The project is linked to the food and beverage industry, as well as addressing hygiene and cosmetics production needs. NACE 2 codes: 10.51; 20.42.The results of the project will contribute to the following priorities of the Latvian Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3):1) Efficient transformation of primary products into products with high added value, development of new materials and technologies and diversification of their use;2) Enhancing the efficiency of energy consumption by optimizing production processes;3) Development of knowledge base and human capital related to the needs of knowledge intensive bioeconomy and corresponding to the field of biotechnology, which is one of the main key enabling technologies (KETs) defined by the European Commission (EC).The objectives of the project are1) Development of environmentally friendly, energy efficient cheese whey fermentation process with original strains of microorganisms to obtain biologically active peptides (BAP) and antioxidants (AO),2) Characterisation of the composition, structure and activity of BAP in fermentation products;3) Development of recipes and production of prototypes for at least two functional food or cosmetic products.The project will be implemented as an industrial research activity.Accorresponding to the OECD classification and research areas, the project belongs to natural sciences, for biology and chemistry, it also contains artificial intelligence AI and machine learning (ML) elements from computer and information science.The scientific director of the project (ZV) is Professor, Dr.biol. Indriķis Muižnieks.The project is not related to economic activity.The project will be implemented in cooperation with two partners from the industry:1) Joint Stock Company ‘Cesvaines piens’ (Cesvaines piens, CP), one of the TOP 20 food processing companies and one of the leading cheese producers in Latvia;2) SIA ‘Alternative Plants’ (AP), the company specializes in testing candidates for cosmetic products in animal cell culture, actively cooperating with cosmetics and hygiene product manufacturers in Latvia and abroad.The main planned activities are:1) Industrial research, which included. Screening and selection of microbial strains with the highest fermentation capacity of rennet whey from the patented collection of strains owned by the University of Latvia;b. Optimisation of the composition and culture conditions of the whey medium for the production of BAP and ROC. Characterisation of the composition and sequences of BAP in the selection of candidates for BAP for skin health promotion supported by fermented whey, AI and ML;d. Testing of selected BAP-containing whey fermentation products in bacterial and animal cell cultures, improvement and validation of AI support capacity;e. Development of technology proposals and prototypes for at least two products.2) Acquisition, validation and defence of industrial property rights to technologies.3) Dissemination of knowledge generated by the project through training, publications or knowledge and technology transfer.4) Public awareness and promotion of project results.The project results will include:1) Three scientific articles published in periodicals included in SCOPUS or Web of Science databases, at least one of them in the 1st or 2nd quartile journal;2) Two patent applications, one national and one international;3) Two descriptions of know-how and one proposal for a licensing agreement have been prepared;4) Two prototypes of functional whey drink or cosmetic composition for skin care, containing BAP from fermented whey;5) Involvement of four students and practical qualification development within the framework of the project activities;6) Project website on the university portal for public awareness, 3 project information plates in all project partners' buildings, one project communication activity within the framework of the Science Night.The project results will be:1) Increased competitiveness of the milk processing industry in Latvia through: Extension of the product palette (assortment?)b. Introduction of energy efficient, environmentally friendly whey valorisation technology;c. Use of national natural resources, original strains of microorganisms from the collection of microorganism cultures (MSC) of the University of Latvia, which is a recognised depositary institution (IDA) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and member of the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIH) "Research Infrastructure for Microorganism Resources" (MIRRI) of the European Framework for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI);d. Reduced carbon dioxide emissions in the milk processing industry and transformation of cheese production by-products into high added value products,2) Development of human potential to promote KET biotechnology in Latvia through:a. Direct involvement of students and young scientists in the implementation of the project;b. Presentation of project resul