Ony Yan | (It’s a) Cultivating Something

“Algae are an emerging super resource e.g. for bioplastic. But algae farming at sea currently can’t meet the growing global demand and uses disposable plastic lines as cultivation material, on which the algae grow. „(It´s a) cultivating something“ is a new no-tech cultivation system, made from a single sheet of stainless steel, which is one of the preferred growth material for green algae. Due to its smooth surface, green algae can easily attach themselves with their flat rhizoid (root) while the large, cone-shaped lower section ensures even sun exposure across the whole surface for optimal growth.

The system can be easily installed on the floats of an algae farm, is reusable and recyclable thanks to the mono-material, and offers a larger cultivation area compared to lines. Thus, algae farming becomes more efficient and environmentally friendly, contributing to the blue bioeconomy. This project is the result of almost 1.5 years of material and design research with evaluation rounds from stakeholders in the maritime industry (e.g. algae farms, research institutions, marine engineers etc.). The design was carefully iterated to blend seamlessly into the maritime environment while maintaining maximum functionality.”