Source: ncesubsea.no
NCE Subsea participated in the Sustainable Growth Summit arranged by our collaborative partner NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster. The agenda was perspectives on sustainability, aquaculture and seafood innovations on global food supply. The two-day event, featuring several international renowned speakers, gathered nearly two hundred participants.
Learn from Each Other
Jon O. Hellevang, Senior Subsea Innovator from NCE Subsea took part in the debate addressing “innovation solutions in salmon farming-technologies for change”. Subsea, beyond oil and gas, will be a key element for NCE Subsea’s new strategy as GCE Subsea from 2016. During the debate, Hellevang gave examples of how NCE Subsea already has supported companies expanding their businesses into other ocean industries.
– The subsea sector has a very large and strong sub-supplier industry. The timing is perfect to expand our solutions into other applications, says Hellevang. – A key driver for innovation is mobility of personnel and competence. The seafood industry have the possibility to use subsea expertise to develop new solutions that can enable sustainable growth, Hellevang concludes.
– Technology suppliers represent an important innovative force for new sustainable solutions in salmon farming. Together with GCE Subsea, we have set an ambition to explore and utilise subsea technology to develop the next generation of salmon farming systems, says Tanja Hoel, Director NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster.
The level of regulatory push was an important question in the debate. Hellevang believes we have seen a similar debate in the petroleum industry. Good legislation and strict roles have placed Norway in a leading position. This can be beneficial when exporting, but specific national requirements can also result in high costs, limiting global competitiveness.
Win-Win Opportunity
The two clusters complement each other well, as the subsea cluster has a strong technology platform, while the seafood cluster has its strengths in fish biology and nutrition. Closed and semi-closed fish farming can enable sustainable growth within aquaculture.
However, the technology is young and has a lot to prove yet. The two clusters have identified several areas of collaboration. Structure engineering, material technology, monitoring solutions and installations are identified as key areas of collaboration in the time ahead.
NCE Subsea and NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster have been awarded a study by Hordaland County aiming towards more specifically identifying solutions from the subsea industry that can be utilised within the seafood industry. The study will be headed by Deloitte and is planned completed early 2016.
Read more about NCE Subsea DEBATT SGS Photo by Trine Forsland, iLaks
Panel debate, from left: Even Søfteland CEO CapMare, Jon 0. Hellevang Senior Subsea Innovator NCE Subsea, Liv Holmefjord Director General of Fisheries, Siri-Lill Mannes moderator, Rasmus Hanson Member of Parliament The Green Party (MDG) and Harald Sveier Technology Director Lerøy Seafood Group