Panel // Mind the Innovation Gap: Building Blue Food Ecosystems for Breakthroughs

28 May 2026
Main Stage
Main Stage
  • Which interim supports - grants, pilots, guarantees - can keep vital innovations alive during pre-commercialization and testing phases?
  • How can international clusters, regulators and testbeds speed innovation while protecting ecosystems, and what mapping of regulatory openness is needed to guide innovators?
  • What strategies help innovators manage decade-long development timelines, shifting government priorities, and policy changes, ensuring stability for long-term investment?
  • How do we create transparent pathways for testing and validation to bring siloed innovations into real-world use, while addressing frustration around funding allocation?
Chairperson
Colin Faulkner
Colin Faulkner, CEO - SEAFISH
Speakers
Lorella De La Iglesias
Lorella De La Iglesias, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Donna Fordyce
Donna Fordyce, CEO - SEAFOOD SCOTLAND
Kendra MacDonald
Kendra MacDonald, CEO - CANADA'S OCEAN SUPERCLUSTER
Damien Toner
Damien Toner, Aquatech Director - BORD IASCAIGH MHARA