Expo Fish: Matosinhos at the Forefront of Food Innovation and Sustainability

Matosinhos hosted the 2nd edition of Expo Fish in November. Organised by Docapesca and sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the event took place at the Porto de Leixões Cruise Terminal and focused on promoting Portuguese seafood and marine-related activities.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Expo Fish aims to boost the internationalisation and promotion of activities related to fishing and seafood marketing, as well as related fields, including shipbuilding and repair, tourism, and recreational boating.

The highlight of this edition was the Innovation Expo Fish Portugal Award, a competition for ideas to foster innovation and research linked to the marine food sector, open to higher education students and startups. The winner was the project "Otimo - Optimisation of Sea Urchin Production Processes", from the MAREFOZ Laboratory at the University of Coimbra. This project aims to develop a sea urchin aquaculture production system that is profitable and efficient, thus increasing the competitiveness of coastal communities.

The presence of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes, the Secretary of State for Fisheries, Teresa Coelho, the Mayor of Matosinhos, Luísa Salgueiro, and the Councilwoman for Economic Development, Trade and Tourism of Matosinhos, Marta Pontes, reflects the importance of the event for a sector that has made great strides in the areas of innovation and sustainability.

This initiative reflects Matosinhos's ambition to be a reference in food innovation, integrating the values of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. It is a perfect example of the combination of sustainability practices, innovation and heritage, contributing to the positioning of Matosinhos as a city oriented towards innovation in the food sector, with a firm commitment to sustainability and the promotion of UNESCO's values and practices.