Speakers announced for Aquaculture Europe 2022

The challenges of climate change, aquaculture’s digital future and the imperative to move towards a “circular” economy will be the keynote themes for plenary sessions at Aquaculture Europe later this month.

Aquaculture Europe (AE2022), the annual conference of the European Aquacultural Society, takes place over 27-30 September in Rimini, Italy.

One of the key academic annual events for the sector, will also feature an international trade exhibition, industry forum, student sessions and activities, satellite workshops and updates on EU research.

The first plenary sessions will focus on the impact of climate change, with contributions from Nadia Pinardi, Professor of Oceanography at Bologna University, and Mariana Mata Lara, a Senior Project Manager for Geonardo Environmental Technologies.

Nadia Pinardi is Vice-President of the Commission for Observation, Infrastructure and Information Systems (Infrastructure Commission) of the World Meterological Organisation (WMO) and an acknowledged leader in the conceptual design and practical implementation of ocean forecasting systems across the world’s oceans.

Mariana Mata Lara was the coordinator of AQUA-LIT project, focusing on developing with the aquaculture sector a toolbox to bring together existing, upcoming and implemented tools, case studies, best practices, policy recommendations and action plans for addressing the three main components of marine littering: prevention & reduction, monitoring & quantification, and removal & recycling. Currently, she is helping develop the Knowledge Exchange Platform for the COASTAL project, focused on bringing evidence-based solutions and policy recommendations for creating synergies and business opportunities between the coastal and rural areas in Europe.

The second plenary, on Wednesday 28 September features Geert Wiegertjes, professor of the Aquaculture and Fisheries group at Wageningen University, the Netherlands; Yolanda Morales is the manager of the ACUIPLUS cluster in Spain, a group of companies and suppliers focused on sustainability; Roy Koushik of the University of South Bohemia, a biologist concentrating on the issues of improved resource (nutrients, biomass) use efficiency of Central European fishponds, intensive aquaculture, and farm-to-fork; and Brian Thomsen, Director of The Danish Aquaculture Organisation, who is also a member of the Committee for Monitoring the Danish EMFA program, member of the Advisory Board at the National institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua), chairman of Agri-Aqua Innovation Denmark and board member of the Danish Seafood Council.

The third plenary, on the final day of the conference, will focus on the application of “big data, featuring case studies from WSENSE, an Italian company providing data tools for the marine sector.

The speakers for this session will be Chiara Petrioli, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Rome La Sapienza; Alexander Bergrem, Vice President Sales and Business Development with WSENSE; and Georgia Koutsandria, is Senior R&D Engineer at WSENSE, where she is part of the team designing, implementing, optimising and evaluating novel Internet of Underwater Things systems.

For more information or to book your place at Rimini, go online to aquaeas.org/Meeting/AE2022/