Riasearch

Riasearch is a Portuguese contract-research organization (CRO) dedicated to the aquaculture nutrition and health sector. Founded in 2016 and based in Murtosa, Portugal, the company positions itself as a reliable partner for innovation in aquaculture nutrition and health, committed to the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector. Its core business is contract research: it designs and runs in vivo nutrition and health-related trials on fish and shrimp, produces small batches of experimental aquafeeds, and delivers end-to-end R&D solutions tailored to client needs. The company operates multiple state-of-the-art experimental systems and facilities for freshwater and marine species, allowing trials with the most relevant global species of freshwater and marine fish and shrimp. Its team comprises marine biologists, microbiologists, biochemists and engineers who are 100% focused on fish and shrimp nutrition and health. Areas of expertise include fish and shrimp nutrition, digestive physiology, intestinal health, stress response and immunity, nutrigenomics and microbiome, ex-vivo screening systems, aquafeed technology, RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) technologies and nutritional modeling. Riasearch's research services cover the full pipeline: helping clients fine-tune trial design and assess statistical robustness, proposing relevant feed formulations and manufacturing small batches of experimental extruded feeds, managing in vivo trials, and taking responsibility for most analytics either in-house or through validated external laboratories. The company also offers capacitation and consulting services, including optimal system design for target species in hatcheries or grow-out systems and refinement of operational RAS conditions. A defining feature of Riasearch is its long-standing partnership with SPAROS. In 2022, Riasearch and SPAROS merged their contract-research activities, reinforcing their position as a valuable partner for knowledge-based product development. The company is also strongly involved in R&D projects for knowledge generation, with past and ongoing projects including Ignition, NOxAQua, Aquacombine and FICA. Riasearch targets the global aquaculture nutrition and health market, serving clients developing new products such as feed additives, enzymes, immunostimulants, phytogenics, minerals, amino acids, carotenoids, algae, microbial proteins, insects, marine and terrestrial by-products, hydrolysates and protein concentrates.

Riasearch was founded in 2016 as a contract-research organization (CRO) in aquaculture nutrition. Based in Murtosa, Portugal, the company was established to serve the aquaculture nutrition and health market with a strong scientific background and industrial experience in aquatic nutrition, immunity and health. From its early years, Riasearch built its offering around experimental facilities and aquatic research models for the development of new products for the aquaculture nutrition and health market. It developed the capacity to produce small batches of experimental aquafeeds and to perform in vivo nutrition and health-related trials on fish and shrimp. Its team grew to include marine biologists, microbiologists, biochemists and engineers, all focused on fish and shrimp nutrition and health. A central element of Riasearch's development has been its long-standing partnership with SPAROS. In 2022, the two organizations merged their contract-research activities, reinforcing their position as a valuable partner for knowledge-based product development. This merger combined Riasearch's experimental facilities and aquatic research models with SPAROS's capabilities, creating a more comprehensive contract-research offering for the aquaculture industry. Riasearch has also maintained a strong involvement in R&D projects for knowledge generation. Its project portfolio has included Ignition (Improving greeN Innovation for the blue revoluTION: new tools and opportunities for a more sustainable animal farming), NOxAQua (smart solutions to control nitrogen levels in the aquaculture industry), Aquacombine (combining aquaculture and halophyte farming using the principles of circular economy) and FICA (developing a set of specialized services for zootechnical, physiological and molecular research). These projects reflect the company's positioning at the intersection of scientific research and applied aquaculture innovation. By the early 2020s, Riasearch had established itself as a contract-research provider offering end-to-end R&D solutions: trial design and statistical assessment, feed formulation and small-batch manufacturing of experimental extruded feeds, in vivo trial management, and analytics either in-house or through validated external laboratories. The company also expanded into capacitation and consulting services, advising on optimal system design for target species in hatcheries or grow-out systems and helping refine operational RAS conditions through on-site problem assessment. Its research services target the global aquaculture nutrition and health market, covering feed additives, enzymes, immunostimulants, phytogenics, minerals, amino acids, carotenoids, raw materials such as algae, microbial proteins and insects, marine and terrestrial by-products, hydrolysates and protein concentrates.

• 2022

  Riasearch and SPAROS merged their contract-research activities as part of a long-standing partnership.

• 2022

  Riasearch present at Aquaculture Europe 2022 (EAS2022), September 27-30.

• 2016

  Riasearch founded as a contract-research organization (CRO) in aquaculture nutrition.

A reliable partner for innovation in aquaculture nutrition and health, committed to the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector; a contract-research organization with strong scientific background and industrial experience.

• Nutrition trials

  Growth performance and digestibility trials with fish and shrimp.

• Functional trials

  Immune modulation in association with nutritional interventions.

• Experimental feeds

  Pilot feed mill for custom-made R&D aquafeeds, small batches of experimental extruded feeds.

• RAS technology

  Optimization of recirculated aquaculture systems.

• Capacitation and consulting services

  Optimal system design for target species in hatcheries or grow-out systems; refinement of operational RAS conditions.

1. 1RIASEARCH official websiteriasearch.pt
2. 2RIASEARCH | About usriasearch.pt
3. 3RIASEARCH | Research servicesriasearch.pt
4. 4Riasearch (Portugal) - Wikidatawikidata.org