The European project Aquaserv starts, involving the infrastructure of METROFOOD.

The kickoff of AQUASERV took place in recent weeks: it is a European project, launched in April 2024 and lasting for five years, bringing together scientists from different fields to boost research and innovation in sectors such as aquaculture and marine biotechnology, thus helping the EU progress towards a sustainable blue economy.

In more detail, the general objectives of AQUASERV (which has a budget of over 14 million euros) are to gather, improve, integrate, and customize the capabilities of research infrastructure (including facilities, tools, and expertise), as well as to significantly promote scientific progress and facilitate the implementation of the European common fisheries policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, sustainable blue economy, and the European Green Deal.

AQUASERV will achieve these objectives by offering scientists from academia and industry transnational (TA) and virtual (VA) remote and on-site access to an advanced series of European research infrastructures and its nodes related to research and management of marine and freshwater biological resources, food, and biotechnologies. These include the European Marine Biological Resource Centre ERIC (EMBRC), the ERIC for ecosystem analysis and experimentation, Aquaexcel for Excellence for Aquaculture in Fish (Aquaexcel), and also the infrastructure for promoting metrology in food and nutrition (METROFOOD), as well as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, both as a service provider and stakeholder. The initiative also includes the research infrastructure for studies on scientific policies and innovation (RISIS) to provide contributions from social sciences and bring results closer to policymakers, ensuring social impact.

Regarding METROFOOD, in particular, the partners involved are UNINA, INSA, TUBITAK, JSI, and IPMA. At the Italian level, UNINA (University of Naples Federico II) coordinated by Professor Paola Adamo will offer transnational access to the authenticity, safety, and quality laboratory of food organized within the METROFOOD project.

To maximize the impact of its activities, AQUASERV will build a communication network among partnerships and develop a dissemination and awareness-raising program. Furthermore, an advanced training program will be developed to capture future users and will be updated during the project's implementation.