Over 20 participants started their one year Seafood Next program this week, eager to accelerate their knowledge and network with fellow “colleagues” of the industry.
The first module of the program focuses on the value chain as a whole, and provided the participants with interesting presentations throughout the whole journey from roe eggs to finished product in store shelves. The three-day program included presentations from the Directorate of Fisheries, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Benchmark Genetics, NCE Seafood Innovation, Cargill Aqua Nutrition North Sea, Grieg Seafood and Sjór.
In addition to many insightful presentations from the industry, the participants also got a front row seat to this weeks launching of the Risk Report of Norwegian Fish Farming 2022, which was broadcasted from Marineholmen, by NCE Seafood Innovation and The Institute of Marine Research.
A quite exciting part of the program was visiting Hardanger Akvasenter and Lingalaks in Øystese, where the participants got to visit one of Lingalaks’ fish farms in Hardangerfjorden, and a detailed presentation of how it all started back in the days.
A competence program for everyone
The seafood industry is in constant change, and the need for new competence and innovative solutions is growing bigger by the minute. If we are to secure a sustainable growth and reduce environmental impact at the same time as we are improving fish health and welfare – it is necessary to collaborate, communicate and work together as a united industry.
Therefor It was quite exciting to see so many new participants, and to learn that quite a few of them are not in fact new to the industry, but joined the program to stay updated on current affairs. We believe that Seafood Next is an excellent way to not only accelerate your own knowledge, but also a great opportunity to network and get to know the competence that lies within this industry. Conversation will create synergies – and that is one of the best parts of our Seafood Next programme.
Great activity throughout the Seafood Next groups
The fun doesn’t stop there! Last week we also hosted a Seafood Next module; Group #3 had their third module of the program, both in Bergen and Bekkjarvik.
The third module is focused towards fish health and welfare, which one of the clusters industrial focus areas, and as we recently heard in both the Fish health report and the Risk Report; an ongoing challenge facing the industry.
As a part of the module, the group visited Nofima, where we learned about the Aquafeed Technology Center and got a guided tour around their facilities. We also visited The Institute of Marine Research, where we among other things got to see and learn about different farmed fish like plaice, halibut, cod and rock gilt.
Digitalization and data was on the agenda for the last day of the three day module. The day kicked of with a presentation of AquaCloud, which is a big data project anchored in the aquaculture industry’s need to solve common challenges in order to create sustainable growth
Thank you to everyone who participated, and also everyone from our partners and members who contributed to making it the high quality competence program it is.
Our next gathering will be in June, when both Seafood Next and Seafood Trainee travels to Iceland to learn more about innovation and new value chains.
See you then!
Interested in taking part in the program? Our next group starts in November, 2022. Please contact fride@seafoodinnovation.no for more information.