AQUAFARM 2026 BACK WITH NEW FEATURES

AquaFarm 2026 back with new features and its usual leadership in sustainable food innovation. The leading international event for aquaculture, sustainable fishing, algae production and innovative crops returns to the Pordenone Exhibition Centre for its 9th edition on February 18 and 19.

AquaFarm, the international conference & trade show dedicated to aquaculture, sustainable fishing, algae production and innovative crops, announces the dates for its ninth edition: the event will take place on February 18 and 19 at the Pordenone exhibition centre.

The 2026 edition marks the ten-year period of the event, which had to be suspended one year due to the pandemic. The event celebrates this milestone introducing several new features. The opening session will focus on the role of aquaculture in the conservation and management of aquatic resources, both marine and terrestrial. The High Seas Treaty will be discussed, which indirectly identifies fish farming, as repeatedly emphasised by the FAO, as a key tool for preserving the world’s fish stocks, threatened by indiscriminate industrial fishing pursued by some nations. Aquaculture is called upon to play its role in contrasting and adapting to environmental change, even though it is often forgotten that it is an unsuspecting victim. AquaFarm will focus on water management, but also on invasive species, the need to relocate farms to adapt to warming surface waters, and anthropogenic pollution.

Pordenone will not only focus on the environment, but also on the hottest topics in basic and applied research in this sector: the development of non-monoculture aquaculture, with the arrival of integrated multi-trophic and regenerative farms; and emerging technologies, from robotics to artificial intelligence to precision feeding. There will also be a focus on microalgae, with AlgaeFarm, a thematic area that has always been a strong feature of the event, and a focus on innovative crops with NovelFarm, which will also return to the topic of controlled-environment mushroom cultivation, which is currently experiencing a real boom in Italy.

A brand new addition to the event’s themes will be AquaFishery, the brand-new thematic area dedicated to small-scale and professional fishing, an initiative created to enhance the marine and inland water supply chains, promote innovation, and the sustainable growth of the fishing industry. AquaFishery represents a national and international meeting point for companies, institutions, trade associations, and economic operators: the goal is to provide an overview of the challenges and transformations of the sector, fostering constructive dialogue among the various players.

The packed conference program will flank a large international exhibition area, showcasing all the best innovations and next-generation solutions in the industry. Also confirmed the area dedicated to universities and research centres, with the opportunity to exhibit scientific posters, the Arena AquaFarm, an “open” room for the continuous presentation of funded research projects and self-managed workshops by companies and associations, and finally the Show Cooking Arena, where visitors can taste the finest national products.

In short, in its tenth anniversary year, the Pordenone event confirms its leadership role at a national and, above all, an international level.

AquaFarm is Italy’s only international conference and trade show on aquaculture and sustainable fishing industry, organised by Pordenone Fiere in collaboration with industry associations and Studio Comelli – Conferences&Communication, which is in charge of conference contents and press office. The event was first held in 2017 and it has always been focused on all areas of innovative and sustainable food production. It also covers three thematic areas: NovelFarm, dedicated to new crops, indoor and vertical farming; AlgaeFarm, dedicated to the cultivation of microalgae and other microorganisms; and the newest addition, AquaFishery, dedicated to small-scale and professional fishing. Attendance is free of charge, register online at www.aquafarmexpo.it