ThinkInAzul is a Next Generation EU project in Marine Sciences that, since 2022, has brought together seven Spanish regions - Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Galicia, the Region of Murcia, and the Valencian Community -

Over the past three years, we have worked with a clear goal: to integrate and strengthen marine research across the country. Together, we have built a network of leading research centres capable of tackling the major challenges facing our seas and coasts.

Our mission has been focused on three key areas:

• Marine and coastal monitoring, to better understand our seas and their dynamics.
• Sustainable aquaculture, to boost efficiency while caring for the environment.
• Bblue economy and innovation, to create opportunities for a sustainable future.

By the conclusion of the Project, ThinkInAzul will have generated more than 300 scientific articles, and over 400 communications presented at national and international Congresses. These are not just numbers - they are the result of coordinated effort, scientific excellence, and a shared commitment to the future of our marine environment.

In the AE2025 Congress of Valencia, we have placed special emphasis on the most relevant topics to boost Spanish aquaculture: reproduction and genetics; nutrition, health, and welfare; food safety and quality; aquaculture–environment interactions; environmental monitoring of productive systems; and the culture of microalgae and macroalgae.

In this special ThinkInAzul session, a panel of 12 leading experts will provide a national-level summary of the main challenges, the solutions explored, and the expected impacts in each trending topic through presentations lasting between 25 and 40 minutes.

The session will be chaired by the Coordinators from the Region of Murcia (Fernando de la Gandara, also acting as the National Coordinator) and the Valencian Community (Jaume Pérez-Sánchez).

We will conclude with a Round Table, where we will bring together the key insights, draw our main conclusions, and share future perspectives.

ThinkInAzul will be formally finished in December 2025, but the network we have built, the knowledge we have generated, and the collaborations that we have forged will continue to advance in marine science, aquaculture, and blue economy in Spain.