste and creating alternatives to conventional plastics.

AThis edition featured six projects presented by 13 participants, including students, graduates, lecturers, researchers and external contributors, with the support of Startup Leiria and the Business Association of the Leiria Region.

What is Poliempreende?

Poliempreende is the largest networked project among higher‑education institutions (polytechnics, non‑integrated higher schools and polytechnic schools within universities) dedicated to fostering an entrepreneurial culture and promoting creativity and innovation. Over its various editions, the Polytechnic of Leiria has already engaged around 900 participants and awarded nearly €71,500 in prizes.

Text: Patrícia Chaves