Innovaciones Alumbra announced a voluntary UN ocean commitment to launch the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation (CAAI) in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The unveiling took place at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.
“Our oceans and their resources are significantly degraded. It is no longer enough to assume that sustainability alone will reverse the damage. We must move beyond efforts to do no further harm and take huge strides toward generative and regenerative outcomes. It’s time to invest significantly in advanced technologies and systems,” said Christy Walton, founder of Innovaciones Alumbra. “Our hope is that this center will accelerate the sector toward business models that restore ocean health and promote biodiversity while producing food and economic opportunities for communities.”
The Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation will foster scientific and technological breakthroughs, placing generative and regenerative aquaculture at the forefront of ocean health and food security solutions to support sustainable blue economies. The center will focus on multiple phases of the value chain for finfish and shellfish as well as algae, including species validation, advancing applied research and technology, refining production models for small and medium businesses, and building talent.
"In this Ocean Decade, we envision a healthy, resilient ocean that sustains all life. Regenerative aquaculture stands at the leading edge of innovation—restoring ecosystems, feeding communities, and proving that a thriving ocean and a thriving humanity go hand in hand," said Vidar Helgesen, executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO.
The Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation will be led by Ernesto Rodriguez Leal, a leader in strategy and innovation in Latin America. With over 20 years of experience in applied science, engineering and technology, Rodríguez Leal has launched multiple startups, products, services, and business models across robotics, healthcare, and education. He will bring his experience to build an innovation ecosystem that drives the growth of warm-water regenerative aquaculture.
“We are building a space and a global alliance that brings scientists, entrepreneurs, and communities together to work side-by-side to solve problems that can benefit us today and in the future," said Ernesto Rodriguez Leal, executive director of the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation. “The CAAI will offer access to resources, hands-on innovation, and rapid deployment to advance our global ability to deliver on sustainable blue economies.”
The launch of CAAI signals Mexico’s growing leadership in the field of warm-water aquaculture. Located in the Gulf of California, known for its biodiversity and enduring ocean heritage, this region is prime for aquaculture innovation.
Once fully constructed, the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation will offer state-of-the-art facilities including laboratories, hatchery, technology, and open-ocean projects. The CAAI will build a global community of expert operators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and scientists committed to regenerative aquaculture.
