Research and Development: Towards Sustainable Innovation

Aqua Bioculture is addressing critical challenges in aquaculture through innovation and interdisciplinary design. Our focus is on developing a modular Micro-Modular Recirculating Aquaculture System (MM-RAS) to overcome barriers to adoption, such as high costs, slow returns on investment, and limited awareness of land-based RAS systems. 

Our Motivation

Aquaculture in England underperforms by focusing primarily on a narrow range of species, such as trout and salmon. The English Aquaculture Strategy (2020) highlights the need for production expansion, species diversification, and the promotion of new entrants by 2040. Globally, aquaculture is the fastest-growing food supply sector, playing a critical role in food security as seafood demand rises. This presents an opportunity for the UK to adopt sustainable methods, like RAS, to become a leader in sustainable seafood production. 

Our Technical Approach

Aqua Bioculture is conducting funded research to develop the MM-RAS platform, preparing it for commercial readiness. The system is designed to:

• Enable Modularity and Scalability: Incremental adoption lowers capital requirements, making the system accessible for operations of various sizes.

• Integrate Advanced Technologies: We are developing machine learning to incorporate IoT-connected environmental sensors, computer vision for fish monitoring, and predictive tools for water quality management towards full-scale automation.

• Support Welfare and Sustainability: Enriched environments and efficient resource-use reduce the environmental footprint and improve fish welfare.

Our approach leverages design thinking and collaboration, using iterative methods like prototyping, modelling, and full-scale testing to refine the platform. By combining biological, technical, and user-focused expertise, we are developing solutions that meet the needs of a diverse aquaculture market.

Route to Market

With ongoing research and development, we are actively working towards bringing the MM-RAS platform to market. Key steps include:

• Validating the platform through pilot studies in controlled environments.

• Collecting performance data on water quality, energy efficiency, and fish health to demonstrate value.

• Engaging with early adopters to run trials and gather feedback for continuous refinement.

Collaboration and Innovation

Our vision is to create a system that not only meets regulatory requirements for sustainability and animal welfare but also sets new standards for efficiency and adaptability in aquaculture. We collaborate with experts across disciplines to advance this mission to ensure that our platform delivers practical, impactful solutions.