Charmed the mayor and the industry with fish food made from larvae
From left: Andreas Fauske and Liv-Ane Engelsen from Lerøy Seafood, Fride Iversen, NCE Seafood, the winners from Kronstad, Mayor Linn Kristin Engø and Ingrid Kristoffersen, Young Entrepreneurship Vestland.
The students impressed
Through the SMARTere teknologi concept, a total of over 1,300 sixth graders around Vestland have worked on various problems from the seafood industry. At the Aquarium, it was the winners from 14 schools in Bergen who presented their solutions and competed to advance to the county final in May. The problem they had all worked on was provided by Lerøy Seafood.
The jury included Mayor Linn Kristin Engø, Fride Iversen from NCE Seafood, Liv-Ane Engelsen and Andreas Fauske from Lerøy Seafood. The competition was tough, but in the end it was Kronstad School that emerged victorious with its model of a fish farm.
Jury members Fride Iversen, NCE Seafood, and Mayor Linn Kristin Engø, evaluate the students' various solutions. Photo: Young Entrepreneurship
From waste to feed through larvae
Andreas Fauske from Lerøy highlighted both collaboration and circular economy when he read out the group from Kronstad.
“They had created a model with a circular mindset where the waste from the fish farming facility would be used to grow larvae, which would in turn be used for fish feed. It was very creative,” says Fride Iversen, jury member and project manager for future competence and talent attraction at NCE Seafood.
– It was clear that the team had understood the task and thought outside the box, as their solution is based on new research and applied with an innovative twist. The team also had good knowledge of the natural sciences and the ability to put this into context with a creative and feasible solution, the jury wrote in its justification.
The group was clearly shocked when they were announced as the winners.
– I didn't think we had a chance in the ocean to win. It came as a shock. When we heard that they called out second and third place, we didn't think we were going to win. We are really, really happy, said the new municipal winners of SMARTere technology from Bergen municipality.
The winning model. Model of fish farming where waste is used for larval farming which will in turn be used for fish feed.
Inspiring day
Ingrid Kristoffersen from Ungt Entreprenørskap says that the municipal election has been a big event.
Ingrid Kristoffersen and Mayor Linn Kristin Engø. Photo: Young Entrepreneurs
– It was fantastic fun to bring students and the marine industries together here at the Aquarium today. The students were very good at describing their ideas, and the jury reported back that they have been inspired by the creative and committed sixth graders. We at Ungt Entreprenørskap have been out in the schools and seen how the students and teachers have worked, and it is a great event for us to see how they have presented to the jury today. The students impress time and time again, says project manager, Ingrid Kristoffersen at Ungt Entreprenørskap.
– I am super proud of the students. We must have the country's smartest sixth graders here in Bergen. I am absolutely convinced of that. The students were innovative and creative. And they were concerned about both fish health, sustainability and the environment. Bergen will be a leader in ocean initiatives far into the future. To maintain the position we have today, we are completely dependent on young, smart minds who will develop the industry, says Mayor Linn Kristin Engø.
Smarter solutions in the fish farming facilities of the future
The SMARTere teknologi (SMARTere teknologi) teaching program is a concept run by Ungt Entreprenørskap (Young Entrepreneurship), and sixth graders in Bergen Municipality worked on the following problem from Lerøy Seafood:
"The fish in our cages eat a lot of fish food and there is a lot of waste in the form of food scraps and feces. Today we have the technology to collect this waste, but both delivering fish food and collecting the waste is a big and complicated job."
How can we, using technology, solve this complicated job in a SMARTER way, and perhaps even leverage it as a resource in the future?
In other parts of Vestland, Bremnes Seashore and Bolaks have provided relevant problems to the students.
About the implementation of the innovation camps
NCE Seafood has engaged Lerøy Seafood, Bremnes Seashore and Bolaks to record a video with a current issue, which the schools use as an introduction to the camp. The teachers have previously taken a course in the methodology, and are conducting the camp themselves. After the camps have been completed, one winner per school will be selected. These will go on to the municipal selection, where UE, the seafood company and NCE Seafood sit on the jury.
Agenda Vestland has contributed funding to the project.
