The European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, visited Frederick University on 19 December and met with the University’s research group Aquaculture Engineering and Engineering Management.

The research conducted by the group aligns with the goals of the Commissioner and the European Union for a sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Costas Kadis met with the research group leader, Dr Mihalis Menikou, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Frederick University’s School of Engineering, and Dr Marios Charalambides, Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration and a member of the research group.

Together, they discussed the research carried out at the University to improve practices in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture, in Cyprus and abroad, as the Aquaculture Engineering and Engineering Management group participates in european and international consortia.

Among other topics, the discussion focused on two new research projects in which the group is currently involved: the TASC RestoreMed project and the VASEACAD project, both co-funded by the European Commission under the HORIZON EUROPE programme, within the framework of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”.

For the detailed presentation of the projects, Dr Giorgos Petychakis and Dr Giannis Kotzamanis, members of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Crete), which participates in the consortium of both projects, joined the meeting online.

• The TASC RestoreMed project, in which Frederick University participates together with nine other partners across Europe, aims to provide technical and other support to Mediterranean communities, enabling them to take action to protect and restore the marine ecosystem, reduce marine pollution, and promote a circular, blue economy with a zero carbon footprint. The project seeks to achieve real change by combining environmental sustainability with social justice.
• The VASEACAD project is a research initiative involving 10 partners from across Europe, aiming to transform—through advanced bioprocessing techniques—by-products of aquaculture that are usually considered waste into products of high added and nutritional value. In this way, it supports a sustainable, circular bioeconomy, helping to reduce food insecurity and enhance the sustainability of the aquaculture sector.

Both projects respond to the objectives of the European Ocean Pact for promoting a thriving blue economy and supporting the wellbeing of people living in coastal areas.

In line with its Strategic Goals, the research conducted at Frederick University is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030). Within this framework, the University collaborates with research and academic centres, as well as public and private organisations in Cyprus and internationally, to find solutions to global challenges.