Increased complexity in aquaculture opens doors for new sub suppliers

That was the key take away from our excellent speakers at our seminar at NASF 2024: “Can you tap into to Norwegian aquaculture value chain?”

Must be more transparent

- The aquaculture industry could be unstoppable if they get more innovative. But increased complexity will open opportunities for several types of service industry. Right now, there is a a million things going on in the aquaculture industry, and a lot of unsolved challenges, concluded Dag Sletmo, Senior Vice President and client advisor in DNB Seafood, who was first in line. He started to show how several mega trends, like increased demand for healthy food and consumer concerns for biodiversity and sustainability are enabling the industry to grow, but also creates challenges the industry needs to address.

Since 2005 the biological costs in the industry have continuously increased. This is both affecting profits, and is also biggest obstacle for growth.

- Fish welfare must be improved, and the industry’s emissions must be reduced. These are all areas where the industry needs skills and knowledge from other businesses. But also, other industries can tap into the aquaculture value chain. One example is processes the create an alternative to air freight of the fish.

Sletmo also pointed out how the industry needs to be more transparent. This means better documentation through the whole value chain and better communication with all stake holders, creating market opportunities for several different companies.

- Look more digital than they are

Trude Jansen Hagland is leading the cluster NCE Seafood Innovation, hence speaking on behalf of different companies in the aquaculture value chain.

She visualized how the industry in merely 40 years has grown from more of a side hustle to becoming a global professional industry.

- The improvements in production techniques during these years are impressive. However, what looks like a digital leap in the industry is not enough. There is still a lot of manual labour in the production, processes that could be more efficient with the use of digital solutions. Further - a lot of decisions are based on historical data. I think there is a big potential in getting solutions that makes it possible to make decisions based on accurate predictions, she stated, pointing at IT providers.

Jansen Hagland also mentioned the need for innovation in the feed industry.

- This includes novel ingredients and more optimized feeding systems.

Several of the solutions needed in the salmon production will also open up for new species.

- Cod production is now having its second round. The challenge is scaling. I think several of the solutions sought after by the salon industry will solve these scaling issues.

Like a fish on land

The race for space pushes the salmon industry to seek for new locations – either further from shore or by going onshore.  

Even Hopland in Viking Aqua was our third speaker and argued land based production facilities are one future solution.

The company holds a concession to produce 33,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon farmed on land in Skipavika in Greater Bergen, thereof 5,600 tonnes post-smolt and 27,400 tonnes of harvest-sized salmon.

- The next generation of RAS could be the solution to allow the salmon industry to grow in a profitable way that also improves fish health, described Hopland.

Even Hopland in discussion with Invest In Bergen’s Toen Hartvedt.

He lined out how the development plans for this project is founded on a broad platform of collaboration with sub suppliers. One example is the company Framo, a large supplier to the maritime industry.

- Their solutions for flow control in the tanks are vital for this technology, described Hopland.

The new generation of RAS technology is also designed in a circular economy. This opens up for totally new collaboration between industries who traditionally never did business, like producers of ammonia and blue hydrogen.

Also, the Viking Aqua team also reflects how the aquaculture future is built on a broad variety of skills and knowledge, consisting of 5th generation fishermen, engineers, economists, marine biologists and 2 PhDs.