The interest in cultivating seaweed in European seas as source of food, feed and feedstock for the biobased economy is growing. Amongst the species investigated is kelp, also known as sugar kelp, Saccharina latissima or Laminaria saccharina. The European kelp sector is relatively small, compared to the global production and use, yet growth of the sector is aimed for. An inevitable question for European seaweed producers is how they can compete in the global seaweed value chain. This paper assesses to what extent the European strategy for growing the kelp sector matches with the dynamics of current kelp value chain. The global value chains (GVC) framework is applied to study how the global kelp sector is organized, including analysis of trends in science and patents. The upgrading strategy deployed by the European sector is critically evaluated against this framework. The analysis points towards various dividing lines between the established kelp cultivation and processing industry in Asia and the (far smaller) nascent cultivation and processing industry for high-value applications. These represent two unconnected worlds. Chain or intra-sectoral upgrading to spur the European kelp sector could occur if European food sector engage more closely with the European producers. Those bring financial power and a broader client base to the table and are instrumental in linking production to the demands of end-users.

在欧洲海域种植海藻作为生物基经济的食物，饲料和原料的兴趣正在增长。在所研究的物种中，海带是海带，也称为糖海带，糖荚藻或海带糖藻。。与全球生产和使用相比，欧洲海带行业相对较小，但该行业的目标是增长。对于欧洲海藻生产商来说，一个不可避免的问题是他们如何在全球海藻价值链中竞争。本文评估了欧洲发展海带产业的战略在多大程度上与当前海带价值链的动态相吻合。全球价值链（GVC）框架用于研究全球海带行业的组织方式，包括对科学和专利趋势的分析。根据该框架对欧洲部门部署的升级策略进行了严格评估。分析指出了亚洲已建立的海带种植和加工业与（价值稍高的）新生的种植和加工业之间的各种分界线。这些代表了两个未连接的世界。如果欧洲食品部门与欧洲生产商更紧密地接触，则可能会发生连锁或部门内部升级以刺激欧洲海带部门。这些将财务实力和更广泛的客户基础带到了桌面，并且有助于将生产与最终用户的需求联系起来。