Progetti Europei

3E-innovation of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture: research-based and piloted Electricengine refitting of fishing vessels to enhance Environmental and Economic Adriatic Blue Growth (3EFISHING)

Develop and transfer the most important research-based innovation in marine engineering, economics and fishery/aquaculture from the University and Research Centers to Fishers, Farmers, SMEs, Producer Organizations and Flags to green-deal the Adriatic Small-Scale Fishery and Aquaculture (SSF-AQ) fleets and to promote the economic and environmental sustainability of the sector, including the electric-refitting of two <12 mt-sized vessels, full Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and financial investment plan for SSF-AQ agents.

Subsidy Contract: n. ITHR0200253

PI: Prof. Fausto Tinti (BiGea)

Responsabile scientifico DIMEVET: Prof. Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 marzo 2024 al 31 agosto 2026

Team Member: Prof. Alessio Bonaldo, Dott. Luca Parma, Prof. Pier Paolo Gatta, Dott.ssa Giorgia Bignami

Digital learning in aquaculture 4.0 for the technological training of fish farm technicians – (AQUATECHinn 4.0)

A consortium of key European stakeholders of the European aquaculture sector (business associations and aquaculture companies), universities and training and research centres with experience in the sector propose the creation of a reference training programme AQUATECHInn 4.0 that brings together the most innovative training courses developed for the sector, digitised and adapted to the new Industry 4.0. Incorporating Virtual Reality and Gamification to the most specialised subjects.

Grant agreement 101108913

Responsabile scientifico DIMEVET: Prof. Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 luglio 2023 al 30 giugno 2026

FishEUTrust - European integration of new technologies and social- economic solutions for increasing consumer trust and engagement in seafood products

FishEUTrust represents a consortium of twenty-two organizations from fourteen countries, pooling their expertise to defragment the current food system to ensure sustainability and deliver solutions for a transparent and traceable sea-food supply chain necessary to promote high-end, pan-European seafood. The Innovation al the heart of FishEUTrust Is Integrating different actors into a digital platform that links technology providers, supply chain stakeholders. regula-tory/policymakers and consumers. FishEUTrust will establish five Co-creation Living Lads (CLLs) in diverse environ-ments. the Mediterranean Basin, the North Sea and the Atlantic Sea.

These CLLs will enable user involvement in innovation and development processes and act as demonstrators for the consortium to test and validate digital and non-digital supply chain solutions. Examples include creating sustainable business models, exploiting IPR strategies for aquaculture, e.g., protecting cultural and culinary heritage, short food supply chains, exploiting underused fish species, and innovative engaging activities to stimulate/nudge behavioural change. It will also develop tools for maximizing trust by guaranteeing the quality, safety, and traceability of seafood products based on smart control systems (sensors), a suite of tools integrating metagenomics, genetic biomarkers, isotopic techniques, and digital technologies (labelling, Product Passport/Blockchain). These tools will be integrated into a single cutting-edge digital FishEUTrust platform that will apply the latest in artificial intelligence, data science and human-computer interactions. Finally, an integrated impact assess-ment and life cycle analysis will be performed to quantify the environmental footprint, health sustainability, and so-cio-economic benefits of FishEUTrust solutions. FishEUTrust will be supported by a comprehensive scientific, public, policymaker and industrial dissemination plan to communicate results to abroad audience.

Grant agreement 101060712

Responsabile scientifico: Prof. Matteo Vittuari (Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro Alimentari – DISTAL)

Responsabile scientifico DIMEVET: Prof.  Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 giugno 2022 al 31 maggio 2026

One Health Europa-Africa Summit on Veterinary Public Health& Food Safety - NEXTAFRICA

Organisation of the One Health Europa-Africa Summit on Veterinary Public Health & Food Safety at the University of Bologna aiming to foster collaborations among young and experienced European and African researchers through a series of workshops to contribute to the strategic objectives of the Food Safety Strategy of Africa.

PI e Responsabile scientifico DIMEVET: Prof. Alessandro Seguino

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 settembre 2024 al 30 settembre 2025

Team Member(s): Alessandro Seguino (Coordinator), Prof Andrea Serraino, Prof.ssa Alessandra De Cesare, Prof. Marco De Nardi, Dott.ssa Federica Savini, Dott.ssa Valentina Indio, Dott.ssa Laura Prandini

Solving bottlenecks in eel reproduction to support sustainable aquaculture (EELSUPPORT)

World-wide, eel populations have decreased strongly in numbers since the 1970s. The eel farms still depend on catches of wild juvenile eels, or ‘glass eels’, which are then raised to market size. Only a restricted number of glass eels is available for aquaculture and societal concern exists about the unsustainable level of their harvesting. Successful propagation in captivity could supply aquaculture with glass eels and close the production cycle. Eel aquaculture can become sustainable then and, by releasing the natural population from fishing pressure, also contribute to sustainable management of the natural population.

With our international consortium of partners that has tremendous experience in eel research, we aim to share our knowledge and collaborate to force breakthroughs in the propagation of eel in captivity. This is an absolute necessity as the partners currently depend on national funding and lack an international networking umbrella. The COST Action EEL SUPPORT will use the available networking tools to jointly share the stateof-the-art, to identify knowledge gaps, to develop collaborative strategies to fill these gaps, and to synthesize and review this knowledge in order to: i) design optimal protocols for broodstock conditioning from glass eel to an eel in early puberty, or ‘silver eel’; ii) design optimal protocols to artificially mature and propagate the eel to produce larvae, and iii) design hatchery technology for rearing larvae to the glass eel stage. This way, EEL SUPPORT will contribute to closing the production cycle and supporting sustainable aquaculture and management of natural populations.

Grant agreement No OC-2022-1-26121

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Annalisa Zaccaroni

Durata del progetto: 48 months

Life Muscles

L'obiettivo principale del progetto LIFE MUSCLES è quello di contribuire alla riduzione dell'impatto legato all'uso di calze in polipropilene (PP) per l'allevamento di cozze, promuovendo e creando una catena di valore più sostenibile che ne minimizzi la dispersione nell'ambiente marino, incoraggiando il recupero e il riciclaggio dei polimeri per la produzione di nuove calze e altri articoli.

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.  Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto:  (48 mesi)

LIFE 2018 GREEN4BLUE “GREENing the BLUE canals infrastructure of Reno basin to enhance ecosystems connectivity and services”

Il progetto europeo LIFE 2018 GREEN4BLUE “LIFE18 NAT/IT/000946 GREENing the BLUE canals infrastructure of Reno basin to enhance ecosystems connectivity and services” si pone come principale obiettivo la riduzione della frammentazione e della degradazione degli habitat nelle aree di pianura comprese nelle province di Bologna e Ferrara, mirando a salvaguardare e ripristinare i servizi ecosistemici nelle aree umide e nei canali gestiti dal Consorzio della Bonifica Renana, capofila del progetto. Tale obiettivo sarà perseguito incrementando la funzione di corridoio ecologico dei canali (Infrastruttura Verde/Blu), a supporto della biodiversità locale e della connessione tra le aree umide della pianura (Rete Natura 2000), e agendo in maniera integrata insieme agli altri attori del territorio nel controllo delle specie aliene invasive (Nutria, Gambero rosso della Louisiana), anche aumentando la resilienza ambientale favorita dalla colonizzazione e dalla nidificazione di Ardeidi, efficienti predatori del Gambero rosso della Lousiana. Nell’ambito di tale progetto verranno condotte azioni di censimento e monitoraggio delle due IAS target del progetto e dell’avifauna locale e indagato il ruolo ecologico della specie Nutria nella possibile circolazione di alcuni patogeni (es. Influenza). Infine, verrà condotta la sperimentazione di un farmaco immunocontraccettivo da testare su questa specie, al fine di mettere a punto una strategia di controllo efficace ed innovativa da affiancarsi alle metodiche più comunemente impiegate per il contenimento numerico della specie. (Grant Agreement NO LIFE18 NAT/IT/000946).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof. Mauro Delogu

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 Novembre 2019 al 31 Ottobre 2025

Biosecurity Enhanced Through Training Evaluation and Raising Awareness - BETTER

I sistemi di biosicurezza in allevamento sono di fondamentale importanza per prevenire l'introduzione e la diffusione di agenti patogeni e, di conseguenza, per preservare la salute degli animali d'allevamento. Una migliore sanità animale si traduce in un migliore benessere animale, in una maggiore sostenibilità dei sistemi di produzione animale e in un minore utilizzo di antibiotici. Nonostante questi vantaggi, l'attuazione della biosicurezza è limitata da diversi fattori, tra cui la mancanza di professionisti esperti di biosicurezza, la mancanza di sistemi standard per la valutazione della biosicurezza, ed una non ideale conoscenza degli allevatori dei sistemi di biosicurezza.

Per affrontare queste sfide, il progetto BETTER valuterà come viene attualmente utilizzata la biosicurezza nei vari sistemi di produzione animale e utilizzerà approcci partecipativi per comprendere le motivazioni e gli ostacoli all'attuazione della biosicurezza.

Grant agreement  COST ACTION CA20103

Responsabile scientifico: Per Dimevet: Prof. Marco De Nardi

Team (Dimevet): Marco De Nardi, Giulia Graziosi

Action Chair: Alberto Allepuz, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Durata del progetto:  Dal 21 Ottobre 2021 al 20 Ottobre 2025

BIVALVI – Advancing Europe An Bivalve Production Systems

Bivalves provide consumers with high value essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and iodine . The environmental footprint of bivalve production is low. However, the technological deve lopment of the Europe an bivalve production sectors lie far behind other aquaculture sectors. BIVALVI aims to advance bivalve production in Europe in a sustainable way by combining genetics and reproductive technologie s with improved health and production management. 

Grant agreement: n/a

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.  Prof.  Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 ottobre 2022 al 30 settembre 2025

RItrainPlus

This proposal brings together, for the first time, Research Infrastructures, Core Facilities and European universities, in a new innovative concept to transform the access and empowerment of human resources for national and international scientific facilities in Europe. The overarching goal of RItrainPlus is to design and deliver a training programme to fulfill the competency requirements for the current and future managers of European RI and CF. (Grant agreement ID: 101008503).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Monica Forni

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Aprile 2021 al 31 Marzo 2025

ConcePTION –  Building a safety evidence ecosystem

The ConcePTION project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 821520. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA. We believe that we have an important societal obligation to radically and rapidly reduce uncertainty about the effects of medication used during pregnancy and breastfeeding to benefit women in making informed decisions about medications used before, during and after pregnancy  (Grant agreement No 821520).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Monica Forni

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Aprile 2019 al 31 Dicembre 2024 

LIFEEL - Urgent measures in the Eastern Mediterranean for the long term conservation of endangered European eel

The overall objective of the project is the long-term conservation of European eel. The general objective of LIFEEL is to assure a concrete support for the long-term conservation of the eel population of the Adriatic stock, with the development of concrete conservation actions and governance measures in Italy and/or in Greece. (ID progetto: LIFE19 NAT / IT / 000851).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof. Oliviero Mordenti

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Aprile 2021 al 31 Dicembre 2024

MED-LINKS Data-enabled Business Models and market linkages enhancing value creation and distribution in Mediterrenean fruit and vegetable supply chains - PRIMA

MED-LINKS aims at providing small-scale producers with tailored and effective solutions enhancing efficiency, sustainability and fairness along fruit and vegetable supply chains in Mediterranean countries. The project tackles five Specific Objectives: (i) to assess the competitive performance of Mediterranean FV supply chains and consumer preferences; (ii) to support the adoption of quality and sustainability standards among small-scale supply chain actors; (iii) to provide innovative IT tools supporting decision making; (iv) to provide small-scale actors with optimised management practices and business relations enhancing quality, sustainability and profitability; (v) to encourage stakeholders to exploit the results for local communities.

Responsabile scientifico: Prof. Felice Adinolfi

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 giugno 2021 al 30 Novembre 2024

Progetti conclusi

NewTechAqua - New technologies, Tools and Strategies for a Sustainable, Resilient and Innovative European Aquaculture

The main goal of the NewTechAqua project is to expand and diversify European aquaculture production of finfish, molluscs and microalgae by developing and validating technologically-advances, resilient and sustainable applications (Grant agreement No 862658).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.  Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Gennaio 2020 al 31 Dicembre 2023 

NEXTGENPROTEINS – Bioconversion of Underutilized Resources Into Next Generation Proteins for Food and Feed 

Demand for proteins is increasing for food and feed applications. To meet the increasing demand, production will have to double by 2050. However, current protein production, both animal- and vegetal based, has severe negative environmental impacts in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land and water use, as well as biodiversity loss. The EU is not selfsufficient when it comes to protein production and a large proportion of the demand is met with imported proteins with concerns regarding food security and the general competitiveness of the EU. It is therefore of vital  mportance to find sustainable alternative protein sources that can be economically produced in quantities that meet growing food and feed sectors. NextGenProteins has identified microalgae, single cell protein and insects as three promising sources of alternative proteins that can be produced through innovative and environmentally sustainable bioconversion processes using industrial waste streams. These processes cause limited environmental impacts and pressure on natural resources. Through collaboration between industry and RTD, the project will address key barriers that currently prohibit or limit the application of the three alternative proteins in food and feed, such as production scalability and optimisation, production costs, value chain risks, safety, regulations and consumer trust and acceptance. The project will demonstrate the suitability and economic viability of the alternative proteins in food and feed value chains and explore their market opportunities with the industry, stakeholders, policy makers and consumers. NextGenProteins will find means to improve the acceptability and trust of consumers towards alternative proteins and processes. The project will contribute to strengthening food security, sustainability and self-sufficiency of EU protein production with future-proof supply, as well as long-term reduction of land use, water use, GHG emissions and energy of EU food sector.

Grant agreement: 862704

Responsabile scientifico:  Prof.  Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 ottobre 2019 al 30 settembre 2023

Summer School 2023 in Veterinary Public Health (Meat Hygiene) -NEXTVET

Veterinary surgeons working on farms and at food-processing establishments play a fundamental role in safeguarding public health, animal health, and animal welfare.

An essential part of the undergraduate training in Europe involves veterinary students undertaking placements within the food industry. Increasing exposure to practical training in inspection techniques of animals presented for slaughter contribute to the prevention of foodborne hazards entering the food chain, posing a risk to public health.

The main aim of the Una Europa Summer School 2023 in Veterinary Public Health (Meat Hygiene) is to safely train, in a controlled environment, 20 veterinary students from 20 European countries to improve public health, animal health and welfare under a One Health umbrella.

Grant agreement No SF2204- Una Europa Seed Funding

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Alessandra De Cesare

Durata del progetto:  Dal 01 gennaio 2023 al 31 luglio 2023

SPARTEVs – Impact of extracellular vesicles isolated from seminal plasma upon Assisted Reproductive Technology (oocyte maturation, fertilization and embryo culture) in a mammalian model - MSCA

The project aims to enhance the current knowledge of seminal extracellular vescicles (EVs) and to evaluate whether they can improve the efficiency of in vitro embryo production (IVP), a technology with a great potential in the biomedical and agricultural field but still inefficient. The project represents an innovative challenge for IVP, both for livestock animals and humans, since it tackles the problematic of IVP efficiency from a novel angle.  (Grant agreement No 891382).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof. Diego Bucci

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Marzo 2021 al 31 Dicembre 2022

InterZoo – International Zoo Conservation and Management

The InterZoo project is dedicated to the development of higher level training in international zoo management. The overarching aim of the InterZoo project is to bring Higher Education Institutions and zoos together to develop a structured training programme that blends the applied/experiential-based knowledge of the zoo sector with the rigour of Higher Education-based pedagogy and research (Grant agreement No 219691).

Responsabile scientifico:  Prof. Pier Attilio Accorsi

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Settembre 2019 al 31 Agosto 2022

NEXTFOOD - Mediterranean Aquaculture Integrated Development “Educating the next generation of professionals in the agrifood system

NextFOOD employs a case-based action research to develop relevant and effective education and training programmes for a transition to more sustainable agrifood and forestry systems, and to generate new knowledge needed for similar achievements beyond the specific case (Grant agreement: No 771738).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Marialetizia Fioravanti

Durata del progetto: Da Maggio 2018 a Maggio 2022

PerformFISH - Consumer driven Production: Integrating Innovative Approches for Competitive and Sustainable Performance across the Mediterranean Acquaculture Value Chain -  H2020

PerformFISH has the direct support and endorsement of the Mediterranean Marine Fish Farming (MMFF) industry, with producers’ associations from Greece, Spain, Italy, France and Croatia directly involved as partners in the project (Grant Agreement No 727610).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Marialetizia Fioravanti

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Maggio 2017 al 30 Aprile 2022

MEDAID - Mediterranean Aquaculture Integrated Development

The goal of MedAID is to increase the overall competitiveness and sustainability of the Mediterranean marine fish-farming sector, throughout the whole value chain (Grant agreement No 727315).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof. Alessio Bonaldo

Durata del progetto: Dal 1 Maggio 2017 al 31 Ottobre 2021 

PARAFISHCONTROL -  Advanced tools and research strategies for parasite control in European famed fish

The overarching goal of ParaFishControl is to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the European aquaculture industry by improving our understanding of fish-parasite interactions and by developing innovative solutions and tools for the prevention, control and mitigation of the most harmful parasitic species affecting the main European farmed fish species (Grant agreement No 634429).

Responsabile scientifico: Prof.ssa Marialetizia Fioravanti

Durata del progetto: Dal 01 Aprile 2015 al 31 Marzo 2020