We are excited to announce that EX-AQUA has successfully achieved Milestone 1, marking the completion of field visits and their outcomes ready to be integrated into the research roadmap for the National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD). This milestone represents a crucial step in shaping NIMRD’s strategy for advancing aquaculture in the Black Sea region.

Between November 2024 and January 2025, Romanian leaders visited Ghent University (UGent), the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), and the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI). These visits aimed to establish priorities, assess the roadmap’s applicability, and explore cutting-edge technologies developed by leading Western research institutions and industrial aquaculture sites.

The visits between NIMRD and Western research institutions strengthened collaboration in marine biotechnology, facilitating the exchange of best practices in microalgae (AWI), macroalgae (UGent), and sustainable aquaculture (CMMI). By engaging directly with experts, NIMRD gained hands-on experience in laboratory techniques, culture maintenance, and innovative production methods, and strengthened its strategic vision and leadership in marine biotechnology.

The adoption of advanced technologies was a key outcome, with AWI introducing self-cleaning photobioreactors and biomass harvesting systems, UGent optimising large-scale macroalgae cultivation through remote monitoring and automated phenotyping, and CMMI showcasing innovations in artificial reef production and marine robotics. These interactions also contributed to refining NIMRD’s roadmap for aquaculture expansion, with CMMI serving as a model for establishing a Romanian Marine Applied Aquaculture Cluster and UGent supporting the design of a new macroalgae laboratory. In terms of long-term cooperation, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with CMMI, and the EX-AQUA project will ensure the continued transfer of knowledge in aquaculture technologies.

These visits marked a significant step in reinforcing NIMRD’s role in the Black Sea region, ensuring access to advanced research methodologies, and positioning it for leadership in sustainable aquaculture and marine habitat restoration.

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