CASALI ROBERTO

Their core work

ECONOMIA DEL MARE DI CASALI ROBERTO — "Economy of the Sea" — is an Italian private company specialising in the business and market dimensions of the aquaculture sector. The firm's contribution to EU research consortia centres on socioeconomic analysis, market uptake assessment, and the commercialisation pathway for aquaculture products, bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial adoption. In both projects, the company brought expertise in production system economics, training activities, and translating technical advances in breeding, feeding, and welfare into market-ready propositions. Their consistent involvement in large Innovation Action projects targeting sustainable and organic aquaculture suggests an advisory or business-development role rather than a laboratory or engineering one.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first project (FutureEUAqua, starting 2018), the company focused on organic versus conventional production systems, animal welfare, product quality, packaging, and IoT-enabled monitoring — the emphasis was on current market conditions and near-term production improvements. By the second project (NewTechAqua, starting 2020), the language shifted decisively toward AI, genetics, breeding programmes, microalgae, and new species, reflecting a move from market diagnostics toward enabling the next generation of aquaculture technology. The trajectory is consistent: they entered the EU project space as a market-facing business voice and are progressively integrating deeper technological competences, particularly around data-driven production and species innovation.

The company is moving from socioeconomic advisory roles toward active participation in technology-driven aquaculture innovation, making them an increasingly relevant partner for projects combining digital transformation with commercial scale-up in the blue economy.

How they like to work

ECONOMIA DEL MARE has participated exclusively as a consortium partner — never as coordinator — across both H2020 projects, indicating a specialist contributor model rather than a project leadership role. Despite the small number of projects, they have worked within remarkably broad consortia (56 unique partners across 15 countries), suggesting their niche expertise is valued by large European research teams who need a commercial and socioeconomic perspective. This profile is typical of a small consultancy or sole-proprietor expert firm that brings focused, practical knowledge to otherwise research-heavy consortia.

The company has built connections with 56 distinct consortium partners across 15 European countries through just two projects, indicating participation in large, multi-partner Innovation Actions with broad geographic diversity. Their network is pan-European in nature, likely spanning aquaculture hubs in Southern and Northern Europe.

What sets them apart

ECONOMIA DEL MARE occupies a rare position in European aquaculture research: a private, commercially oriented firm that brings market economics and business development expertise into consortia otherwise dominated by universities and research institutes. For a consortium building a sustainability or innovation project in aquaculture, this firm covers the market uptake, training, and commercial viability dimensions that academic partners typically cannot. Their dual grounding in both traditional aquaculture (organic, welfare, conventional species) and emerging technologies (AI, microalgae, genetics) makes them a credible bridge between scientific output and commercial application.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NewTechAqua
  The more ambitious of the two projects, covering AI, Industry 4.0, genetics, microalgae, and new species — a broad technology canvas that signals the company's expanding role in next-generation aquaculture innovation.
• FutureEUAqua
  A foundational five-year project (2018–2023) addressing organic versus conventional production, IoT monitoring, and socioeconomic assessment — establishing the company's credentials as a market-facing aquaculture partner.