AQUASERV, a project funded by the Horizon Europe programme to the tune of 14.5 million euros, announces the launch of a transnational access call with 8.5 million euros to fund and support researchers from academia and industry in Europe and around the world over the next 4 years. This programme offers access to an advanced network of leading European research facilities with state-of-the-art technologies and services and marks a significant step forward in promoting innovative scientific breakthroughs by supporting ground-breaking marine and freshwater scientific research in sustainable aquaculture, fisheries, ecological restoration, blue biotechnology and related fields.

The call runs from 15 November 2024 to December 2028, giving researchers ample opportunity to access the AQUASERV network. The programme offers access to state-of-the-art facilities in 40 institutions and 70 facilities in 16 European countries, covering the Baltic Sea, the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and inland waters. It aims to contribute to the Common European Fisheries Policy, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Sustainable Blue Economy, the European Green Deal, and the EU Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters by 2030”.

“This initiative is unique in offering free access to the main European research infrastructures and research institutions in this field, such as EMBRC ERIC, AnaEE ERIC, Metrofood, Aquaexcel 3.0, RISIS and ICES,” said Adelino Canário, Coordinator of AQUASERV, Director of CCMAR and Professor at the University of the Algarve.

AQUASERV's services include access to laboratories, experimental facilities, technological platforms, ecosystems, biological resources, biobanks and databases. The project supports researchers by enabling access to partner institutions across Europe, as long as the research is conducted outside the applicant’s country of affiliation.