North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) is the world´s largest seafood conference. 900 seafood executives from 35 countries and 300 companies meet at NASF to get insights into vital developments and trends shaping the future of the industry. The conference is a broad annual industry event covering all major facets of the seafood sector, and NASF focuses on the key network between cutting edge innovation, technology, research, policy, finance, trade and commercialization.

1 North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF)

Innovation for sustainable growth in the seafood industry

The Norwegian Seafood Industry plays a leading role in global production of healthy and sustainable food, with a vision of threefold the seafood production by 2030. The Seafood Innovation Cluster is established by the industry to facilitate this growth. Through the National Centres of Expertise, The Seafood Innovation Cluster focus knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship to support the industry reaching the vision of sustainable growth.

Previous Seafood Innovation Day has been organized as a “Day Zero” event at North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF). Because of the significance of innovation for future growth and the success of the previous seminar, The Seafood Innovation Cluster and NASF have moved Seafood Innovation Day into the main programme.

– To reach the ambitious vision of the seafood industry, we need to facilitate innovation and digital development, said Tanja Hoel, General Manager of The Seafood Innovation Cluster.

– At Seafood Innovation Day we will show exciting initiatives that can contribute to new solutions in the seafood industry.

Growth through innovative solutions is also crucial for the seafood industry for contributing to realize the UN´s sustainability goals by 2030.

– The seafood industry must take a leading role to seek solutions for sustainable food production for the growing global population, said Einar Wathne, Chairman of The Seafood Innovation Cluster and President of Cargill Aqua Nutrition. – When seafood executives from all over the world meet at NASF, we have a unique opportunity to put innovation for sustainable growth in the seafood industry on the global agenda.

Entrepreneurship and innovation

The entrepreneurs represent much of the innovative force of the seafood industry and contribute to increased innovative opportunities in existing businesses as well as new seafood companies. The NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster programs provide opportunities for development, financing and commercialization of new business ideas.

Through an application process, 10 start-ups within the seafood sector have qualified to pitch their business ideas and participate in speed-dating with potential financial sources and partners at the Seafood Innovation Day. The purpose is to link good ideas with capital and partners, and thus facilitate the development of new seafood companies.

New business opportunities through innovation and digitalization

Digitalization and use of new technology provide new opportunities for business development in existing businesses. At Seafood Innovation Day we will look more closely into how machine learning, artificial intelligence and new blockchain technology can contribute to new solutions in the seafood industry.

Through speed-dating we encourage new relations between potential business partners across industries, that provide new opportunities for innovation, digitalization and business development and new solutions for further development of the seafood industry.

Research-driven innovation

Innovations often spin out from the R&D sector. These represent a great potential both for the development of new businesses and for innovation in existing businesses.

Through an application process among research partners in the NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster, 10 research-based innovation cases have qualified for pitching their ideas at the Seafood Innovation Day. We facilitate speed-dating for establishment of new relationships and match-makings that can provide innovation, new technology and business development in increased collaboration between R&D and the seafood industry.

Innovation Award

For the first time at NASF, we will award the best seafood innovation pitch. 10 start-ups have been selected by a professional award committee for presentation at Seafood Innovation Day. Through a “live” digital poll the participants, together with the award committee, will reward the winner of the Innovation Award with a value of NOK 250,000.