Societal Challenge 2 Dissemination Day Sofia Minero, Consultant AliénorEU Brussels, 27 June 2016

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Project outline

Challenges:

• INAPRO addresses issues related to resource efficiency and sustainable food production

• Feeding the growing world population while saving water, nutrients and energy in rural and urban areas

• Innovating aquaponics as large scale installations lack stability, standardisation and economic profitability

Objectives:

• INAPRO aims at improving conventional aquaponics to provide local, healthy and sustainable food

• INAPRO aims at producing high quality food while saving water, energy and nutrients

• INAPRO aims at developing and commercialise model-based and scalable aquaponic facilities

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Project outline

Approach:

• Optimising aquaponics through the integration of innovative technologies such as a double water recirculation system & cooling traps

• Developing a model for water and nutrient management

• Building demonstration sites to prove the technical and economical feasibility of the INAPRO system under different climatic conditions

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Consortium overview

The INAPRO consortium is made of 17 partners from 7 countries: Belgium, China, Germany, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Spain.

SMEs: AliénorEU, autosoft, Eurovix, Tilamur, PAL, Fytagoras

Private companies: CAUIOT, Mueritzfischer, Fraunhofer Application Center System Technology, IFQ

Research centres: IGB, The Institute of Marine Resources, Wageningen UR, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute Inagro

Universities: Wageningen University, China Agriculture University

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Project results

Demonstration sites

Besides a test and research facility in Abtshagen (Germany) which is running since the beginning of 2015, the INAPRO partners have build four demonstrations sites in Germany, Belgium, Spain and China.

The first results successfully demonstrated the technical feasibility of INAPRO:

• INAPRO improves sustainability by drastically reducing the water use. Thanks to its innovations the INAPRO system reduces the need for daily water input to less than 1-3% of system volume per day.

• INAPRO increases aquaponics productivity by using a double water recirculating system.

• INAPRO reduces environmental impacts by lowering emissions of nutrient (N, P) rich fish waste water that is used for hydroponic.

• INAPRO allows the production of similar tomato yield that can be reached with conventional hydroponic production.

N° TITLE STATUS

D 1.2 Model and Report on water and energy management solutions

D 1.3 Model and Report on design, construction, control and management

D 1.4 Innovation concept of the whole system solution

D 2.2 Water flow and recirculation optimised, alternative water sources integrated

D 2.5 Management execution system designed and developed

D 3.5 Specific solutions for rural/urban conditions and geographical locations tested

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Impact

Further developments and exploitation of the INAPRO system will allow the establishment of new aquaponic facilities both in rural and urban areas: this will create new jobs in a green sector.

Moreover, INAPRO will contribute to open new market for high-value & resource efficient products for consumers concerned with sustainability.

Entrepreneurs interested in exploiting the INAPRO system could also benefit of the EU Structural funds. In particular, the ERDF, the EMFF and the EAFRD could be used to build new facilities and create new markets for locally grown resource-efficient products.

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Impact

Besides the classic communication tools, the INAPRO dissemination strategy has been developed on four different axes:

• Policy makers at the EU and local level: bilateral meetings, organisation of visits to the demonstration sites, participation to public consultations launched by EU Institutions on relevant issues…

• Scientific community: participation to scientific conferences, publications in scientific journals… • Business and end-users: presentations at conferences and fairs, end-users seminars, visits to the

demonstration sites, publications of articles in specialised press… • General public: publications of articles in the general press, participation to EXPO Milano (German

Pavillion) and other relevant fairs, construction of a small urban aquaponic kit to be displayed at fairs and exhibitions…

To ensure the uptake of INAPRO results beyond the consortium, collaborations are being developed with:

• EIP WATER - Water & Irrigated agriculture Resilient Europe action group • H2020 Project FERTINNOWA – Knowledge and technological platform in the field of sustainable water

management in agriculture • Synergies with EU regions interested in establishing aquaponics facilities • Market analysis + discussion with potential end-users

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Lessons learnt

Success factors: • Model based optimisation of the concept for water, energy and nutrient management in an economic viable

integrated aquaponic system • Practical experience from the SME partners was helpful to build up a realistic design for the demonstration objects • Scientific and end-user partners successfully contributed to testing, refinement and optimisation of the system • Dissemination activities to mobilise industry, Member States and stakeholders to promote the INAPRO technology

Benefits from the participation in a EU-funded project: • Good knowledge exchange between SMEs, private companies, universities and research centres to ensure that the

project’s objectives are achieved • Establishment of a long term network to develop flexible water management solutions for aquaponic systems in

different regional conditions in Europe and worldwide • Establishment of further synergies with third parties (EIP Water; FERTINNOWA)

Knowledge gaps: • Further mobilisation of industry, Member States and stakeholders to promote the INAPRO technology • Replication of the INAPRO system in other parts of Europe and worldwide • Achieve a real breakthrough of the INAPRO aquaponic system towards commercialization

Thank you!