ISECTFEED Operational Group: Project for the development and validation of sustainable ingredients derived from Hermetia illucens larvae fed with olive pomace for pig feed in Castile and León, Madrid and Andalusia

R1. Preliminary Studies: Literature Review, Market Analysis, and Patentability. INSECTFEED will begin with a technical, commercial, and regulatory review to identify the best opportunities for using Hermetia illucens larvae fed on olive pomace in swine nutrition. This work will reveal which solutions already exist on the market, what barriers currently limit the incorporation of insect protein into piglet feed, and what aspects of patentability, cost, acceptance, and scalability must be considered before moving toward industrial and commercial validation. The results will guide the project's development toward viable options for livestock farmers, feed mills, and by-product valorization companies, reducing technical and market uncertainties. It will also help prioritize applications with the greatest practical potential, especially in starter feeds, where digestibility, palatability, and safety are critical.

R2. Optimization of olive pomace bioconversion using Hermetia illucens. This result aims to improve the performance of black soldier fly larvae fed on olive pomace by selecting more suitable diets and rearing conditions. In practice, this will allow for a larval biomass with a better nutritional profile, greater productivity, and higher acceptance potential in piglets. For the livestock and feed sectors, having a more homogeneous and functional raw material is key to formulating more competitive and sustainable products. For olive mills and other agri-food industries, the result demonstrates a real way to add value to an abundant and difficult-to-manage byproduct. If the optimization is confirmed, the system could contribute to reducing production costs, improving the circularity of the territory, and generating a local protein source of interest for animal feed.

R3. Development of Functional Meals and Preliminary Validation in Piglets. INSECTFEED will develop larval meal with improved protein content, lower fat content, and enhanced palatability, digestibility, and functionality for use in piglets. The project will optimize processing at pilot scale and test on an experimental farm how the animals respond when these meals are incorporated into their diet. End users will benefit from an alternative ingredient to more externally dependent sources, such as soy or fishmeal, with the potential to improve feed acceptance and contribute to the animals' productive performance and physiological state. Furthermore, the nutritional, antioxidant, and sensory characterization will help define which type of meal offers the best results in early piglet feeding. This will facilitate practical decisions regarding formulation and inclusion levels in future commercial feeds.

R4. Industrial Production of Optimized Flour at Real Scale One of the most important steps for an innovation to reach the field is demonstrating that it can be produced outside the laboratory. Therefore, INSECTFEED will validate BSFL's optimized flour production process in an industrial environment at InsectBiotech's plant. This will verify that the improvements achieved at pilot scale can be maintained when working at a larger scale, with real-world process conditions, quality control, and traceability. For feed manufacturers, livestock farmers, and investors, this validation is key because it reduces the risk associated with adopting new ingredients. It also provides confidence in supply capacity, process repeatability, and the possibility of scaling up production models linked to the valorization of olive pomace in olive-growing regions.

R5. Nutritional Characterization, Safety, and Oxidative Stability of the Meal. In addition to producing a functional meal, the project will demonstrate whether the ingredient is safe, stable, and suitable for practical use in animal feed. To this end, its nutritional composition, amino acid profile, and bioactive compounds will be evaluated, as well as its oxidative stability and other quality parameters during storage. This result is especially relevant for feed manufacturers and industry operators, since it is not enough to simply have a new protein source: it must also maintain its quality, be microbiologically safe, and perform reliably throughout the supply chain. If this behavior is confirmed, BSFL's optimized meal could be positioned as a reliable ingredient for higher value-added commercial formulations, particularly in early swine nutrition.

R6. Formulation and in vivo validation of starter feed on a commercial farm. INSECTFEED will formulate and validate a starter feed for piglets containing BSFL meal under real commercial farm conditions. This outcome has a clear practical focus, as it will allow verification of whether the new ingredient can be used in real production systems without compromising feed acceptance, digestibility, or key zootechnical indicators. For farmers, the validation will provide useful information on feed intake, growth, feed conversion ratio, and mortality rates. For the feed industry, it will offer evidence of the technical feasibility of partially replacing less sustainable ingredients, such as soy, with a local and circular alternative. If the results are positive, the project will lay the groundwork for new commercial formulations adapted to the most sensitive phase of pig production.

R7. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Process and the New Feed. The project will assess the environmental impact of the production system for BSFL (Basic Livestock Feed) animals fed with olive pomace and the new feed formulated with olive pomace meal, comparing them with conventional alternatives such as soy or fishmeal. This will allow the technical innovation to be translated into indicators understandable to the sector, such as carbon footprint, water use, land use, and circularity potential. For producers, feed manufacturers, cooperatives, and public officials, having this information will facilitate decision-making regarding investment, purchasing, formulation, and support for more sustainable models. Furthermore, the analysis will identify the stages of the process where the greatest impacts are concentrated and where opportunities for improvement exist. If the expected results are confirmed, the solution could strengthen the decarbonization and protein autonomy of the livestock system.

R8. Dissemination and transfer of results at the sectoral and societal levels. INSECTFEED does not limit itself to generating technical knowledge, but also plans to actively transfer it to the agricultural and livestock sector and society through workshops, informational materials, publications, social media, websites, and specialized events. This outcome is important because many innovations fail to be implemented due to a lack of accessible information, practical examples, or effective dissemination channels. The planned transfer will bring the results closer to livestock farmers, cooperatives, feed manufacturers, technicians, researchers, and other stakeholders interested in circular solutions for animal feed. It will also help to highlight the potential of olive pomace as a resource and insect protein as a sustainable alternative. In practice, this outcome can accelerate the adoption of the developed solutions and improve their replicability in other regions and agri-food chains.

RD1. Communication Plan and Dissemination Report The project will generate a Communication Plan that will organize how the results will be disseminated among partners, livestock farmers, industry, the scientific community, and other stakeholders in the sector. This outcome is important because it will allow for clear communication of what has been achieved, who is interested in each advance, and why it can be useful in practice. For end users, the value lies in receiving organized, understandable information geared toward real-world application. The plan will facilitate the dissemination of results to those who can adopt or replicate them, improving their utilization and effective transfer to the agricultural and livestock sector.

RD2. Design of Communication and Dissemination Materials. INSECTFEED will develop communication materials such as a logo, technical data sheets, graphic elements, and a summary guide to clearly explain the project results. The practical objective is to translate technical information into formats that can be used by livestock farmers, cooperatives, technicians, and companies. This will facilitate a better understanding of the opportunities for using ingredients derived from BSFL (Balearic Slaughter Boar Livestock) fed with olive pomace, their productive benefits, and their market potential. For the end user, having clear and reusable materials will help them learn about the innovation sooner and better assess its potential application on the farm or in feed manufacturing.

RD3. Internal Coordination of Dissemination Activities. The project includes regular video conference meetings and in-person gatherings to share progress and coordinate dissemination among all partners. Although this is an internal activity, its practical value is high because it helps ensure that the messages reaching the sector are consistent, up-to-date, and aligned with the project's actual results. For farmers, livestock breeders, technicians, and companies, this translates into more reliable and better-organized information. Good internal coordination also accelerates the transfer of results, avoids duplication, and improves the consortium's ability to respond to the sector's specific needs.

RD4. Media Coverage of Trade Fairs and Congresses: INSECTFEED will publicize its participation in trade fairs and congresses in the insect, animal production, and sustainability sectors to raise awareness of the project's progress. This will allow the knowledge generated to reach professional and business networks where decisions are made regarding new raw materials, feed formulation, and circular business models. For the end user, the benefit is earlier access to proven innovations and real-world application examples. Furthermore, presence at these forums can open up opportunities for collaboration, investment, and scaling for companies and organizations interested in implementing similar solutions.

RD5. Press Releases and Scientific or General Publications. The project will publish press releases and content in scientific, technical, and general media to disseminate its main results to diverse audiences. This will ensure that information is not limited to the research community and also reaches companies, cooperatives, feed formulators, and producers. The practical value of this action is to increase confidence in innovation through clear messages supported by technical results. For the end user, these publications will facilitate the identification of specific benefits related to sustainability, costs, productivity, and new market opportunities surrounding insect protein and the valorization of olive pomace.

RD6. Website and Social Media Publications. INSECTFEED will maintain a website and social media presence to continuously disseminate the project's objectives, progress, and results. This will allow the project to reach a wider audience with accessible and up-to-date information on its development and the practical potential of the solution. For farmers, cooperatives, companies, and technicians, the website and social media will provide a quick way to access news, materials, and key messages without having to consult lengthy technical documents. Its main added value is bringing innovation closer to the end user and facilitating faster and broader dissemination.

RD7. Organization and attendance at innovation workshops. The project will organize and participate in innovation workshops to transfer its results to livestock farmers, companies in the agricultural and livestock sector, and technology providers. This outcome is especially relevant because it creates a direct exchange between those who develop innovation and those who can apply it. For the end user, the main advantage is learning firsthand how to use the results, what benefits can be expected, and what conditions facilitate its implementation. These workshops can also generate useful contacts, partnerships, and new business opportunities for those seeking more sustainable solutions in animal feed.

RD8. Audiovisual Material: INSECTFEED will produce an explanatory video to visually showcase the project's objectives, progress, and conclusions. This format is particularly useful for introducing innovation to non-specialized audiences and for quickly explaining how a byproduct like olive pomace can become a valuable ingredient in pig feed. For end users, the main benefit is having a simple and engaging tool to understand the proposal, share it within their organizations, and assess its potential application. The audiovisual material can also strengthen commercial interest and facilitate the project's dissemination at events and through digital channels.