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 seafood supply chain necessary to promote high-end, pan-European farmed seafood. The innovation at the heart of FishEUTrust is integrating different actors into a digital platform that links technology providers, supply chain stakeholders, regulatory/policymakers and consumers. FishEUTrust will establish five Co-creation Living Labs (CLLs) in diverse environments: 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 assessment and life cycle analysis will be performed to quantify the environmental footprint, health sustainability, and socio-economic benefits of FishEUTrust solutions. FishEUTrust will be supported by a comprehensive scientific, public, policymaker and industrial dissemination plan to communicate results to a broad audience.

Gilthead sea bream and European sea bass are by volume the third and fourth most farmed fish species in the EU, while their collective value surpasses that of salmon, trout or mussel. These two species are farmed and contribute significantly to wealth and job creation in rural and coastal areas in all EU Mediterranean countries. However, production of sea bream/bass in the EU has remained stagnant for the last decade and the industry faces significant sustainability challenges. The overarching objective of PerformFISH is to increase the competitiveness of Mediterranean aquaculture by overcoming biological, technical and operational issues with innovative, cost-effective, integrated solutions, while addressing social and environmental responsibility and contributing to “Blue Growth”. PerformFISH adopts a holistic approach constructed with active industry involvement to ensure that Mediterranean marine fish farming matures into a modern dynamic sector, highly appreciated by consumers and society for providing safe and healthy food with a low ecological footprint, and employment and trade in rural, peripheral regions. PerformFISH brings together a representative multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary consortium to generate, validate and apply new knowledge in real farming conditions to substantially improve the management and performance of the focal fish species, measured through Key Performance Indicators. At the core of PerformFISH design are, a) a link between consumer demand and product design, complemented with product certification and marketing strategies to drive consumer confidence, and b) the establishment and use of a numerical benchmarking system to cover all aspects of Mediterranean marine fish farming performance. Created knowledge and innovative solutions will underpin the developed code of conduct and good practices and will foster modernization through capacity building of the Mediterranean aquaculture workforce.