Trieste, 27 May 2025 – The final Plenary Forum of the BeBlue project took place at the Urban Center in Trieste, under the title “Two Years of Working Groups and Exchange of Good Practices on Aquaponics.” The event was dedicated to presenting the outcomes of two years of collaboration among project partners, experts, and stakeholders from Slovenia and Italy, all of whom have contributed to the development of sustainable agri-food production through aquaponics.
The forum opened with an introductory address by Prof. Roberto Pastres (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), who presented one of the project’s main outcomes: a digital model for the design and management of aquaponic systems, aimed at analyzing both the economic and environmental aspects of this production method.
This was followed by Dr. Aurelio Zentilin, who outlined the activities of the LegaCoop association and the GAL Veneto, focusing particularly on the potential of fish farming valleys, which already have suitable infrastructures for aquaponics.
A valuable contribution was also made by Dr. Miha Štular, who provided an overview of the European regulatory framework and its implementation in Slovenia in the fields of aquaculture and hydroponics, with emphasis on food safety and the controlled breeding and cultivation of non-native species.
The first part of the morning concluded with an overview of the participatory processes led by the Shoreline organization. Dr. Marco Francese retraced the key steps of the events carried out, highlighting the variety of methods used to engage the public – from World Café sessions to direct meetings with stakeholders and investors at trade fairs.
The second part of the event was interactive: participants were invited to express their priorities through a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), based on over 550 collected contributions. The results of this analysis will help formulate concrete recommendations for local authorities in planning future support for the development of aquaponics.
The Plenary Forum thus marked a milestone in the BeBlue project, which promotes innovative, sustainable, and competitive food production models in a cross-border context.
The BeBlue project is co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy–Slovenia 2021–2027 programme.
