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European aquaculture covers a broad spectrum of fish species (such as salmon, trout, sea bass, gilthead bream or carp). A small-scale activity in the 1960s, this sector has rapidly become a true industry involving multinationals, SME and family enterprises.
According to Marc Vandeputte, Research Engineer at INRA and coordinator of the AQUAEXCEL project, "consumers are concerned about where their food comes from. The European aquaculture industry will only be able to respond to their demands through greater knowledge of fish biology and aquacultural technologies."
AQUAEXCEL is being carried out by a cross-disciplinary team of experts in fish nutrition, physiology, health and welfare, genetics, instrumentation and aquacultural engineering.
It will constitute a network of the best European aquaculture infrastructures (17 partners, 1O countries*), covering all types of production systems, environments, species, scientific expertise and disciplinary fields.
The main goals of the project are:
- to offer European aquaculture research teams access to the best infrastructures.
- to combine resources and know-how in order to create conditions for the emergence of joint research projects.
- to develop projects aimed at improving the efficiency of infrastructures
- aquaculture research (remote access and follow-up, phenotyping, limitations on the use of live animals, validity of research at an industrial scale, development of biological models).
- closer links between the scientific community and end users through the development of mission-oriented research and improvements in technology transfer.
AQUAEXCEL (2011-2015) was granted funds of €9.2 million in the context of the "Infrastructures" section of the Seventh European Framework Programme (FP7).
At a European level, this project will enable improvements in competitiveness through the transfer of knowledge, innovation and technological development.
It will ensure a better fit between research results and the needs of industrial aquaculture.
* Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom.
For more information:
http://www.aquaexcel.eu/
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