On 11 February 2026, the INNOAQUA Project, together with project partner the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and leading international research institutions, hosted the online event “Algaebased innovation for nextlevel combined aquaculture production”. The session brought together more than 173 participants from Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond, confirming the strong and growing interest in algaeintegrated aquaculture solutions.
Over three hours, the event showcased real IMTA and RAS systems that integrate microalgae, macroalgae, and aquatic animals, many of them already operating at pilot or near fullscale production. The programme combined case studies, technical insights, and an interactive panel discussion, offering a comprehensive overview of current innovation pathways in integrated aquaculture.
A diverse programme highlighting global expertise
The session was moderated by Dorinde Kleinegris (NORCE, Norway) and Natrah Ikhsan (ALBIC–UPM, Malaysia), with a closing panel led by Patrick Sorgeloos (UGent, Belgium). Six invited speakers presented case studies from different production environments and species combinations:
- Montakan Tamtin (Thailand): National progress in seaweed cultivation, commercialisation, and GAP standards.
- Rui Pereira (Portugal): A landbased IMTA pilot integrating sole and macroalgae.
- Nguyen Nhut (Vietnam): IMTARAS configurations for climateresilient shrimp production.
- Pia Steinrücken (Norway): Pilotscale integration of salmon and microalgae using photobioreactors.
- Wahidatul Husna (Malaysia): Seabased IMTA combining highvalue sea urchins and tropical seaweeds.
- Pauline O’Donohoe (Ireland): Emerging IMTA species and biosecurity considerations for openwater systems.
Together, these contributions offered a comparative look at system design, operational performance, environmental outcomes, and market potential across regions and production methods.
A dynamic space for discussion and collaboration
The panel discussion and live Q&A created an engaging forum for participants to exchange perspectives on practical configurations for coupling algae and animal production, cost and biosecurity considerations, climateresilient and circular approaches, scaleup challenges, and opportunities for crosssector collaboration on both food and nonfood products.
Strengthening INNOAQUA’s mission
This successful event reinforces INNOAQUA’s commitment to knowledge exchange, innovation uptake, and international cooperation on algaebased solutions that enhance sustainability and resilience in aquaculture.
