Aquaculture is the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Globally, there is a need for technology and data-driven solutions to improve production, the environment and supply chains.
Created by The Yield Lab Institute and The Yield Lab Asia Pacific, The Global Aquaculture Challenge invites innovators from across the globe and all aspects of the supply chain to share their ideas, whether it be lab, technology or policy-based, to ultimately improve the circular aquaculture approach. Its designed to increase collaboration among established industry, experts and the selected innovators.
“Our goal for the future of aquaculture is to produce more food, at a higher quality and a better return, to the producer,” said Larry Taylor, co-founder of The Yield Lab Asia Pacific.
This accelerator program will identify innovative aquaculture solutions, ultimately choosing eight applicants and pairing the selected inventors with mentors experienced in these markets. At the final investor conference, the teams will pitch their technologies to the market, with the grand-prize winner receiving $100,000. Applicants will also have opportunities to win other prizes. Details on other prizes will be released shortly.
Innovators from industry, academia and public institutions are encouraged to apply. These include:
- Early-stage to late early-stage startups.
- Innovators in research organizations, public and private, NGOs.
- Innovators in seafood farming companies or seafood industry.
- Innovators in supply chain, compliance, and public policy.
- Technologists who have an application relevant to aquaculture.
The challenge welcomes more innovation in areas such as, but not limited to:
- Water management solutions and resource usage in farming systems.
- Supply chain, cold chain and traceability systems.
- Smallholder farms’ economically viable systems.
- Tropical species diversity and efficiency.
- Regenerative systems, seaweed, microalgae, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture.
- Environmental footprint metrics.
- Recirculating aquaculture systems, sensors, monitoring and other systems (iot, ai, mr).
- Zootechnics, animal health, disease management, feed and nutrition.
- Public policies including compliance, certification, traceability.
For more information on the challenge and to see a list of the strategic advisors, visit The Aquaculture Challenge website.
Apply for The Aqua Challenge here. Applications are due Feb. 28, 2021.
USSEC is a proud sponsor of The Aquaculture Challenge. Click here to learn more about the organization’s work in aquaculture.
“Innovation challenges are a great way to bring new ideas and technologies to the table,” said USSEC Senior Director – Organizational Collaboration and Innovation Karey Claghorn. “The Soy Nutrition Value Calculator that we are now sharing with customers around the world is the direct result of an innovation challenge. We want to be able to harness the power of disruption and transform the aquaculture industry into a space that’s not only environmentally friendly but one that’s also efficient, helping to provide a good source of protein in diets around the world.”
