ANETEL: From Local Development to Leading Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation in Cyprus
In the heart of Cyprus, the Larnaca and Famagusta Districts Development Agency (ANETEL) stands as a key driver of local development and innovation. Owned by the local authorities of Larnaca and Famagusta districts, ANETEL bridges European cooperation and local action, ensuring that EU project results translate into tangible impact for communities, businesses, and ecosystems.
With a long history of participation in European initiatives, ANETEL has gained institutional and operational experience as both Lead Partner and partner organisation in numerous projects. Its work has influenced national and local policies and strategies, while strengthening collaboration between SMEs, public administrations, universities, and NGOs. The agency’s core mission is to transfer knowledge, promote best practices, and support the implementation of regional strategies for rural and fisheries areas through a bottom-up approach and the Living Lab process.
♻️ A Living Lab Legacy — and a New Challenge Ahead
ANETEL is no stranger to Living Labs. In the Interreg MED BLUEfasma project, the agency helped pioneer a methodology that connected local stakeholders, businesses, and researchers to foster a blue circular economy in the fishing and aquaculture sectors. This participatory model encouraged co-creation and innovation, helping local actors design and implement sustainable solutions together.
Now, as a proud partner of AquaBioNets, ANETEL is building on that experience. The team will lead the adaptation of the BLUEfasma Living Lab methodology to a new context — the sustainable aquaculture sector. The goal is to co-develop and test innovative approaches that respond to the sector’s unique challenges: resource efficiency, environmental sustainability, and resilience in the face of economic and climate pressures.
By guiding this methodological transformation, ANETEL will help ensure that the AquaBioNets Living Labs become collaborative spaces for innovation, where governments, businesses, researchers, and communities can work hand in hand to shape the future of Mediterranean aquaculture.
🧑🤝🧑 The Team Behind the Mission
The AquaBioNets team at ANETEL is led by Dr. Eudokia Balamou, who holds a PhD in Sustainable Rural Development and has conducted extensive research on policy impact assessment. Together with a team of experts in stakeholder engagement and participatory processes, Dr. Balamou leads ANETEL’s efforts to use the Living Lab methodology as a tool for collaboration and change. Their approach fosters open dialogue between diverse actors — from small-scale fishers to policymakers — to co-create solutions that make sense locally and deliver impact regionally.
🔗 Connecting Policies, People, and Practice
Beyond AquaBioNets, ANETEL continues to play a pivotal role in Cyprus’ regional strategy for rural and fisheries areas, acting as both facilitator and funder. Through its public funding programmes, the agency supports SMEs and local authorities, encouraging them to innovate and grow sustainably. ANETEL’s work has shaped operational programmes and influenced the development of local and national strategies, ensuring that policy is informed by real community needs.
🌀 Looking Ahead with AquaBioNets
Through AquaBioNets, ANETEL expects to strengthen cooperation between public authorities, researchers, and SMEs, and to help build a competitive innovation ecosystem around sustainable aquaculture. By applying the Living Lab approach, the project will foster collaboration, knowledge transfer, and tailored policy development — all aimed at tackling the most pressing challenges the aquaculture sector faces today.
