rsmøte KABIS 2019 Geir Magne Knutsen – Bremnes Seashore. Foto B.Havardsson The annual meeting in KABIS (Capacity Lift for Sustainable and Innovative Seafood Production) was held on 20 May at Scandic Ørnen. The meeting gathered project partners from industry and R&D and other partners. Throughout the day, the audience was updated on the status of the project and for the various sub-projects, as well as brought up to speed on the plans and actions for the further work in 2019.
An important result from the year has been an increased focus and strengthening of aquaculture-oriented research and higher education in the region of western Norway, supporting the innovation and transition that is underway to develop increased sustainability. During the period, KABIS has established two PhD fellows, one bachelor project at Høgskolen in Western Norway, three master’s projects at the University of Bergen. Several of the students involved in these tasks presented their projects during the meeting.
In addition, a new student mobility program focusing on sustainability in aquaculture has been initiated in a close cooperation with Stirling University, UK and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.
A forum, the KABIS Impact Forum, has has been established to ensure the closest possible dialogue between the project partners during the project period, including generating new R&D / PhD / master projects. In addition to new R&D projects, one is looking into the feasibility of establishing a Forum for Mobility between industry, academia and researchers.
In the coming period, KABIS will further develop the interaction in the regional aquaculture landscape by uniting, and strengthening, the following competencies and offers:
1. Develop need-based and innovation-oriented education programs (bachelor / master / PhD).
2. Strengthen the research on operational and application of environmentally friendly farming systems.
3. Develop research-based knowledge on innovation in regional business environment with a focus on implementing R&D results in production, facilitation and management of interaction-based innovation processes.
Geir Magne Knutsen from Bremnes Seashore AS submitted a report on the research need in the industry, where optimal post-smolt production and better knowledge of the operation of biofilter were highlighted. Then Vidar Vangen from the Merdslippen AS presented the concept RESET for which they were recently awarded a development license.
Finally, Emil Lindfors from Lindfors Foundry AS presented a strategy for communication and visibility for KABIS. Establishing a website for KABIS is one work that will be prioritized in the coming period.
The KABIS Impact forum was arranged as the last part of the annual meeting where business partners, in dialogue with researchers and scientific staff at the research institutions, addressed challenges and relevant issues. Several of these issues will be presented as possible master assignments at UiB and HVL.
Contact information: Marit.Eggen@hvl.no, Sigurd.Handeland@uib.no