Research centre

Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV)

The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) is a public, dynamic, and innovative institution dedicated to research and teaching in science, technology, art, and business, with 3 campuses in the Valencian Community. In recent international rankings, UPV is among the top 100 universities worldwide in Food Science and Technology and among the top 150 in Agricultural Sciences.

The Department of Animal Science (DCA) and the Institute of Animal Science and Technology (ICTA) are the UPV units responsible for teaching and research in the field of animal production science and technology. Together with the facilities at the Gandía Campus (IGIC), UPV offers extensive infrastructure, including a pilot feed production plant equipped with milling and mixing systems; 6,000 m² of outdoor facilities with ponds and tanks; an aquaculture greenhouse with concrete raceways; aquaculture laboratories with tanks of various sizes and specialized equipment; an experimental slaughterhouse and cutting plant; bromatology and chromatography laboratories; a microscopy laboratory equipped with a fluorescence microscope and flow cytometer; and a molecular biology laboratory fully equipped for advanced molecular analyses.

University of Porto (UP)

The University do Porto (UP) is Portugal’s second largest university and one of the most prestigious teaching and research institutions in the country. This high qualification level of the teaching staff, combined with advanced lab technology and equipment, as well as the close connections with the business world ensure first-class training.

The Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) aims at generating and disseminating knowledge in Science and Technology in order to contribute to the grand Society Global Challenges. The researcher will have access to all research facilities and resources offered by FCUP and also Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of University of Porto (CIIMAR).

The CIIMAR Certified Bioterium of Aquatic Organisms (BOGA) includes several experimental RAS facilities for fish growth, feed utilization, digestibility, and bacterial challenge trials, equipped with tanks of different capacities. All systems feature aeration, thermoregulation, skimmers, ozone treatment, mechanical filtration, and biofilters.

The facilities also include aquafeed formulation and production tools, a laboratory pellet mill, and fully equipped research laboratories for microbiology, immunology, histology, molecular biology, gene expression, bromatology, and related analytical techniques.

The Arctic University of Norway (UiT)

The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) was established in 1968 and is located in Tromsø, Norway. It is one of the four prominent Norwegian universities and is the northernmost university in the world. UiT is known for its focus on Arctic and marine research and education.

UiT has a strong focus on addressing climate challenges, marine biology, fisheries, and biotechnology, as well as a diverse range of other academic disciplines. The Norwegian College of Fisheries Science (Norges fiskerihøgskole – NFH) is a specialized UiT institution dedicated to fisheries and marine sciences.

Research areas include sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine ecosystems, and biotechnology.

The Microalgae, Microbiomes and Resource Genomics Group (M2RG) hosts integrated laboratory and pilot-scale facilities for microalgae cultivation and molecular biology research, covering both small- and large-scale production. The group also has access to advanced national e-infrastructure for high-performance computing and life science data analysis.

Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)

Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), founded in 1980, is a publicly funded national research institute primarily active in the cold and temperate regions of the world.

Working together with numerous national and international partners, AWI is actively involved in unravelling the complex processes at work in the Earth System and creating solutions to respond to society’s growing need for sustainability.

The Aquaculture Research group (AQF) is part of the AWI bioeconomy section and develops new products and systems for sustainable aquaculture production, ensuring animal welfare, social and economic viability, and acceptance.

The Centre for Aquaculture Research (ZAF) is one of Europe’s largest recirculating aquaculture research facilities, with holding tanks for all aquaculture species, all salinities and temperatures, and BioFloc and clearwater systems.

University of Palermo (UNIPA)

The University of Palermo (UNIPA) is a consolidated cultural, scientific and teaching presence in central-western Sicily. Researchers at UNIPA study every day to find new solutions to the questions posed by nature, science, and society. Laboratories are open to the local community, and this represents the first step of collaboration between researchers in the academic world and in the business world. Here, basic and applied research is carried out, and young brains are given the chance to turn their intuitions to good account. Successful technological transfer implies the full synergy of innovative technologies, scientific expertise, production systems and processes.

The Ecology Lab of the University of Palermo is equipped with any possible sort of equipment and devices to measure effects of environmental change on all levels of the ecological hierarchy (functional, population and community) from mesocosms to the open field, including all possible tests on effects on aquaculture on the surroundings, and to calibrate and validate mechanistic models.

University of Padova (UNIPD)

University of Padova (UNIPD) is one of the most prestigious learning institutes of Europe. It has a high-ranking position in Italian and international ranking agencies for its quality of teaching, research activities and student services; it runs centres, research organisations and science and technology hubs affiliated with UNIPD; and it is ranked among the top 250 universities in the Times Higher Education ranking.

DAFNAE of UNIPD was awarded as Excellence Department in 2018 and in 2022 by the Italian Ministry of Education and granted in 2018 and 2023 with special funding for its excellence projects.

The Experimental Farm of UNIPD is adjacent to the Agripolis Campus. In DAFNAE, the LACHI laboratory performs complete rheological and chemical characterization of feeds, foods and animal tissues. It counts on ICP-OES, CNS analyser, LC-MS/MS triple-quadrupole and GC-MS with ionic trap, GC×GC, HPLC-UV, and a sensory laboratory.

The PhD Program in Animal and Food Science offers training in specific disciplinary teaching and research activities besides soft skills modules.

Kveloce

Kveloce is an SME specialised in the development and exploitation of R&D projects with more than 13 years of experience. Our services cover: (i) management of R&D and innovation projects; (ii) knowledge management and business innovation; (iii) social impact assessment, including social acceptance, sustainability, and long-term exploitation; (iv) citizen engagement and co-creation; and (v) exploitation and dissemination strategies, including innovative financial instruments.

Our staff is currently involved in 14 EU-funded R&D projects (H2020, Horizon Europe), where we provide expertise on SSH and RRI. We lead activities such as dissemination and communication, impact assessment, socio-economic and socio-cultural analysis, policy recommendations, knowledge transfer and capacity building, public engagement and co-creation, and organisation of outreach activities.

Naturalleva (VRM Srl)

Naturalleva is a brand owned by VRM Srl, a well-established company in the Italian agri-food sector. VRM’s animal feed division, operating under the Naturalleva brand, manufactures and sells fish feed for 10 fish species in 17 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The company places a strong emphasis on research and works closely with farmers, consumers, academic partners, and research centres to develop and test feed formulations, aiming to enhance product quality and growth.

The company is equipped with all facilities and tools necessary for developing the research project: software for feed formulation and economic evaluation; a production plant with grinding and extrusion machines; a laboratory for chemical and physical analysis of water, raw materials, feeds and fish faeces; and a wet-lab with a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) controlled by automatic systems for water quality, feed distribution, and fish behaviour.

LISAQUA

Founded in 2018, LISAQUA is an impact start-up. Its mission is to produce better with fewer resources by developing integrated aquaculture. This unique co-culture technology pairs prawns, micro-organisms, and marine invertebrates in closed-circuit indoor aquaculture farms.

This innovation makes it possible to raise prawns without antibiotics, preserves mangroves, and saves 99% of water compared to conventional farming. After four years of research and development, LISAQUA set up the first prawn farm in France in Saint-Herblain (Nantes) in 2022 to produce 10 tons of prawns per year.

The facilities available include modular aquaculture platforms at both small and medium scale, suitable for BFT or RAS operation, as well as a commercial-scale shrimp production unit. In addition, laboratory facilities for water quality assessment and basic microbiological analyses are available, together with access to a hatchery capable of supplying shrimp post-larvae.

Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG)

Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG) is a public university supported by the Brazilian Government. Among undergraduate and graduate programs, FURG has more than 15,000 students.

FURG is a pioneer and ranks among the top universities in Brazil regarding studies in Oceanography, including mariculture. The graduate program in Aquaculture started in 2003, and since then more than 145 students have completed their MSc and PhD degrees.

Professors of the Institute of Oceanography have vast national and international experience, organizing conferences and conducting important research in mariculture, as reflected in their publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.

New Food Development

New Food was founded in 2017 as a spin-off of the University of Zaragoza and focuses its business activity on R&D&I of healthier new foods.

Its mission is to research, develop, and innovate food products that respond to societal needs, including healthy and functional foods, products suitable for groups with special needs, ready-to-eat foods, innovative solutions, and environmentally respectful processes.

New Food is a reference in R&D&I for the development of new foods and supports the agri-food industry in increasing competitiveness, generating added value and fostering job creation.

Damm Aquakultur GmbH & Co. KG

Indoor biofloc shrimp farm based on an individually developed water treatment concept combining the biofloc method with water filtration based on various RAS elements, with a production capacity of 15 tons per year.

The facilities include a farm laboratory and six R&D tanks, each equipped with its own filtration system.