Fresh Water Farms Europe (FWFEU) has recently completed an Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange hosted by ICEE.SPACE in the Netherlands, dedicated to advancing sustainable aquatic food systems and exploring their integration into
space-analog and extreme environment infrastructures. This collaboration aligns closely with the Global Action Network’s mission of enabling sustainable food from oceans and inland waters to improve food security and nutrition, “from healthy
waters to healthy people”.
The core focus of the exchange was the development of the “Aquaponics in Space” concept: an integrated, closed-loop system that connects recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic plant production to optimise water, energy, and nutrient use in resource-constrained environments. Building on FWFEU’s expertise in aquaponics and sustainable aquaculture, and ICEE.SPACE’s leadership in analog mission design and extreme environment testing, the project examined how aquatic food organisms and associated production systems can contribute to resilient diets both on Earth and in future space missions.
Throughout the exchange, FWFEU and ICEE.SPACE worked together to map technological, environmental and operational requirements for deploying
aquaponic systems in analog facilities and remote settings, with particular attention to system robustness, biosecurity, food safety and circular resource flows. This included conceptual designs for modular units capable of producing safe, nutritious
aquatic foods and vegetables while minimising waste, reducing dependency on external inputs, and enabling continuous monitoring of environmental and health parameters.
A key achievement of the exchange was the strategic engagement with stakeholders across the European space, research and innovation ecosystem. FWFEU
had the opportunity to connect with NL Space, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), Ifremer, ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BIC), Tumbleweed
and Wageningen University & Research (WUR). These dialogues explored synergies between sustainable aquaculture, life support systems, robotics, sensor
technologies and controlled environment agriculture, identifying pathways to test and validate aquaponic concepts in relevant analog sites and R&D infrastructures.
The work generated joint concept notes for future EU-funded projects and pilot demonstrations, positioning aquaponics as a credible, science-based solution for climate-resilient aquatic food production, with potential co-benefits for education, citizen engagement, and high-impact communication on sustainable blue foods. By linking ocean and inland water expertise with frontier space applications, the
initiative showcases how innovation in aquatic foods can contribute to food and nutrition security under changing environmental conditions, in line with the
SDGs and the Global Action Network’s objectives.
The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs experience has strengthened FWFEU’s capacity to act as a collaborative bridge between blue food actors and emerging space-tech communities, supporting the co-creation of solutions that are circular, inclusive and
adaptable — ensuring that advances in aquatic food systems help deliver healthy, safe and sustainable diets for all.
The next steps include refining the Aquaponics in Space framework into operational pilot projects, strengthening scientific partnerships, and mobilizing young professionals and students to engage with sustainable aquatic food solutions. Through continued collaboration, FWFEU aims to transform this exploratory work into tangible contributions for global food systems under pressure.
This experience further highlights the importance of interdisciplinary networks, such as the Global Action Network, in accelerating shared learning and impact.
Contact:
Juliana Gadelha, Founder, Fresh Water Farms Europe (FWFEU)
Partner: ICEE.SPACE