The European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform, the European Commission and the European Aquaculture Society organised on Thursday, September 29, at Aquaculture Europe 2022, Rimini the :

Aquaculture Europe 2022 Innovation Forum

“From Policy to Solutions”

Creating the correct circumstances for the successful uptake of innovation solutions across aquaculture value chains benefits from a methodological approach considering industry needs alongside strategic political and policy objectives, coupled with an understanding of appropriate delivery vehicles.  Multiple knowledge transfer and facilitation routes, including platforms, projects, accelerators, and dissemination/education tools all have a key role to play in effective innovation transfer and capacity building. 

The AE2022 Innovation Forum aimed at industry actors, policy makers, knowledge transfer experts, and those engaging in aquaculture knowledge development and collaboration, to inform how best to ensure meaningful knowledge & innovation transfer addressing research gaps and priorities for action whilst ensuring impact.

10:30 to 11:30 Part I. The Policy environment as a driver for Innovation Uptake

Moderated by David Bassett, EATiP

Short, focussed presentations with Q&A after each

• Global aquaculture policies as a lead for setting priorities nationally – Austin Stankus, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division
• Implementing the Research and Innovation aspects of the Strategic Guidelines and the Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism for a more sustainable and competitive European Aquaculture – Lorella de la Cruz, European Commission, DG MARE
• A new approach for a sustainable Blue Economy – Blue farming within the Green Deal & Farm to Fork Strategies – Birgit Van Tongelen, European Commission DG MARE
• Mission Restore Our Ocean & Waters – Taking a Regional /Basin Approach – Nikos Zampoukas, European Commission DG RTD

11:30 to 12:30  Part II. The Building Blocks

Moderated by Mieke Eggermont, EATiP Mirror Platform Working Group

A panel-based discussion focussing on the available instruments and how they operate to facilitate the identification of needed innovations and mechanisms to maximise uptake.

Contributions from

• Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) smart specialisation platform(s) for Aquaculture – David Basset, EATiP
• EATiP Mirror Platforms: regional & national clusters:
  • Ann Cecilie Hilling, NCE Aquaculture
  • Yolanda Molares & Agustín I. López Gialdi, ACUIPLUS
• National Innovation Organisations – Øyvind E. Haga, Innovation Norway
• European Institute of Innovation & Technology – Mercedes Groba, EIT Food

12:30 to 14:30 Lunch (on your own) and visit to the AE2022 Trade Show

14.30 to 15:15 Part III. Facilitating the uptake

Moderated by Damian Toner, EAS

Following up to Part II, with a focus on concrete measures within the policy and building blocks of the previous sessions to present and discuss approaches, experiences and best practice.

• How to throw good money after good money: getting from public funding to the market – Ingeborg Korme, BlueBio Cofund
• Commercialising innovation in aquaculture: lessons from Hatch Blue – Chris Sworder, HATCH Blue
• Rethinking Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation (CDE) approaches for Industry Impact – Frederick Bruce, SUBMARINER Network

15:15 to 17:15 Part IV. Selected Case Studies

Moderated by Alexandra Neyts, AQUAEXCEL3.0

Selection of case studies with outputs leading to either increased TRL
or with high innovation potential.

AQUAEXCEL3.0 Transnational access high-impact outputs:

• Massimo Orioles: Red Mark Syndrome in rainbow trout: advances in diagnostics and management strategies
• Ricardo Ekmay: Beyond insect flour: use of Wood-Based Yeast SCP (single-cell protein) as an ingredient for Trout diets
• Hijran Yavuzcan: A novel welfare assessment tool for sea-caged European Seabass: the SWIM (Salmon Welfare Index Model) approach
• Raneesha De Fonseka: Triploid salmon: how salinity influences their growth and welfare
• Dinara Bekkozhayeva: No more tags: a novel method to identify fish by using their scale patterns

Discussion chaired by Kjell Maroni, FHF and member of AQUAEXCEL3.0 IRAP

Research-based industry innovations and start-ups:

• Industry innovations: Viking Aqua (AquaBioTech, Shane Hunter)
• Accelerators: Planktonic (Antonio Coli)
• Knowledge and Innovation Community: Next Tuna (Paul Sindilariu)

17:15 Wrap up – with the 4 moderators giving a short summary of their parts.