[Edaily Reporter Shin Su-jeong] Competition among major food conglomerates over land-based farming technology for seaweed—often referred to as the “semiconductor of the sea”—is heating up. As seaweed has emerged as a leading K-Food export item, and as climate change has increased production volatility in traditional offshore farming, companies are accelerating their development of land-based farming technology to ensure year-round production and consistent quality. Pulmuone aims to launch a product based on land-farmed seaweed in a market test format by 2027.

◇Land-based aquaculture reduces reliance on the sea
According to the food industry on the 15th, Pulmuone and CJ CheilJedang are each establishing land-based seaweed farming hubs in Saemangeum and Cheonan, respectively. Pulmuone has broken ground on a land-based seaweed farming R&D center in the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex, while CJ CheilJedang plans to break ground on a commercial land-based seaweed farming facility in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, this August, with the goal of completing it in the first half of next year.

Seaweed is a leading export item in the domestic seafood industry. Overseas consumption has expanded, particularly for seasoned seaweed, and its range of applications is broadening to include snacks, ingredients for Korean cuisine, and ingredients for health foods. The issue is supply stability. Seaweed is primarily produced in the ocean during the winter, but production volume and quality can fluctuate depending on external environmental factors such as rising water temperatures, changes in marine conditions, diseases, and typhoons. In essence, while global demand is growing, supply remains constrained by seasonal and marine environmental factors.

This is why land-based aquaculture is gaining attention. Land-based aquaculture involves producing seaweed by creating an environment similar to the ocean indoors. Since growth conditions such as temperature, light, and nutrients can be controlled, year-round production and consistent quality are possible. While the traditional approach centered on purchasing raw seaweed harvested from the ocean for processing and sale, there is a growing trend toward securing production technologies—including seed production, cultivation, growth environment control, and processing integration—as a new competitive advantage.

◇CJ Focuses on Commercialization Verification; Pulmuone Builds an Ecosystem
The two companies have different strategies. #CJ CheilJedang is focusing on verifying the commercial viability of land-based seaweed farming, centered on its “Bibigo Seaweed” brand. The seaweed produced at its Cheonan facility is slated for use in “Bibigo Seaweed.” However, specific products and the proportion of land-farmed seaweed to be used have not yet been determined.

CJ CheilJedang is leading the way with a proprietary variety it developed in-house. The company explained that this variety “has a high production yield and grows stably; compared to existing marine-farmed varieties, it has a wider range of heat tolerance and faster growth rates under land-based farming conditions.” Regarding cost competitiveness, the company stated that it will prioritize securing differentiated technology over immediate price competition.

CJ CheilJedang does not view this investment merely as a means to secure raw materials. A CJ CheilJedang official stated, “We do not view the internalization of the supply chain as the primary objective of land-based aquaculture technology,” adding, “This initiative is being pursued with a focus on developing technology to address climate change and on consumer benefits such as taste and quality.” The company is also exploring the possibility of future expansion based on collaboration with local governments.

#Pulmuone is focusing on an ecosystem for land-based seaweed cultivation based in Saemangeum and a model linking local fishermen. The Saemangeum R&D Center serves as a key demonstration hub for the commercialization of land-based seaweed cultivation. Pulmuone aims to launch a product in the form of a market test by 2027, following the verification of production technology and operational systems at this facility and the confirmation of business viability.

Pulmuone plans to validate production technologies across the entire lifecycle, from seed production to intermediate cultivation and full-scale farming. The company also intends to establish a one-stop production system that integrates fresh seaweed production with processing, as well as energy-efficient technologies. Looking ahead, Pulmuone is envisioning a collaborative model where local fishermen use land-based farming technology to produce fresh seaweed, and Pulmuone purchases the entire harvest to handle processing, product development, and distribution.

The company is also taking a broad view of product development. Pulmuone is pursuing plans to utilize land-based seaweed in a variety of seaweed product lines, as well as in plant-based food ingredients and the development of new products targeting the global market. A Pulmuone official stated, “Along with technology development, we have been identifying market needs through continuous market testing and consumer surveys,” adding, “We are concretizing our commercialization strategy based on data regarding consumer perception and product preference for land-based seaweed.”

Experts believe that as demand for “K-seaweed” grows, securing stable production technology will become a critical challenge for food companies. They analyze that the competitive landscape in the seaweed industry is shifting from simple processing and branding competition to competition in production technologies such as seed selection, cultivation, and quality control.

Lee Sang-hyun, a professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics at Korea University’s College of Life Sciences, said, “In exports, the most important factor is supplying the right quantity of products with consistent quality at the right time.” He added, “If quality is inconsistent, it is difficult for buyers to commercialize the product, whether they sell it directly or reprocess it.” He further explained, “The trend of companies establishing land-based seaweed farming centers can be seen as an effort to secure capabilities in variety development and quality control, moving beyond simple processing.”