SUNDEW A SHINING EXAMPLE OF HOW ESG PRINCIPLES CAN DRIVE INNOVATION

Sundew a shining example of how ESG principles can drive innovation. Sundew, a pioneering aquaculture company committed to protecting our oceans and advancing sustainable fish farming practices. By developing innovative environmental solutions to enhance fish health and water quality, Sundew is setting a new standard for responsible aquaculture. Their work not only helps improve the sustainability of the seafood industry but also contributes to the preservation of marine ecosystems.
Sundew is a shining example of how ESG principles can drive innovation, reduce environmental impact, and ensure the long-term health of our oceans.
Sundew has two fundamental principles:
1) Recognition that aquatic ecosystems are affected by a series of problems for which we need effective, affordable, selective and environmentally benign solutions
2) Belief that modern biology through large-scale precision fermentation can deliver these solutions
The blue economy, including fisheries, aquaculture, energy, tourism, shipping, is worth around €1.5 trillion. It suffers significant losses from ecosystem problems. And sometimes is guilty of causing those problems.
Sundew’s mission is to develop sustainable modern biology-based products to solve real world aquatic ecosystem problems such as fish diseases, invasive species and harmful algal blooms. Currently these are mainly addressed using harsh chemicals. In many cases no effective solutions exist.
Our vision is to revolutionise the approach to aquatic ecosystem problems by delivering a new range of products that have significant and sustainable effect on the blue economy.
Our lead product is Biokos®, an extract from a naturally occurring bacterium. Biokos®, with its impressive safety profile, will help to remove noxious chemicals currently used in aquaculture, thus becoming truly transformative for this sector. Within a day or so after use, Biokos quickly degrades into harmless by-products.
The aquaculture industry is expected to grow rapidly as global population size and affluence increase. So Biokos can deliver change which secures future food production while mitigating damage to the marine environment.
Another Sundew product, also based on a microbial active and with similar safety profile, has proven to be effective, at low concentrations, against the organisms responsible for harmful algal blooms (red tides). Red tides cause massive environmental and economic damage – one event in 2018 was reckoned to cost the Florida economy $850 million.
The Sundew approach could help to protect sectors such as tourism, shellfish, human health and fisheries.
Sundew is developing a second technology based on engineered microalgae. This offers a radical new approach for the control of viral and bacterial diseases in fish and shellfish. The microalgae can be designed to deliver a vaccine that can be added to feed.
This platform can also be used to control an invasive species by delivering species specific RNAi.
Aquatic invasive species such as Asian carp and zebra mussels have been estimated to cost more than $20 billion in the USA alone. Sundew has entered into a partnership with a US government agency, focused on controlling invasive carp in the Mississippi river basin.
The biological basis of Sundew’s product portfolio means that they are all highly specific, selective and have minimal negative environmental impact.
The principles of respect, transparency, honesty, customer focus and sustainability are fundamental to the company’s DNA.