#23: Seadling with Simon Davis – Southeast Asia and why production scale-up will happen in the tropics, the potential of red seaweeds, lessons from the East and opportunities for innovation.

Simon Davis is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of SEADLING, a seaweed biotechnology startup, that has been leading innovation in the seaweed sector in South East Asia since 2018. Simon has been active in the seaweed industry for 8 years, serves on the advisory board of UN Global Compact’s Safe Seaweed Coalition and is a passionate advocate for the pivotal role that seaweed will play as a source of new materials for a sustainable future whilst combatting carbon and restoring abundance to our oceans. *Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠*01:01 - Simon's Career Break and Sailing Journey02:05 - Discovering Seaweed During Travels03:46 - Simon's Deep Dive into the Seaweed Industry05:08 - The State of Seaweed Farming in Southeast Asia07:44 - Innovation Gaps in the Seaweed Industry08:05 - Comparing Asia vs. Europe/North America09:37 - The Scale and Potential of Seaweed Farming in Southeast Asia10:09 - Opportunities for Innovation11:02 - Exploring New Seaweed Species and Applications11:56 - The Role of Local and International Stakeholders12:57 - Bridging the Gap between East and West14:08 - Learning from China 15:24 - The Future of Seaweed Cultivation16:18 - The Potential of Equatorial Seaweed Farming17:10 - Lessons from Asia18:00 - The Importance of Diversification in Seaweed Products19:11 - Seedling's Focus on Pet Food Ingredients20:36 - The Role of Seaweed in Animal Feed and Biostimulants21:22 - The Future Directions of the Seaweed Industry22:13 - Opportunities for Entrepreneurs 23:01 - Simon's Call for Talent at Seedling24:05 - Avoiding Past Mistakes in Seaweed Industry Development25:06 - The Need for Diversification and Resilience26:02 - Potential Contributions from Global Entrepreneurs27:42 - The Challenges of Innovating in Southeast Asia29:30 - The Importance of Expanding into more Applications30:14 - Quality Standards and Certifications31:18 - Seedling's Approach to Innovation32:06 - Developing Seaweed-Based Products33:22 - Seedling's Farming Partnerships and Supply Chain34:06 - Research and Innovation in Tropical Seaweeds36:16 - The Importance of Building Relationships in Asia37:37 - Seedling's Focus on Pet Food and Biostimulants38:58 - Seedling's Product Development and Market Expansion40:19 - Exploring New Seaweed Species and Varieties41:07 - The Potential of Red Seaweeds42:05 - Opportunities in Red Seaweed Applications43:27 - Encouraging Global Entrepreneurs to Explore Red Seaweeds44:08 - Seedling's Call for Talent Across Various Roles45:21 - How to Connect with Seedling*Useful Links:Simon Davis on LinkedIn SEADLING: Website, LinkedIn and Email*Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@ins