Published by kyst.no. Read the story here
Written by: Therese Soltveit Journalist & webmaster LandbasedAQ
HR managers and professionals from the seafood industry recently visited Bremnes Seashore. The initiative came from NCE Seafood, which wanted to show how cross-functional collaboration can strengthen both insight and trust in a competitive industry.
The purpose of the visit was to give the focus group for competence in NCE Seafood a deeper understanding of how Bremnes Seashore works with HR and competence in practice.
NCE Seafood:
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- Is a business cluster for the seafood industry.
- The focus groups in the cluster work on topics such as competence, digitalization, fish health, feed, climate and circular economy.
- The focus group for competence consists of participants from both industry and academia, and meets several times a year.
– It is something completely different to see the production and hear about their strategy on site, than just discussing things in meetings. So this provides great value – both professionally and relationally, says Synnøve Alise Furnes, communications and events coordinator at NCE Seafood, to Kyst.no.
It was the cluster that took the initiative for the visit, and according to Furnes, Bremnes was very positive about welcoming the group.
– The fact that they opened their doors and showcased their entire production – and also shared their strategy – is a clear sign of openness and willingness to collaborate. We in the cluster support that type of sharing culture, and it shows the importance of us as a connecting arena for our members, she says.
Uniting academia and business
The Competence Focus Group is one of five thematic groups in NCE Seafood. It consists of HR managers, professionals and representatives from both business and academia, and meets three to four times a year.
Participants include representatives from Lerøy, Mowi, Bremnes Seashore, Bolaks, Lingalaks, Benchmark Genetics, BioMar, Nutrimar, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). The group's mandate is to share insights, provide input to the cluster's work on recruitment and competence development, and raise issues that concern the entire industry.
The company visit to Bremnes Seashore was the first time the focus group met at one of the member companies.
– It gives us a common frame of reference and makes the conversations more concrete. When we are in the middle of production and hear how a company actually works with collaboration, strategy and development, it gives a completely different understanding. It also builds relationships and lowers the threshold for sharing and discussing openly in the group, says Furnes.
Important input for initiatives
The focus group has played an important role in the development of several of the cluster's competence initiatives. According to NCE Seafood, the group has contributed to the design of industry-specific courses and programs, in collaboration with both industry and academia.
It has also provided expert input to the Industry Insight report on talent attraction, which provides insight into young people's views on career choices and the industry's reputation. The report is based on case studies from several companies and highlights specific areas of focus and initiatives.
– Major changes don't always happen overnight, but the group is an important arena for raising issues, sharing solutions and influencing the direction of what we prioritize as a cluster, says Furnes.
Collaboration despite competition
Although the seafood industry is characterized by competition, NCE Seafood believes that there are great benefits from collaboration in selected areas – particularly in expertise, recruitment, sustainability and technology.
The visit to Bremnes is highlighted as a concrete example. The fact that a player opens its doors to competitors and shares both strategy and practice is described as a strong signal of trust and shared responsibility.
The participants in the focus group also believe that such initiatives have great value. HR Manager at Lingalaks, Lena Gjernes, says that gaining insight into Bremnes Seashore's processes and strategy strengthens both trust and cooperation in the industry.
Fride Iversen, senior project manager for competence at NCE Seafood, believes that the willingness to cooperate at Bremnes illustrates the effect that sharing can have on developments in the industry.
– The fact that Bremnes Seashore opened its doors and shared openly from both its production line and its HR strategy is a strong example of the sharing culture we want to promote in the cluster. It builds trust and creates shared insight, says Iversen.
Synnøve Autestad, HR manager at Bolaks, believes the company visit clearly showed how much value there is in opening doors to each other.
The hosts themselves also highlight the benefits of the visit. HR Director Linn Tove Hollund at Bremnes Seashore says it was both meaningful and motivating to share experiences with others in the industry.
– People and their expertise are one of the most important things we have. That's why it means a lot to us to welcome committed people from the industry, show off our everyday lives and share experiences. We find it meaningful and educational – and we learn from such meetings ourselves, says Hollund.
