Competence development within recirculation aquaculture systems (39821/108036)

Aquaculture is forecasted to grow in the years to come (FAO 2014) and be a central part of the ever increasing need for food. A more efficient way of farming in the aquaculture industry is  essential if we are to achieve the goals set by the European Union (EU) for water based food production. Aquaculture students and teachers therefore need updated knowledge about RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture Systems), so this can become a more integrated part at both Vocational Education and Training (VET) and higher education levels in the schools/universities. There is a need to further develop partnerships between education and industry to ensure that the students are updated about the possibilities for and challenges related to industrial growth based on a sustainable use of available water resources. This will, among other things, mean to create arenas for the exchange of knowledge and a renewal of some of the teaching methods.

RAS is foreseen to be a central part of the aquaculture industry in the coming years. There is therefore a demand for a competence building in the educational institutes across Europe on RAS technology. This project will focus on RAS as a technology for the aquaculture industry, for present aquaculture species as well as possible new species. The partner countries have different traditions of how to use RAS, and we believe we have something to learn from each other. The introduction of ‘new’ species for farming and how this is managed is an exciting subject, as this varies in the regions represented in the project.

The target groups for the project will be:1) teachers and instructors that perform teaching and training in subjects covered by the project;2) staff in businesses working with RAS;3) students in partner schools (indirectly as they will benefit from the project results and not directly be involved in the project activities).

The Partnership is composed of universities, aquaculture organisations, upper secondary schools and businesses. The businesses will play a key role in making the content of theproject more relevant and concrete. The partnership is based on the idea of an increased cooperation between education and the aquaculture business world. At the same time we want to create links between VET and higher education institutes. The aim is to increase the awareness of, and knowledge about, aquaculture as a basis for a sustainable way of food production among students and teachers/instructors as a red thread through life-long learning. The upper secondary schools offers aquaculture as subjects for their students, and the university partners are involved with several aquaculture research projects, and at the same time they educate students at higher education level. The industry partners are experts in the field of RAS and have broad national and international networks. Some partners offer courses for students as well as the public, and innovate and develop digital tools and methods for personal follow-up and development.

The project activities will focus on different subjects. The objective of LTT-activties is to increase knowledge about RAS, and how this knowledge can be transferred to students. Byconnecting industrial partners to education institutes we will make sure this is in accordance with the industry demands. The Intellectual Outputs in the project are the development ofdifferent kinds of teaching material and a E-learning platform aimed at different educational levels. This is directly linked to the aim of an increased knowledge among young people about RAS as an effective and sustainable way of aquaculture. The Multiplier Events connected to the Intellectual Outputs are open to  stakeholders, and the aim is to increase the knowledge about the different aspects of RAS in accordance with national aims for increased aquaculture production and consumption of seafood.

The most important result and impact of the project will be an increased knowledge among teachers and instructors about RAS. The development of updated teaching material will be very welcome among both schools and businesses, as this will benefit the further development of the RAS farming. The established partnership and the planned activities and deliverables will create a good foundation for future cooperation between education institutes and the aquaculture industry. At a local/regional level the desired impact will be increased knowledge among the participants about the opportunities in their own region when it comes to RAS. This will benefit municipalities in their management of their areas and resources, especially since young people will obtain this knowledge and experience through education institute. The project will hopefully be a positive marketing feature for the aquaculture industry as a central part of a forward-looking and sustainable part of the bioeconomy.

Partners
Val Skoler AS, Norway (coordinator)
DTU Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources 
Kattegatcentrets Driftsfond, Denmark 
Danish Aquaculture Association, Denmark 
Guri Kunna Videregående Skole, Norway 
Learning Moment Technologies AS, Norway 
Ytre Namdal Upper Secondary School, Norway 
Stichting HZ Univeristy of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
SinkaBerg-Hansen AS, Norway 
Midt-Norsk Havbruk AS, Norway 

Funding
The project is funded by EU Erasmus+.

Research area: Aquaculture