How to diversify aquaculture production, ensuring the balanced and sustainable development of the sector? This was the motto of the 2023 edition of Aquaculture Europe – the largest European event dedicated to aquaculture. As in previous editions, INESC TEC participated in this initiative, presenting projects and competencies in the development of technological solutions towards improving this field.
Dedicated to “Balanced Diversity in Aquaculture Development”, several European agents gathered in Vienna (Austria) to discuss the development of aquaculture – in particular, how the sector should address current challenges, like those associated with climate change. The path seems to focus on diversification, both of species produced and production methods and environments. However, there are several questions about how to ensure a balance for the diversification of aquaculture production, considering the specificities of the regions, the available natural resources, the social realities, or the circularity of the economy.
INESC TEC joined the collaborative LABORATORY B2E (Blue Bioeconomy Colab) and attended this event, participating in the exhibition area of Aquaculture Europe – a space that welcomed 125 organisations. The goal was to present the technological developments and their applications, in a scientific and business context, thus promoting the sustainable growth of the sector.
“Technological development plays a relevant role in diversifying aquaculture, especially if we think of robotic or sensing solutions; we can adapt existing solutions for aquaculture to new species and environments quickly and effectively, thus allowing their sustainable and economically appealing exploitation”, explained Ana Paula Lima.
According to the INESC TEC researcher, the Institute has been working on the development of aquaculture solutions, namely sensors to support production activities – by ensuring, for example, water quality, oxygen levels, adequate growth of species, etc.
“Joining this type of events allows us to present our solutions and competencies in this area, reinforcing our role as a technological partner in an emerging field of Blue Economy”, she concluded.
The 2023 edition of the Aquaculture Europe event took place between September 18 and 21 in the city of Vienna, Austria. In addition to the exhibition area, the event’s agenda included plenary sessions, workshops, networking activities and presentation sessions of works and posters. Organised annually by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS), Aquaculture Europe aims to address structural issues in the sector, including challenges such as climate change, natural resource scarcity, biodiversity loss, food security and environmental pollution, while seeking to present solutions to develop a sustainable, responsible, productive and climate-neutral sector.
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