CITAQUA – Center for Innovation and Technology in Aquaculture is positioned as the central element of the dynamics of innovation, production and transfer of R&TD in Portugal for the bivalve mollusks and algae sector, providing high added value services for the development of institutions and the competitiveness of companies at national and international level.

CITAQUA aims to provide the country with a unit where innovative technology-based solutions for sustainable aquaculture can be tested on a pilot scale, so that they can be more easily transferred to the national productive sector and fostering the internationalization of new products, processes and services.

National Laboratory for the Traceability of Fisheries and Aquaculture Products to be installed at CITAQUA
In order to operationalize the National Laboratory for the Traceability of Fisheries and Aquaculture Products, two complementary laboratories will be installed and properly equipped: the Biochemical and Geochemical Traceability Laboratory and the Molecular Traceability and Biomarkers Laboratory. The biomass of fisheries and aquaculture organisms will be valued through their differentiation using traceability tools of their geographical origin, production method and/or capture, which will allow access to new value chains and enable a greater financial return. The commitment to the binomial produce more / sell better is one of the guidelines of CITAQUA’s strategic positioning in the national and international panorama of the blue bioeconomy.

Laboratory for Super-Intensive Production of Algae and Bivalves 5.0 to be installed at CITAQUA
In order to operationalize the Laboratory for the Super-Intensive Production of Algae and Bivalves 5.0, seven complementary laboratories will be installed and properly equipped: the Bivalve Laboratory, the Photobioreactor Laboratory, the Multipurpose Laboratory, the Raceway Tank Space, the Zooplankton Production Room, the Micro and Macroalgae Inoculum Room and the Optical Material, Photobiology (PAM) and other Algae Production Support Material Room. This Laboratory aims to promote the development, implementation and validation of new aquaculture production systems for bivalve molluscs and algae (micro and macro) based on principles of energy efficiency, automation and maximization of biosafety.