HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-05 & 06 | Connecting Aquaculture and Agriculture: Agroecological Practices, Integrated Systems and Knowledge Exchange

AquaBioTech Group seeks to complement European consortia working on agricultural knowledge exchange, advisory services, generational renewal and rural diversification.

We propose to bring aquaculture expertise into cross-sector collaboration with European agriculture, focusing on freshwater and coastal production, agroecological practices and integrated multitrophic systems. Our offering combines technical knowledge, practical project-development experience and business-planning support to help researchers, advisors, producers and new entrants explore locally appropriate opportunities.

Our proposed contribution would connect knowledge from aquatic production systems with agricultural practice, examining opportunities for resource sharing, nutrient cycling, production diversification and integrated enterprise development. Activities would be adapted to the thematic priorities and scope of each consortium.

Proposed contribution to the consortium

• Knowledge synthesis and transfer: identify relevant research results, practical experience and production models from freshwater and coastal aquaculture, translating them into accessible guidance, case studies and learning materials for advisors and producers.

• Agroecological and integrated production approaches: contribute expertise on integrated multitrophic aquaculture, aquaponics and linked fish–crop production, exploring how their underlying principles could inform context-specific agricultural diversification and circular resource management.

• Advisor training and peer learning: develop workshops, technical briefings and case-based training that connect agricultural advisors with aquaculture specialists, researchers and practitioners.

• Producer-led needs assessment: engage farmers, aquaculture producers, prospective entrepreneurs and local organisations to identify knowledge gaps, practical constraints and opportunities for collaboration.

• Enterprise development and new-entrant support: contribute feasibility screening, techno-economic assessment, market analysis and business-planning tools to help participants evaluate diversification opportunities and investment requirements.

• Practical uptake and replication: develop decision-support materials and implementation pathways that distinguish promising concepts from options requiring further technical, environmental or commercial validation.

Potential outputs

AquaBioTech Group could contribute:

• A portfolio of freshwater and coastal aquaculture case studies.

• Practice-oriented knowledge packages on agroecological and integrated production approaches.

• Training modules and technical guidance for advisors and prospective entrepreneurs.

• Feasibility-screening and business-planning tools for diversification opportunities.

• Cross-sector workshops and peer-learning activities.

• Recommendations for strengthening links between agricultural and aquaculture knowledge networks.

Cooperation sought

We welcome cooperation with agricultural advisory organisations, AKIS actors, thematic knowledge hubs, farmer associations, young-farmer and new-entrant networks, research institutions, vocational-training providers and rural-development organisations.

Our contribution can be tailored towards knowledge synthesis and exchange for thematic-hub consortia, or towards advisor capacity, entrepreneurship and new-entrant support for generational-renewal consortia.

Applicable opportunities

• HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-05 — Increasing knowledge flows to practice within AKIS via EU thematic knowledge hubs.

• HORIZON-CL6-2027-03-GOVERNANCE-06 — Fostering generational renewal in agriculture via EU advisory network.

Our proposed aquaculture-specific activities could complement and add value to the expertise of existing agri-focused consortia.