The AquaLoop International Conference “Strengthening Circular Economy and Valorisation of Side Streams in RAS”, held on 25 February 2026 at Klimahaus Bremerhaven and online, represents a success story of the AquaLoop Interreg South Baltic project.
More than 70 participants from academia, industry, public administration, and the wider aquaculture community came together to exchange knowledge and discuss the future of circular aquaculture. But the value of the conference goes beyond the event itself. The discussions, feedback, and insights generated during the conference have been captured and transformed into a valuable knowledge resource for the AquaLoop community and beyond.
The newly created AquaLoop International Conference Success Story report provides a comprehensive overview of the project’s approach and the conference outcomes. It presents the AquaLoop project priorities and community, while documenting the conference structure, participants, expectations, and key discussions.
A particularly valuable part of the report is the Thematic Analysis of Conference Sessions & Feedback. It brings together and analyses participants’ views on some of the key issues shaping the future of circular RAS aquaculture, including: closing the nutrient loop and by-product valorisation – exploring approaches to valorising aquaculture side streams and participants’ readiness to apply them; stakeholder support and the consumer perspective – identifying the support needed to scale up side-stream valorisation and the barriers to consumer acceptance; training and capacity building – highlighting the skills needed for circular RAS aquaculture and the training formats considered most effective, and future priorities – capturing participants’ satisfaction, recommendations, and ideas for the future development of the AquaLoop and the wider aquaculture community.
This analysis makes the report more than a record of the conference. It provides a snapshot of the sector’s current perspectives, needs, opportunities, and challenges, offering valuable input for future activities, cooperation, and the further development of circular aquaculture solutions.
The success story is complemented by a video from the conference, which provides a visual record of the event and helps bring its discussions, people, and atmosphere to a wider audience.