4th AquaGOOD Partner Meeting Held in Klaipėda
On 2–3 June 2026, the 4th AquaGOOD Partner Meeting took place in Klaipėda, Lithuania. The meeting was organised by the Lead Partner, the Administration of Lithuania Minor Protected Areas, and brought together representatives of the project partnership from Lithuania, Poland and Sweden.
The meeting focused on project progress, ongoing activities, key deliverables, future cooperation and the possible extension of the project. Partners discussed the implementation of activities under WP1, WP3, WP4 and WP5, including reporting issues, budget modifications, mussel product development, innovative thalassotherapy solutions, dissemination and innovation transfer.
The meeting opened with a keynote presentation by Prof. Artūras Razinkovas-Baziukas from Klaipėda University / Marine Research Institute on “Sustainable Aquaculture & Aquatic Ecosystem Goods: South Baltic development perspectives”. The presentation addressed sustainable aquaculture in the South Baltic, aquatic ecosystem goods and services, nutrient removal, suitable species and sites for macroalgae cultivation, and possible synergies with AquaGOOD activities.
Special guests from the Dutch biotechnology company Hortimare, Silvie Kalkman and Gabriel Montecinos Arismendi, also presented their company and shared practical insights into seaweed aquaculture, cultivation technologies, innovation and possible cooperation opportunities relevant to AquaGOOD.
A significant part of the meeting was dedicated to partner discussions on the next steps of the project. WP3 discussions focused on mussel-related pilot activities, including the progress of sampling, harvesting, processing, storage testing and product development. WP4 discussions addressed innovative thalassotherapy technologies and product concepts based on local South Baltic aquatic ecosystem goods, such as peat, mineral water, seawater, macroalgae, Baltic amber, chalk and marine mud.
Under WP5, partners discussed how AquaGOOD results could be used after the end of the project, including innovation transfer, dissemination, future cooperation opportunities and the organisation of the final project conference. A project video prepared after the Tourism Forum held on 16 April was also presented as a useful communication and dissemination material.
Aistė Jurkienė presented the planning of Activity 5.1, which focuses on the development and implementation of two training programmes in small ports of the South Baltic Area: Innovative Aquaculture and Innovative Thalassotherapy. These programmes are expected to support technology transfer, knowledge sharing, diversification and SME capacity building. The project target is to empower 26 SMEs through these training activities.
On the second day, partners visited an aquaculture farm in Dreverna, where they learned about the cultivation and preparation of alpine char, water purification processes and equipment used for sustainable aquaculture. The visit also included an educational activity highlighting the links between local business initiatives, cultural heritage and the identity of Lithuania Minor.
The meeting provided an important opportunity for partners to review progress, address open questions and agree on further steps for the remaining project period. The next partner meeting is expected to take place in Gdańsk in autumn 2026
