NCE Seafood succeeds in promoting aquaculture in EU’s future food system 

Since March 2017 the Cluster has been working closely with the EU’s Chief Scientific Advisor and relevant European stakeholders on how to sustainable harvest more food from the oceans. 

Aquaculture should be elevated to a higher strategic level in the context of transforming EU’s food systems to a more sustainable path. Our work has been successful; EU governments increase focus on aquaculture in their Maritime Spatial Plans (due in 2021) making it easier for aquaculture production to grow in the EU. At the same time, in a leaked draft of the EU’s new research and innovation programme, worlds’ largest innovation program, we have seen a concrete programme on future-proof food systems which create the necessary space for the blue shift from land-based food production to ocean-based food production.

The EU is the largest global market in seafood, of which c. 70 – 75% is imported, the majority from South East Asia. To meet the estimated demand increase (as much as 100%) for more food from the oceans the EU has to rely on commercial aquaculture. Norwegian aquaculture production is the most advanced in terms of sustainability requirements.

NCE Seafood is influencing the EU’s policy debate about “Food from the Oceans” by sharing knowledge in the stakeholder group. Our role is to calibrate the scientific advice on the potential to sustainably harvest more food from the oceans by sharing insights on technical feasibility and commercial viability of the recommended actions.

The scientific work has been led by Professor Dag Aksnes of UiB. Read the Food from the Oceans report here.

NCE Seafood appointed as national contact in the European Aquaculture Technology Platform (EATiP)

NCE Seafood is formally approved as a national mirror platform within EATiP, the European Aquaculture Technology Platform. This will help us coordinate and put our messages across, join relevant partnerships and help shape the future of aquaculture in the EU market. 

The EU listens to industry organisations like EATiP, indeed endorse them, and put pressure back on national governments to listen to their priorities. This is a strategic partnership growing the cluster’s international network of research and innovation partners which will translate into collaborative EU projects and common positions on EU policy affecting the sustainable growth of aquaculture.

In April the national mirror platform shall meet in PTEPA, the Spanish aquaculture network, to follow-up on European aquaculture stakeholder mapping, collaboration with South-East Asia through the EURASTIP project, how to create acceptance for aquaculture growth and EATiP’s priorities for the next research and innovation programme.

Read more about EATiP here. 

European Asian Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EURASTiP)

Are you interested in transferring technology to South East Asian production areas? As part of EURASTiP, the European Asian Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform NCE Seafood’s partners and members can transfer sustainable aquaculture practices to improve resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact, address market and consumer concerns and improve product marketing and aquaculture production reputation within the key South East Asian production areas.

Read more about EURASTiP here

NCE Seafood joins European Clusters consortium to promote emerging ocean industries  

NCE Seafood joined a European consortium to apply for € 5 million EU funding to support the growth of start-ups  in the emerging market of sustainable seafood.

T including GCE Subsea, the Flemish Maritime Cluster and the German Cyberforum (ICT) cluster Sett inn resten av teksten.

and offshore renewable energy.  Up to 75% of total project funds will go towards supporting new innovative scale ups who are members of our four clusters towards faster market placement. The application will be submitted early in April and results will be known in June.

The programme will build on our existing collaboration with HATCH. To understand what the potential of such a project is, read here about Neptune, the European Blue Growth accelerator. 

EU Partnerships and Innovation 

Members of our cluster are currently participating as partners in three big collaborative projects of a total value of over €20 million: Aquaculture 4.0, Healthier, Healthy and Sustainable Food and training of future aquaculture specialists. The cluster’s EU Advisor, Poppy Kalesi, supports them with find relevant partners, write the application and structure the projects. The best value out of EU projects is to connect with new partners, value chains and regions such as for example ICT or renewable technology developers. 

Opportunities for innovation funding are plenty and significant. A collaborative EU project in aquaculture typically covers up to 70% of industry partners’ costs and total EU project funding is about € 6 -12 million. Our sister Cluster, NCE Maritime Cleantech, was recently awarded €11 million for further scaling up their electric boat concept while Yara recently secured €12 to develop a new business in rare earth metals.