Land-based fish farm designers take different paths after 10 years 

Landing Aquaculture co-founder and managing director Robin van de Ven has become full owner of the company by acquiring the 50% of shares owned by co-founder Carlos Espinal Colella.

In a press release, the Dutch land-based aquaculture engineering company said the move marked a natural evolution in its journey following a period of discussion around its future direction and growth strategy.

While the two co-founders have shared a decade of collaboration, they ultimately developed different visions for the next stage of Landing’s development. Van de Ven will lead the company’s expansion, while Espinal has opened “space for new R&D and business development opportunities in aquaculture”.

Espinal will, however, remain active in Landing Aquaculture as a project consultant for the coming months and will continue to support sales and client transitions under a sales agency agreement, the press release says.

Gives clients confidence

“I’m grateful Carlos is staying on to support the transition,” Van de Ven said. “That gives our clients confidence - and gives us time to build on the momentum we’ve created together.”

Landing said the two founders have also agreed on a clear client-relation handling structure to ensure that all contacts, whether through past or future channels, are handled professionally and with client interest in mind.

The company said it is on track to complete its 80th project this year, serving clients across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It added that its reputation rests on a clear philosophy: design robustly, build transparently, and partner closely with clients. To date, none of its systems has failed to meet performance targets, which it said was testament to its methodical, engineering-first approach.

“We started with just a couple of laptops and a shared vision to do things differently - to be rigorous, honest, and long-term in our thinking. That mindset is still the foundation of everything we do,” said Van de Ven.

Early-stage companies

Espinal has founded ChimanaTech, which aims to help early-stage and growth-phase companies bring new technologies to market in the land-based aquaculture sector, and is also a sales agent for Landing Aquaculture.

“It’s been a privilege to help build Landing. Rob and I have always been united by our focus on partnership and trust. After 10 years, we’ve grown in different directions - and that’s okay. As I begin transitioning out of my operational role, I do so with immense pride,” said Espinal, in a LinkedIn farewell post.

“Building Landing alongside Rob and our team has been one of the most formative experiences of my life - professionally and personally.

“I’m proud of what we’ve created, and I look forward to focus on supporting innovation and business development in aquaculture.”

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