The School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary is leading a £1M initiative, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF), to transform offshore aquaculture safety and sustainability.

The five-year project, led by Dr Eldad Avital, brings together a multinational consortium of academic and industrial partners, including the National Technical University of Athens (Greece), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India), Wenzhou Vocational College of Science and Technology (China, training), AKVA Group (Norway), Griffon Marine (UK), BFP-Tech (Greece), Astra Ryba Foods (India), and Wenzhou Fenghe Marine Development (China, training). Together, the partners will tackle critical challenges in offshore fish farming under extreme marine conditions.

The programme will pioneer storm-resistant aquaculture cages, redesign service vessels, combat biofouling with innovative materials, and integrate wave energy converters to provide clean, renewable power.

By combining cutting-edge engineering with industry expertise, the project will strengthen infrastructure, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance worker safety. In parallel, training initiatives will equip at least 200 aquaculture professionals and fishers with safe, sustainable practices — supporting long-term benefits for coastal communities worldwide.

“This project will transform the way offshore aquaculture is designed, powered, and operated,” said Dr Eldad Avital, Project Leader. “By bringing together global expertise, we can deliver safer working conditions, cleaner seas, and a more resilient food supply for future generations.”

The initiative directly supports Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s mission to engineer a safer world by improving safety and resilience across industries. Through open-access research, best-practice guidelines, and policy recommendations, the collaboration will bridge the gap between academic innovation and real-world application. Findings will be shared via international conferences, industry workshops, and online platforms, ensuring that advances in offshore aquaculture safety and sustainability are adopted worldwide.