This year's edition of Aquaculture Europe, the conference and trade event for the European aquaculture research community and industry, kicks off today in Vienna.
The event, which this year focuses on new innovations on the theme of "balancing diversity" within aquaculture and the wider blue economy, will include presentations and pitches from across the spectrum of aquaculture in Europe and beyond.
This year, the Austrian capital plays host to the the annual event of the European Aquaculture Society, aiming to "shape the future of European aquaculture".
Among this year's keynote speakers is Lissy Smit, CEO of blue economy investment firm Aqua-Spark, discussing "Moving aquaculture to more sustainable, healthier and affordable production", from an investor viewpoint.
Professor József Popp, global resources expert at John von Neumann University in Hungary, will speak on the main conference theme of "balancing diversity" in aquaculture for global food production, while genetics experts Antti Kause (Luke: Natural Resources Institute Finland) and Morten Rye (Benchmark Genetics) will speak on breeding resilience.
Landlocked Austria may seem a surprising choice for an aquaculture meeting place, but according to the event organizers, despite the country's current low level of aquaculture production, "it has has plans for development of existing and new production methods and species and it is at the heart of central Europe, adjacent to Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy and other European countries focussing on aquaculture development."
The focus for this year's meeting is "diversification", with a variety of parallel sessions featuring speakers covering a broad range of scientific disciplines and cultivated species.
Alongside the presentations, the meeting will also feature an international trade exhibition, where both regional and international companies can present their products and services.
Also included in the program are a series of special forums for industry, including a focus on aquaculture innovation, in addition to thematic workshops and networking opportunities.
