Interreg Euro-MED – AquaBioNets

AquaBioNets accelerates the shift to sustainable aquaculture across the Mediterranean by promoting innovative, biodegradable net technologies. Building on proven EU project results, we work with public authorities, industry, researchers, civil society, and environmental actors (5-helix) in six countries — Croatia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Albania — using a collaborative Living Lab approach.

Our mission is to transfer eco-friendly solutions tailored to local needs by empowering stakeholders, co-creating initiatives, and shaping policies that support a resilient, bio-based future for aquaculture. AquaBioNets also enhances innovation capacities across the aquaculture value chain, ensuring long-term impact and adaptability beyond the sector and region.

Three main challenges:

Our consortium – 7 partners and 5 associated organisations – addresses three key challenges with targeted actions:

Environmental impact: AquaBioNets promotes biodegradable, bio-based aquaculture nets that decompose faster than plastics, reducing pollution, ghost fishing, and harm to marine life. Water quality and organism health are monitored in labs and in the field.

Economic competitiveness: We train stakeholders from all five innovation ecosystem pillars to help SMEs adopt sustainable technologies, boosting their capacity and market competitiveness.

Regulatory alignment: Through a Living Lab approach, stakeholders co-create local policies, ensuring solutions are practical, regulation-ready, and easier to implement.