On September 11 and 13, the SEA2SEE project took part in synergy webinar series, engaging with several European projects, including FishEUTrust, WATSON, THEROS, ALLIANCE, CUES, and TealHelix. The event focused on exploring potential collaborations to tackle critical challenges in the agrifood sector, such as combating food fraud, improving food traceability and increasing consumers’ trust. This synergy effort marks an important step towards amplifying the impact of SEA2SEE’s goals in the seafood industry through innovative approaches like blockchain technology and sustainable initiatives.
The synergy webinars provided a platform for the different projects to come together, exchange best practices and discuss future collaborative opportunities. The event covered key topics, including the role of digital technologies, such as blockchain, in ensuring traceability, the need to align with evolving regulatory frameworks and strategies for fostering sustainable consumer behavior.
SEA2SEE contribution
During the webinars, SEA2SEE contributed to discussions on how blockchain technology can transform seafood traceability. By sharing insights on its digital solutions, SEA2SEE helped highlight the importance of traceability in preventing food fraud and ensuring ethical sourcing. It also emphasized the need for collaboration to raise awareness about these technologies and their benefits for both consumers and stakeholders within the seafood industry.
A key avenue for collaboration identified during the event involved pooling resources to create educational materials focused on food traceability and safety. By effectively communicating the value of these tools, SEA2SEE aims to empower stakeholders, from producers to consumers, to make informed decisions that support sustainability.
Synergies with other projects
Collaboration with the other participating projects was driven by a shared commitment to advancing traceability and sustainability across the food industry. The projects highlighted the importance of sharing best practices in implementing digital tools, noting that exchanging experiences could lead to more effective innovations beyond individual project goals.
One promising synergy involved working with CUES project to develop consumer guides and tools for sustainable behaviour. This joint effort could raise awareness of sustainable practices in the seafood industry and empower consumers to make informed choices that positively impact the environment.
THEROS also emphasized the value of joint participation in events and workshops to exchange technical information on relevant technologies, such as DNA meta-barcoding and blockchain traceability. Such collaboration is expected to strengthen the technical capabilities of the projects involved and foster cross-sector innovations that enhance traceability and transparency.
Key takeaways
The webinar series demonstrated the importance of aligning project efforts with regulatory frameworks like the newly amended Regulation (EU) 2023/2842, which comes into effect in January 2026. By working together to navigate these regulations, the projects can ensure compliance while leveraging policy changes to maximize their collective impact.
SEA2SEE, along with its partners, recognized that building synergies across multiple projects opens up exciting opportunities to address shared challenges in food traceability and sustainability. By fostering these collaborations, the projects aim to drive widespread adoption of innovative digital solutions and build consumer trust in ethically sourced, sustainable products.
The synergy webinar series marked a significant advancement for SEA2SEE and its partners as they continue to explore joint initiatives that enhance traceability and sustainability in the agrifood industry.
SEA2SEE remains committed to working with other EU-funded projects to create a lasting impact.
Stay tuned for further updates on our progress and upcoming initiatives looking to positively transform the seafood supply chain!
Contributor: VITAGORA