- ActFast, a Horizon Europe project, drives innovative solutions to face climate change in aquaculture
12 June 2026.- CIHEAM Zaragoza has taken part in the annual meeting of the ActFast project (Actions for Climate Transition by developing Future Aquaculture Strategies and Technologies), an Innovation Action of Horizon Europe to promote solutions to face climate change in aquaculture, held on 9 and 10 June 2026 in Szarvas, Hungary.
The meeting has brought together researchers in aquaculture and climate change, aquaculture producers, experts in sustainability, technology developers, and innovators from across Europe to pool information about the progress made in the first year of the project and to discuss the next steps of the initiative.
ActFast will map the risks caused by climate change in four European regions (Mediterranean sea, river deltas, inland waters of central and eastern Europe and the north-east Atlantic ocean) combining oceanographic information, satellite observations, prediction models, and the experiences of aquaculture companies.
In the framework of this project, CIHEAM is in charge of coordinating the skill-building and knowledge transfer programme to guarantee the widest outreach possible of the project’s results, conclusions, and recommendations among stakeholders in the aquaculture sector and the general public.
In Szarvas, Bernardo Basurco (CIHEAM Zaragoza) and Giada Minnini (CIHEAM Bari) presented the objectives and tasks of the work package, the activities conducted to date and the work plan for the second year of the project that will include planning of webinars, advanced courses, and training workshops as well as the virtual demonstration platform.
One of the initiatives presented is the virtual immersive training and demonstration platform “The Virtual ActFast Lighthouse”, an learning space that will also serve as a communication tool to transmit the knowledge and innovations generated through the project’s case studies.
Together with capacity-building and skills development, other topics addressed in the meeting included climate change prediction in aquaculture, adaptation strategies, assessment of environmental and social sustainability, circularity in production systems, exploitation of results and implementation by aquaculture companies, as well as the incorporation of knowledge from the different areas of specialisation represented in the project.
In addition, the attendees made a technical visit to Biharugra fish farm, one of ActFast’s partners that uses semi-extensive carp and catfish production in ponds on land and in inland lagoons to enhance efficient and sustainable management, adapted to the characteristics of the area and to the criteria for nature conservation.
