From the 22 to the 25 September 2025, Valencia hosted Aquaculture Europe 2025 (AE2025). The largest event in its history with over 3000 participants and over 800 scientific contributions, reflecting the growing importance of aquaculture in addressing global food security and environmental challenges. For ULTFARMS, AE2025 was an invaluable opportunity to connect, share, and learn. It allowed us to strengthen ties with research institutions and industry players, and gain insights into the latest trends shaping aquaculture.
The conference motto, “Aquaculture for Everyone – Invest in Your Planet”, set the tone for four days of inspiring discussions and knowledge exchange. It highlighted the essential link between innovation, sustainability, and social benefits, reminding us that aquaculture is not only about producing food but also about creating resilient ecosystems and communities. AE2025 offered a rich program of parallel scientific sessions, poster presentations, workshops, and a dynamic industry exhibition.
Several project partners presented groundbreaking research , demonstrating how far ULTFARMS has progressed from concept to practice.
ULTFARMS consortium contributors:
- Project lead Ghada El Serafy shared insights during the Industry Session, emphasizing the urgent need for responsible and resilient aquaculture solutions as global demand for aquatic food continues to rise.
- Emma Huijben presented her work on modeling low-trophic aquaculture co-located within offshore wind farms in the North Sea under climate change scenarios, addressing changing conditions that are critical for offshore operators.
- Eva Strothotte contributed two presentations: one on an image-based analysis method for optimizing the measurement workflow of growth parameters in macroalgae, enabling automated monitoring and quality assurance. The second on nature-inclusive design for offshore infrastructure, exploring how technical innovation can be combined with ecological restoration.
- Tim Staufenberger offered a glimpse into offshore aquaculture through growth measurements and analyses of algae, mussels, and oysters in real offshore conditions, providing essential data for understanding productivity and influencing factors.
AE2025 was a catalyst for new ideas and partnerships.
It strengthened ULTFARMS’ visibility within the European research community, positioned us as a key contributor to sustainable aquaculture, and provided insights that will inform our future developments. Above all, it reaffirmed that collaboration and innovation are essential for creating a resilient and sustainable aquaculture sector.
