SYNTESA APS

Their core work

Syntesa is a Danish consultancy specializing in fisheries management, marine policy, and sustainable aquaculture. They bridge social science and marine resource management — helping translate fisheries policy frameworks (like the EU Common Fisheries Policy) into practical decision-support tools and management systems. Their work spans from the socioeconomic dimensions of fishing communities to the development of new aquaculture species and integrated multi-trophic farming approaches across the Atlantic.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Syntesa's trajectory shows a clear shift from social science and policy research toward applied marine resource management. Their earliest project (SAF21, 2015) was an MSCA training network focused on the social dimensions of fisheries — essentially academic capacity-building. By 2017-2019, they had moved into applied fisheries management tools (FarFish) and then into aquaculture production systems (AquaVitae), indicating a progression from understanding fisheries problems to building practical solutions.

Syntesa is moving from policy analysis toward hands-on aquaculture innovation and marine resource management tools, making them increasingly relevant for applied Blue Growth projects.

How they like to work

Syntesa operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. Despite their small size as an SME, they participate in large international consortia, having worked with 62 unique partners across 23 countries in just three projects. This suggests they contribute specialized expertise to large collaborative efforts rather than leading them, and are comfortable operating in diverse multinational teams.

Despite only three projects, Syntesa has built an extensive network of 62 partners across 23 countries, reflecting their participation in large-scale RIA and MSCA consortia. Their geographic reach spans well beyond Europe — the AquaVitae project specifically targets Atlantic Ocean partnerships including connections to South America and Africa.

What sets them apart

Syntesa sits at a distinctive intersection: a private consultancy that combines social science understanding of fishing communities with technical fisheries management and aquaculture expertise. This blend of policy-social-technical knowledge is uncommon among Danish SMEs. For consortium builders, they offer a rare profile — a small, flexible partner that can handle both the human dimensions and the applied management aspects of marine resource projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FarFish
  Developed responsive management systems for EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements — directly influencing how the EU manages shared fish stocks with third countries.
• AquaVitae
  Atlantic-wide aquaculture project exploring new species (sea urchins, macroalgae, shellfish) and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture — representing Syntesa's shift toward production-oriented marine work.