Cork, Ireland-based global aquaculture investment firm Hatch Blue recently released a report detailing Germany’s high reliance on seafood imports to meet rising domestic demand, and suggested its engineering expertise could bridge the gap.
The report titled "Engineering the Blue Future: Germany’s Role in European Aquaculture Tech" was conducted by Hatch Blue and commissioned by Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank. According to the report the German seafood market relies on seafood imports for nearly 90 percent of demand – much of which is sourced from aquaculture – while its own aquaculture sector is hindered by high operating costs, fragmented regulations, and a shortage of skilled workers.
The study said Germany could use its engineering expertise to find ways in which the aquaculture sector can grow, helping bridge the gap between seafood demand and output, reduce import dependency, and capitalize on the growing consumer appetite for seafood.
“Food security is gaining increasing importance in Germany and Europe,” Chairwoman of the Rentenbank Management Board Nikola Steinbock said in the release. “Aquaculture can make an important contribution to this while simultaneously opening up new economic perspectives for rural areas. However, the expansion of the sector is currently hindered, in particular, by high energy costs and complex framework conditions. This makes innovative approaches, such as the integration of aquaculture into existing agricultural systems, all the more important. For example, the use of waste heat from biogas plants can lower operating costs and advance the circular economy.”
Steinbock also said Rentenbank supports the expansion of German aquaculture production, with funded programs for research and development and launching facilities in the market.
“At Hatch Blue, we recognize that the German blue economy is rich in innovation,” Hatch Blue Managing Partner and Co-Founder Georg Baunach said. “We hope this report supports Germany in becoming a cornerstone of a resilient food system and a leading exporter of the technologies shaping the future of aquaculture."
Hatch Blue outlined four actionable steps to improving the German aquaculture sector: prioritizing the country’s already strong engineering skills, turning research and development into tangible market action, comprehensive financial planning that helps fund and protect start-up companies with low risk, and making policy more palatable for expansion through standardization.+
