HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-06 ; CIRCULARFARM – Community-Integrated Small-Scale Aquaculture

Project Concept

CIRCULARFARM is a proposed Horizon Europe Innovation Action aiming to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of small-scale aquaculture across Europe through an integrated approach combining technological innovation, socio-economic development and community engagement.

The project recognizes that the long-term success of small-scale aquaculture depends not only on production efficiency and environmental performance, but also on its integration into local communities, business networks and regional economies.

Proposed Innovation Areas

CIRCULARFARM will focus on three complementary areas:

1. Sustainable and Circular Aquaculture

Advancing resource-efficient, environmentally responsible and economically viable production approaches adapted to the needs and constraints of small-scale aquaculture enterprises.

2. Intelligent Animal Health & Welfare Monitoring

Developing innovative, non-invasive monitoring and adaptive management capabilities to improve animal health and welfare, operational resilience and the ability of small-scale farms to respond to changing conditions.

3. Integrated Decision Support for Sustainable Development

Developing an intelligent, human-centered decision-support approach to help farmers and entrepreneurs explore suitable technologies, production strategies, business opportunities and community-integration models.

The approach will also support policymakers, regional authorities and investors in comparing alternative development scenarios and assessing their potential economic, environmental and social outcomes, including associated uncertainties.

Living Labs and Community Integration

The project envisages a European network of Living Labs, bringing together aquaculture producers, researchers, technology providers, local communities and public authorities to co-develop and validate integrated solutions in real-world settings.

Special attention will be given to strengthening local value chains, diversifying income opportunities, including agro-tourism and recreational fisheries where appropriate, and fostering mutually beneficial relationships between small-scale aquaculture enterprises and their surrounding communities.

Coordinator and Partners Sought

We are seeking an experienced Horizon Europe Coordinator with a proven track record in developing successful proposals and managing multidisciplinary, multi-actor Innovation Actions involving technological innovation, demonstration activities and stakeholder engagement.

We also welcome potential consortium partners with complementary expertise in:

• Sustainable and circular aquaculture technologies.

• Aquatic animal health and welfare, intelligent monitoring and digital innovation.

• Decision-support systems, AI and integrated sustainability assessment.

• Socio-economic research, rural development, community engagement and innovative business models.

• Living Lab coordination and participatory demonstration.

• Small-scale aquaculture, recreational fisheries, agro-tourism and local value chains.

• Regional policy, investment, innovation uptake and exploitation.