19 December, 2025
The European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Prof. Costas Kadis, visited Frederick University in Cyprus to meet with the University’s Aquaculture Engineering and Engineering Management Research Group. During the visit, the Commissioner was introduced to two European research projects that are helping shape the future of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture: VASEACAD and TASC RestoreMed.
The visit provided an opportunity to showcase how collaborative European research is supporting the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient blue economy, in line with the priorities of the European Union.
Presenting VASEACAD to the European Commission
During the meeting, Dr. Yannis Kotzamanis, VASEACAD Project Coordinator from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR, Greece), joined remotely to present the project to Commissioner Kadis. The presentation outlined VASEACAD’s objectives, its international partnership and its contribution to improving the sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
The Commissioner learned how VASEACAD is developing new ways to recover valuable proteins and bioactive compounds from seafood processing by-products that are often underused or discarded. Through advanced bioprocessing technologies, the project seeks to transform these side streams into high-value ingredients for aquaculture feeds, food and health-related applications, supporting a more circular use of marine resources.
The project also investigates the environmental, economic and technical feasibility of these innovative solutions, helping to bridge the gap between scientific research and industrial application.
European Commissioner during project presentations at Frederick University
Frederick University’s contribution
Frederick University is one of the partners contributing to VASEACAD through its expertise in sustainability assessment and environmental analysis. Researchers at the Frederick Research Centre (FRC) are responsible for evaluating the economic viability and environmental performance of the technologies developed within the project.
Their work includes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), which will assess the environmental footprint, resource efficiency and economic sustainability of the new valorisation pathways. These analyses will help identify solutions that are not only scientifically sound but also practical and economically attractive for future industrial adoption. Through its strong links with the aquaculture and fisheries industry in Cyprus, the FRC team facilitates knowledge transfer and integrates valuable industry feedback into the project’s research activities.
Supporting Europe’s blue economy
The discussions also highlighted how both VASEACAD and TASC RestoreMed contribute to European priorities for healthy oceans, sustainable food systems and coastal resilience.
By improving the use of seafood processing side streams, VASEACAD supports the development of a circular blue bioeconomy that reduces waste, increases the value obtained from marine resources and creates new opportunities for innovation within the aquaculture sector.
The project is fully aligned with the objectives of the European Ocean Pact, the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to responsible production, climate action and life below water.
Strengthening collaboration between research and policy
Visits such as this demonstrate the importance of dialogue between researchers and policymakers. Presenting VASEACAD directly to the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans offered an opportunity to showcase the project’s scientific ambitions and its potential contribution to future European policies supporting sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and the circular blue economy.
As the project progresses, the consortium will continue engaging with policymakers, industry representatives and stakeholders across Europe to ensure that the knowledge generated by VASEACAD can contribute to practical solutions for a more sustainable seafood sector.
About VASEACAD
VASEACAD (Valorising Seafood Side Streams, Residues, Unwanted Catches and Discards for the Production of Bioactive Protein Hydrolysates and High Added-Value Biomolecules) is a three-year research and innovation project funded by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) and co-funded by the European Commission together with the national funding agencies of the participating countries. The project brings together ten organisations from seven European countries to develop sustainable solutions that transform seafood processing side streams into valuable ingredients for food, feed and health applications, supporting Europe’s transition towards a circular and sustainable blue bioeconomy.