Partner Country: China

Starting in 2026, AlgaEurope will introduce a Partner Country programme to strengthen international collaboration, deepen global industry engagement, and provide a structured platform for long-term cooperation between Europe and leading algae nations worldwide. This initiative reflects the increasingly global nature of the algae sector and AlgaEurope’s ambition to remain at the forefront of international dialogue between science, industry, and policy.

China has been selected as the inaugural Partner Country for AlgaEurope 2026. The China Algae Industry Association will serve as the official Partner for this year's conference. China has been selected for several key reasons:

• Global leadership in algae production: China is the world’s largest producer of algae biomass, leading global seaweed and microalgae aquaculture and hosting a rapidly growing algae sector serving food, feed, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and industrial applications.
• Strong alignment with AlgaEurope’s international vision: China’s participation reinforces AlgaEurope’s position as a truly international platform, connecting European and global stakeholders across the algae value chain.
• High value for European and international participants: The Partner Country focus on China will offer participants enhanced access to Chinese expertise, technologies, market insights, and industrial perspectives. This creates tangible opportunities for new collaborations, business development, research partnerships, and a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most influential algae markets.
• High potential for EU–China collaboration: There is strong mutual interest in technology transfer, joint R&D, investment, industrial partnerships, and the harmonisation of standards and sustainability practices. The Partner Country framework provides a structured pathway to turn this interest into concrete cooperation.