The European Aquaculture Society Aquaculture Europe 2019 will be held in the Estrel Hotel and Conference Center, Berlin from October 7 to 11. We have had very strong interest in this event, with more than 880 abstracts received for presentation. A very varied programme is being finalised, with 55 sessions over the three conference days. 150 booths have been sold for our trade show and 8 special sessions link business and science.
The opening plenary sessions of AE2019 will include a view on “The Environment and Fish Health” – by Professor Charles R. Tyler of the University of Exeter, UK. Fish are excellent barometers of aquatic ecosystem health and declines in both their diversity and abundance globally is a major cause for concern, not least because of their fundamental roles in ecosystem function and as a source for food. This talk will be free ranging with the purpose of provoking thought into might better translate knowledge on fish physiology for optimizing aquaculture practice. We will then look at “Producer, trade and consumer.” A presentation/panel session moderated by Alexander Wever, AWF Consulting, Berlin, Germany, that will give voice to the concerns and standpoints of producers, traders and consumers, additionally challenging them with highlighted individual statements from random European stakeholders (video messages).
More than 880 abstracts have been submitted for the 55 parallel sessions that make up the scientific conference. Sessions address all aspects of European aquaculture and will provide a window on the latest research outputs from a huge diversity of initiatives.
The AE2019 Special Sessions are targeted towards aquaculture producers and suppliers. They include sessions on marine litter, parasite management, nutrition and breeding innovations, shrimp production and aquaculture in Central and Eastern Europe. They also include the EU EATIP Day, whose programme is being finalised at this moment. Programmes of all of the special sessions will be posted online and also look out on the EAS site to download our EAS Meetings App for Apple and Android that will accompany you before and during your time in Berlin.
One of these special sessions is entitled “Women in Aquaculture.” Organised by EAS and The Fish Site (on the back of its very successful series of the same name), this panel session will look at ways to ensure greater gender diversity at all levels of the aquaculture sector? More specifically, the panel will offer first hand insights into how women can overcome perceived gender-related obstacles and build thriving careers right across the aquaculture sector.
The AE2019 trade show currently has 148 booths sold to 130 companies from 23 countries. Exhibitors include the main companies operating in Germany, as well as speciality companies proposing products and services for the sector. It also includes some ‘new entrants’ to aquaculture. Literally, one or two booths remain available – and these can be purchased by contacting Mario at Marevent.
The AE2019 Local Organising Committee has put together a varied programme for a day specifically focussed on aquaculture in Germany. The AE2019 Industry Forum.
In German and in English, the day will include presentations and discussions on (intensifying) production to improve performance and efficiency, coupling caviar production with power plant and trout ponds, new solutions for “old” problems, sharing insights from a Bavarian Indoor-RAS farm for tropical shrimp production, the use of digital systems in aquaculture – are we ready for “big data”? And science-based insights into animal welfare in aquaculture.
New this year: The Aquaculture Europe Innovation Forum!
Aquaculture development requires upscaling production systems and developing new solutions for producing more to supply a growing market with healthy products. EAS wants to promote and support start-ups and emerging business models in the aquaculture sector, by matching ideas to those that can push the development of new companies and new products. With all the new knowledge presented at our events, we have a wealth of possibility for innovation and value creation to help develop the sector.
This is the EAS Aquaculture Europe Innovation Forum and its inaugural event will take place during our AE21019 event in Berlin on Wednesday, October 9th. In partnership with Hatch Blue and the German Startups Association, the day will be made up of introductory speakers and then pitches from 12 new companies that wish to seek further investment to develop. Speakers include Olaf Birkner on “raising awareness for your start-up”; “What an investor looks for in a start-up” from Viggo Halseth, Chief Innovation Officer, Nutreco and the “European Innovation Council: a one-stop-shop to high-potential innovators” from Sigi GRUBER, Head of the Healthy Oceans & Seas Unit, in the Directorate General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission. A teaser on ‘lessons learned’ will be provided by Rob van de Ven, Landing Aquaculture, The Netherlands and former EAS Student Group chair.
The pitches will be assessed by panellists covering a wealth of experience in aquaculture and also in financing. These include Lucille Bonnet, High-Tech Gründerfonds Management (HTGF), Germany, Dominik Ewald, Monitorfish and the German Startups Association, Germany, Angela Schultz-Zehden, sPro, Germany, Margriet Drouillon, University of Gent, Belgium, Robin Shields, Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, UK, Viggo Halseth, Nutreco, Johan Verreth – EAS Past President and Harald Sveier – Lerøy Seafood Group, Norway.
The winner in each session will be selected by the panel and will likely benefit from their attention. They will also receive a free booth at AE2020 in Cork to showcase their innovation.
AE2019 proposes two technical tours for delegates that have registered for the event. The one on aquaponics has already reached its total capacity, but there are still a very few places left for the tour to a state-of-the-art, semi-commercial RAS research infrastructure for the reproduction and production of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), operated by the Institute of Fisheries of LFA.
Registration for AE2019 is open through the links of the EAS web site www.aquaeas.eu and other information, including hotels (direct links and accommodation codes) is also there. Be sure to book your hotel as soon as you can. Unfortunately, all rooms are now wold out at the event venue.
EAS would like to highlight and thank our loyal AE2019 Gold Sponsors Biomar, our session sponsor Sorgal and the Rentenbank in Germany for their support of this event.
We would equally like to thank our supporting partner organisations and our media partners.
Contacts:
EAS ae2019@aquaeas.eu
Conference programme and management worldaqua@was.org
Trade show, sponsorship and media partners Mario@marevent.com
