{"id":67532,"date":"2025-11-06T10:16:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T09:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.corporaciontecnologica.com\/noticias\/cta-celebra-capitalisation-workshop-ultfarms-innovacion-acuicultura-offshore\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T09:06:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T08:06:21","slug":"cta-hosts-capitalisation-workshop-ultfarms-innovation-offshore-aquaculture","status":"publish","type":"noticias","link":"https:\/\/www.corporaciontecnologica.com\/en\/noticias\/cta-hosts-capitalisation-workshop-ultfarms-innovation-offshore-aquaculture\/","title":{"rendered":"ULTFARMS advances commercial planning for low-trophic offshore aquaculture in its second Capitalisation Workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On 5 November, the ULTFARMS European project (Ultra-Large Multi-Functional Offshore Farms)<\/strong><\/a>, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, held its second Capitalisation Workshop<\/strong><\/a>, an online event aimed at advancing the commercialisation strategy of the project\u2019s Key Exploitable Results (KERs). Organised under Work Package 5 (WP5) and hosted by Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA)<\/a>, the workshop gathered representatives from ULTFARMS\u2019 offshore pilots alongside experts from the blue economy, research, policy and investment fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A project shaping the future of offshore low-trophic aquaculture<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The event opened with an overview of ULTFARMS, an Innovation Action designed to enhance Europe\u2019s capacity for low-trophic aquaculture (LTA) <\/strong>primarily seaweed and molluscs while fostering a more sustainable and competitive blue economy. The project promotes multi-use of marine space<\/strong>, integrating novel engineering solutions with ecological and biological research to optimise species production in challenging environments such as low-salinity areas or rough offshore conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ULTFARMS operates six Low-Trophic Aquaculture Pilots (LTAPs)<\/strong> located within offshore wind farms across Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark<\/strong>. Over 42 months, the project engages actors across the entire aquaculture value chain to develop environmentally responsible and commercially viable production systems, while contributing to Europe\u2019s renewable energy targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CTA\u2019s contribution focuses on shaping exploitation pathways and building business models<\/strong> for the project\u2019s exploitable results, in close collaboration with pilot operators and technical partners. These models, many presented during the workshop, form the basis for the exploitation plans currently under development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showcasing pilots and exploitable results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A central part of the workshop was dedicated to presenting the technical progress and commercial potential of the project\u2019s pilots<\/strong>. More than 15 exploitable results were showcased, highlighting significant advancements in multi-use farm design, cultivation systems and environmental monitoring tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this progress, speakers also outlined common challenges facing offshore aquaculture, including limited funding opportunities and rising development costs<\/strong>, the complexity of regulatory and permitting frameworks, legal and logistical barriers linked to multi-use sites, coordination difficulties between aquaculture, energy and local authorities, and harsh weather and operational constraints in exposed offshore locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Presentation belgian pilot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Capitalisation session: external perspectives for stronger business models<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The workshop\u2019s capitalisation session, including an interactive Mentimeter activity<\/strong>, gathered input from external stakeholders to complement the business models developed for ULTFARMS\u2019 KERs<\/strong>. Participants emphasised key issues such as competition for marine space, regulatory fragmentation, the need to clarify future market demand, and the importance of improving social awareness and acceptance of low-trophic aquaculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This external feedback will directly contribute to strengthening the project\u2019s commercialisation planning<\/strong> and ensuring that the solutions developed are aligned with real industry needs and market conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creative session<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Blue Economy Roundtable: financing, regulation and market uptake<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The concluding roundtable brought together experts from academia, industry and finance<\/strong> to debate the main barriers to commercialisation and the mechanisms needed to scale sustainable offshore farming solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key contributions included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n