New technologies Tools and Strategies for a Sustainable, Resilient and Innovative European Aquaculture

In Europe, aquaculture accounts for about 20% of fish production and directly employs some 85 000 people. EU aquaculture is renowned for its high quality, sustainability and consumer protection standards. Increasing the sector’s production and competitiveness is a priority.

The main goal of the NewTechAqua project is to expand and diversify European aquaculture production of finfish, molluscs and microalgae by developing and validating technologically-advanced, resilient and sustainable applications. 

Objectives: 

Researchers and partners from the NewTechAqua will test and develop new solutions to:

• Deliver solutions to improve fish and mollusc health and disease resistance: prediction models for specific diseases, kits for disease’ detection, new breeding programmes and new diets.
• Improve performance and quality of farmed fish and microalgae by developing innovative breeding programmes.
• Make the aquaculture sector more sustainable and circular through different rearing systems (RAS, biofloc technology, aquaponics) new diets using fish by-products, fish processing wastewaters and microalgae and low-fishmeal organic diets.
• Increase the efficiency of aquaculture production systems via real-time management systems, satellite systems, and recommendations.
• Support diversification of fish species by studying the reproductive cycle of emerging fish species (greater amberjack, meagre and Senegal sole) to re-create the best conditions for raising these new species in aquaculture production systems.
• Develop new eco-friendly fish and molluscs products with high nutritional value.
• Raise awareness and train professionals from the aquaculture sector by creating training programmes and conducting studies on consumers’ preferences.

Project partners

• Alma Mater Studiorum - Universita Di Bologna – Lead partner (IT);
• Universita Ca' Foscari Venezia (IT);
• Institut De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries (ES);
• Hellenic Centre For Marine Research (EL);
• Universita Degli Studi Di Bari Aldo Moro (IT);
• Nofima AS (NO);
• A.I.A. Agricola Italiana Alimentare S.P.A. (IT);
• Aquicultura Balear SA (ES);
• Cromaris Dionicko Drustvo Za Marikulturu (HR);
• Mowi Genetics AS (NO);
• Irida AE-Products for Animal Production-Services (EL);
• Rara Avis Biotec SL (ES);
• Aquanetix Limited (UK);
• Fédération Européenne des Producteurs Aquacoles Association (FR);
• Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (FR);
• Il Vigneto Societa Agricola A Responsabilita Limitata (IT);
• Greenovate! Europe (BE);
• Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (FR);
• Syndicat Des Sélectionneurs Avicoles et Aquacoles Français (FR);
• Ichthyokalliergeies Argosaronikou Anonymi Etairia (EL);
• Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus (CY);
• Universidad De Las Palmas De Gran Canaria (ES);
• The Seafood Innovation Cluster AS (NO);
• Galaxidi Marine Farm AE (EL);
• Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (IT);
• Casali Roberto (IT).