On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in the prestigious Silvio Trentin Aula Magna at Ca’ Dolfin – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice – the final event of the BeBlue – Beyond Bluegrass project took place. The project is co-financed by the Interreg VI-A Italy–Slovenia Programme.
An exceptional setting to celebrate the results of a cross-border journey that, over two years of intensive activity, has brought aquaponics — an integrated system for the production of fish and vegetables — to the center of discussions on sustainability, innovation, and agri-food resilience.
The event, featuring simultaneous Italian-Slovenian interpretation, gathered sector experts, institutional representatives, companies, students, and citizens from both countries. Following the institutional greetings, the partnership presented the main outputs:
🔹 two operational pilot plants in Venice and Ljubljana;
🔹 the "Digital Twin," a digital model for real-time monitoring and management;
🔹 online tools to assess the economic and environmental sustainability of the systems.
The subsequent round table, with Italian and Slovenian experts, explored the potential of aquaponics for high-quality production, the challenges of acceptance by large-scale retail and consumers, and prospects in niche market segments.
The strong connection between research and the local territory was further emphasized by the final buffet in the Ca’ Dolfin garden, offering dishes featuring salicornia and other halophytes: true “target products” of the project, tested in aquaponic systems and now starring on the plate.
BeBlue represented much more than a technical-scientific project: it was an open laboratory capable of connecting technological innovation, urban regeneration, environmental education, and local production chains. The future of agriculture also passes through this path, and the journey initiated by BeBlue will continue beyond the project’s borders, engaging new investors, agri-food businesses, and communities attentive to change.
