Carlos A. Espinal, Co-founder and Innovation Director, Landing Aquaculture.
Landing Aquaculture.
In a rapidly evolving industry like aquaculture, reaching a decade in business is no small achievement. For Netherlands-based aquaculture engineering firm Landing Aquaculture, these ten years represent a journey of steady growth, innovation, and a deep commitment to pushing the boundaries of sustainable aquaculture and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).
WeAreAquaculture recently spoke with Carlos Espinal, co-founder of Landing Aquaculture, who shared insights into the company’s origins, its significant milestones, and its vision for the future as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary.
Some members of the Landing Aquaculture team, from left to right: Engineer Timo Wolfswinkel, Co-founder and Innovation Manager, Carlos Espinal, Office Manager Carolien van den Hoven, and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Rob van de Ven.
Carlos and his co-founder Rob van de Ven started Landing Aquaculture in 2013, with nothing more than “a couple of old laptops,” a commitment to quality, and a vision for transforming aquaculture engineering.
“At heart, we still share the same passion,” Carlos says. “Back then, we saw potential to show the world that aquaculture can be done more responsibly and how we could make a difference by doing things with more transparency”
The company began with small-scale projects, and Carlos reflects on how those early years were instrumental in shaping their approach.
“We bootstrapped our way up, learning about manufacturing and fabrication as we went along,” he explains. From the outset, Carlos and Rob prioritized attention to detail, professionalism, and a commitment to quality - traits that have remained central to the company’s ethos.
Landing Aquaculture’s first major milestone came six years ago when they established their headquarters and workshop in the Netherlands. This move enabled them to produce their first fully fabricated RAS.
“We built that system from scratch with just a small team, and it ran trials for everything from tilapia to salmon,” Carlos recounts. “It was me and a couple of friends, welding plastic and putting pipes together.” The success of this project was proof that their innovative designs and engineering expertise could stand up to rigorous real-world applications, he explains.
Innovation has been a consistent theme in Landing Aquaculture’s story. The company has patented equipment and developed products that have been well-received in the market.
“We learned what it's like to invent something and go through a patenting process. We have also launched products without the need for patenting, so we have an idea of the pros and cons of different levels of IP protection."
"We’re always inventing, manufacturing, and designing,” says Carlos. “It’s a continuous process that keeps us both dreaming about the possibilities and grounded on what’s actually feasible.”
Nofima's MicroRAS facility in Sunndalsøra, Norway, designed and delivered by Landing Aquaculture.
One of the most exciting recent developments for Landing is its partnership to develop a CNCI-funded, 500-tonne corvina RAS in Portugal, the first of its kind. This project is Landing Aquaculture’s largest to date, and represents a significant step into the commercial aquaculture market.
“This will be our chance to prove ourselves on a larger scale,” Carlos notes. “We’ve done well with small and mid-sized projects, but this is our leap into large-scale commercial aquaculture.”
For Landing Aquaculture, scaling up comes with its own set of challenges. As the company grows, it is expanding its team, adding R&D specialists and additional engineers to handle the increased workload. Carlos is mindful of the challenge of maintaining Landing’s core values as the company scales.
“We’ve built a strong reputation, but the key now is to sustain that as we take on larger projects. We need to keep that momentum going,” he says.
Looking to the future, Landing is targeting markets in Europe and beyond. Their projects often land well in “knowledge economies” where clients value detailed consulting and tailored solutions, Carlos tells us.
"To give the client a really good idea of what the farm is going to look like, you need to put in the work. You cannot cut corners. There's a huge design effort that must come first, before people start breaking the ground.”
“Every project is unique,” he explains. “Even with standard systems, there’s always some level of customization. The sites are always different, the water is different, the climate is different, the people are different. The economics are completely different in every location.”
Landing's proof of concept facility for commercial production of corvina (Argyrosomus regius) in RAS.
The future of aquaculture, as Carlos sees it, lies in scaling responsibly, reducing costs, and innovating within constraints. He is particularly excited about advancements in fish genetics and domestication, which he believes have the potential to revolutionize aquaculture as poultry farming was transformed over the past few decades.
On a practical level, he thinks modular designs and reducing risk in larger-scale projects will be essential as the industry grows. “If you want to do, let’s say, 5,000 tonnes then you you could go for the minimally viable scale for a RAS module, prove it works, then replicate and improve at each iteration.”
In the coming years, Carlos envisions Landing Aquaculture as a go-to name for anyone looking to establish responsible and sustainable aquaculture projects.
“We want to be the first company people think of when they have a new landbased aquaculture idea - whether it’s a large commercial venture or something entirely outside-of-the-box.”
Sometimes the most unconventional ideas are the ones that make the most impact, he points out.
“We want to stay open to the wacky ideas,” he says with a smile. “Our industry needs innovation, and often, it’s the craziest ideas that lead to the most significant breakthroughs.”