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The Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is one of the world´s leading marine research organisations and contributes significantly to international research on climate, marine and coastal ecology. AWI offers all the infrastructure, equipment, as well as the eco-physiological and climate modelling expertise needed for the development of fundamental and industrial research projects and beyond. The institute maintains a truly global research network with extensive cooperation with numerous national and international institutions, as well as transferring knowledge and technologies to society.

The Aquaculture Research Group within the Knowledge and Technology Transfer unit at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute conducts industry-led research into the development of sustainable aquaculture. The
group develops innovative, environmentally sustainable technological concepts in close cooperation with business partners. The group has strong technical design and management expertise, along with highly valuable infrastructure related to Recirculating Aquaculture Systems. In recognition of the importance of economic forces in bio-economic success the group has gained significant experience in linking socio-economic research with polyculture research in several nations.

The Aquaculture Research Group maintains the Centre for Aquaculture Research (ZAF), one of Europe’s largest dedicated Recirculating Aquaculture System research facilities with 140 m3 of aquaria space for experiments in controlled-condition recirculating artificial seawater and freshwater.The ZAF acts as a hub for technology transfer of new aquaculture concepts in Germany and internationally. The groups partnerships with academia, industry and society are key to identifying environmental concerns and needs, developing solutions and bringing those solutions back to users rapidly.