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NordBio, the project of the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, is about to end. On that occasion, a conference was held in Harpa last week under the title "Minding the future", Which can be translated into Icelandic as"The future matters”.

Very exciting lectures were offered at the conference, but you can access them all Youtube. It was also possible to view the results of the project part of the plan, where projects such as Biophilia, Ermond, Innovation in the Nordic Bioeconomy, Marina and Woodbio. It was also possible to view and taste food made in the project, but Greenlandic, Faroese and Icelandic small food producers allowed visitors and pedestrians to taste their products.

During the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2014, the aim was to take advantage of the enormous potential of building a bioeconomy in the Nordic countries. NordBio

The program was for three years and was launched as part of the Icelandic presidency program. NordBio combines a number of different projects and divisions, with the aim of improving the utilization of resources and minimizing waste.

The goal of NordBio

• To develop and improve methods of sustainable production and product utilization with a view to stimulating innovation and the economy, and reducing the environmental impact in the Nordic countries.
• To strengthen knowledge that is useful for economic and environmental policy-making by increasing collaboration in the fields of research, development and innovation.
• · To promote innovation in energy efficiency, food security and public health, and to facilitate Nordic production in the markets to meet the growing food needs that accompany world population growth.
• To present the results of projects in the field of education on sustainable development.
• To make research and university work in the fields of sustainable production and utilization more attractive in the eyes of future generations.
• To bring together the practice of science, technology and culture at the various school levels, within institutions as well as the business community.
• To offer a common Nordic forum for co-operation and exchange of views for different age groups and experts from various backgrounds.

It is safe to say that it was a success and many people made their way to Harpa to listen to all the lectures and no less to taste the delicacies offered by Nordic small producers.

More information can be found at www.nordbio.org.

On October 20, a conference will be held under the title Food research in a changing world, where national research and new trends in food science will be presented.

Food Day 2016 held at Hotel Natura on October 20 at 12-17.

The keynote speaker will be Bryndís Skúladóttir from the Confederation of Icelandic Industries, which deals with food production and the environment and Hörður Kristinsson, Director of Research and Innovation at Matís, discusses new and revolutionary technologies in food production. A number of other interesting lectures will be at the conference, but the full program can be seen here.

Food science and food production face new and challenging challenges related to, among other things, limited resources and the increase in the world's population, which places greater demands on the quality and hygiene of food. What will our food look like in the future, and by what means can we feed the world for decades to come? So much so, it is certain that research plays a key role in finding the answers to these questions. Ingenious use of resources, hygiene and the environment will be the focus of food development in the coming decades, and this will be discussed at the conference held by the Icelandic Food and Nutrition Association, MNI.

Fjöregg Samtaka iðnaðarinn, which is awarded for a praiseworthy initiative in the field of food, will be presented at the conference.

The conference is open to everyone and is registration on the MNÍ website.

For further information:

Guðjón Þorkelsson, Professor Faculty of Food and Nutrition, tel. 858 5044 gudjont@matis.is

María Guðjónsdóttir, Associate Professor, Faculty of Food and Nutrition, mariagu@hi.is

Laufey Steingrímsdóttir, chairman of MNI, phone 6963564 laufey@hi.is

In recent weeks, Matís has worked with Skotta Film on the production of a virtual reality video about the bioeconomy. The bioeconomy is a concept that few people know, so it was ideal to explain the concept in a new and interesting way that could impress as many people as possible, especially the younger generation. We are extremely proud of this video and aim to produce more such videos in the coming weeks and months. The videos can be found at Youtube channel Matís and you can drag the video if the virtual reality glasses are not present.

Why a bioeconomy? What is a bioeconomy?

Few people know what is meant by the word bioeconomy and many are therefore of limited interest in the subject. Here is a concept that should be important to all Icelanders because the nation, like other western nations, is relying on non-recyclable resources, not least in food production. It is important to look at these things from a different perspective and try our best to implement a way of thinking that promotes the utilization of resources that can be reused. The bioeconomy is in fact a concept that encompasses everything that nature has to offer; from what man can do and is capable of doing to microbes becoming the basis of all future plastic production!

Will we drink water in the future from plastic bottles produced by bacteria ……… 🙂

Clear and concise: A bioeconomy is an economy based on the exploitation of living resources on land and at sea, where efforts are made to maximize benefits without depleting the resources.
 
This year marks the end of the three-year Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, which began in 2014 when Iceland held the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. On that occasion, a conference is convened in Harpa, where there is a unique opportunity to learn about the bioeconomy and the NordBio projects, hear about international trends and trends in this field and discuss what the future should look like.

The conference takes place in Harpa and in addition to lectures, poster exhibitions, virtual reality video exhibitions, guests are given the opportunity to taste products that have been produced from the Nordic region's bioeconomy; Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, for example.

See more about the conference.

Today, Friday 7 October, Árný Ingveldur Brynjarsdóttir holds her master's defense in resource studies. The defense starts at 11:00 and will be in room M-201 in Sólborg, but the aim of the project was, among other things, to determine the extraction method and measure the bioactivity in the Icelandic Christmas tree.

Master defense in the resources department

Árný's project is entitled "Seasonal and In-Plant Variation in Composition and Bioactivity of Northern Dock (Rumex longifolius DC.) Extracts “. The aim of the project was to determine the extraction method and measure the bioactivity in the Icelandic Christmas tree and to examine whether there was a foothold for the properties that traditional

Icelandic naturopathy. Two different extraction methods were examined, three extraction fluids (methanol, ethanol and water), different plant parts (roots, leaves and seeds), different processing methods (fresh, freeze-dried and air-dried) and three different harvest times (June, July and August) and measured antioxidants. anti-inflammatory properties show.

Rumex Longifolius Njóli | Rumex Longifolius.

Most of the work took place at the University of Akureyri, but measurements were partly carried out in collaboration with Matís' specialists. Árny graduated with a B.Sc. degree in biotechnology from the Department of Natural Resources University of Akureyri in the spring of 2013.

The project supervisors were Eva Kuttner project manager at Matís and Rannveig Björnsdóttir, associate professor at the Faculty of Natural Resources at the University of Akureyri.

The opponent is Sesselja Ómarsdóttir, director of quality research at Alvotech and professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy University of Iceland.

The NordBio conference starts tomorrow and is the culmination of the three-year Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In parallel with the conference, there will be exhibitions / presentations of products that small producers worked on within the program, poster presentations and presentations of virtual reality material about the bioeconomy. Admission to these shows / promotions is free.

The exhibitions will be on Eyrinn, which is a 300 square meter space, located on the second floor of Harpa.

Virtual reality technology used for teaching at Árskóli in Sauðárkrókur (photo from the RÚV website, www.ruv.is, more: http://ruv.is/frett/360-gradu-syndarveruleiki-a-saudarkroki).

What do the titles above have in common? Of course, these are the topics of two lectures that take place today and are both related to Matís. The lectures are part of a master's degree for two students in food science at the University of Iceland.

MS lecture in food science
Dagný Björk Aðalsteinsdóttir

Matís, Room 312. Vínlandsleið 14 Reykjavík
October 3, 2016 at 14: 00-15: 00

Isolation, hydrolysis and bioactivity of cod liver collagen
“Isolation, hydrolysis and bioactive properties of collagen from cod skin”.

The objectives of this project can be divided into three steps. The first step was to find a method to isolate collagen from cod skin with good yields, the second step was to hydrolyze collagen with different enzymes to obtain the highest DH value and the third step was to measure the bioactivity of collagen peptides. The aim was to investigate the effect of different DH values on bioactivity. The enzymes selected for the hydrolysis were: Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Neutrase, Protamex, Tail-37 and TZ-02-L and the bioactivity measurements performed: ACE-inhibiting, elastase-inhibiting, Metal Chelating, ORAC and Reducing power.

The isolation step was successful and collagen was isolated from the cod skin with good yields. The collagen was hydrolyzed by different enzymes and the type and proportion of enzymes affected the degree of hydrolysis and bioactivity. The results showed low values in antioxidant measurements, but the results also showed that collagen from cod skin can have an inhibitory effect on elastase and have a good effect on the skin.

Project for a master's degree in food science worked on at Matís in collaboration with Codland with support from Nordic Innovation.

Supervisors: Margrét Geirsdóttir MSc Matís and Sigurjón Arason Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition and Chief Engineer at Matís.

Examiner: Þórhallur Ingi Halldórsson Professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition

MS lecture in food science
Ásgeir Jónsson

Matís, Room 312. Vínlandsleið 14 Reykjavík
October 3, 2016 at 15: 00-16: 00

Best sea transport of fresh fish fillets and pieces. Quality and cost
“Optimized Sea Transport of Fresh Fillets and Loins. Quality and Cost ”.

The aim of this project is to analyze the development of transport of fresh fillets and pieces from Iceland in recent years. Also to evaluate its effect on quality and shelf life when packing a fresh product in the traditional way in a foam box compared to packing it in an ice scraper in a tub. Finally, to compare the packaging and transportation costs of these two packaging methods.

The results show that the amount of fresh fillets and pieces transported by ship from Iceland almost increased sixfold from 2004 to 2014. In 2013 and 2014, about 90% of the fresh fillets and pieces transported by ship were transported to two markets; Britain and France. The results of research show that there is a strong positive relationship between longer shelf life and packing a product in an ice scraper in a pot compared to a foam box. The ice scraper also made up for the lack of pre-cooling before packing. The results of a cost analysis show that it is considerably cheaper to pack a product in a pot than a foam box. Transport costs are also lower in most cases when pots are compared to foam boxes. More than half as low if you compare the cost of transporting a full container of pots on the one hand and 3 kg foam boxes on the other. However, the flexibility of using pots is much less and this reduces the possibilities of use

Project for a master's degree in food science worked on at Matís in collaboration with Sæplast, ThorIce, Eimskip, Samskip and the Westfjords Fisheries Cluster with the support of the AVS Fisheries Research Fund.

Supervisors: Dr. Björn Margeirsson, Matís consultant, Sigurjón Arason, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition and chief engineer at Matís, and Ögmundur Knútsson, president of the School of Business and Science at the University of Akureyri.

Examiner: Daði Már Kristófersson Professor and President of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Iceland.

MNÍ Food Day 2016 will be held on Friday the 20th. October. This year's conference title: Food Research in a Changing World. The increase in the world's population, climate commitments, limited natural resources and increased food security requirements will affect the production, processing, distribution, sale and consumption of food.

Food Day deals with problems, challenges, solutions and the opportunities that come with this globally and in Iceland. Global problems and opportunities and the Icelandic reality often go hand in hand. Sustainable use of resources calls for environmental efforts and sustainable use of resources. The solutions can be to reduce waste and waste by developing distribution channels and cooling systems or valuable products from what was previously thrown away. It is called economic and social sustainability.

Computer, information, biotechnology and genetic engineering will have an even greater impact on the entire food value chain, research and surveillance than today. Research on food is, by its very nature, practical. However, they are usually based on basic research in the many disciplines of science on which food science is based. They are solution-oriented and almost always developed in collaboration with, for or on the initiative of stakeholders who can be the whole community, public authorities, food producers, food and start-up companies, consumers and grassroots organizations. The goal is always to improve benefits, increase welfare and ensure security.

The purpose is also to train the managers and staff of the future. Skills and knowledge-based industries will be even more important to Iceland's prosperity than they are today. Collaboration where walls were broken down between universities and industry has yielded good results in food science. Matís has been the bridge that connects these parties. Food scientists with an MS degree from the University of Iceland have thus increased by half in the last four years. 

From the very beginning, Food Day has been well attended by many people from different sectors, as it deals with food production, product development and currency creation, food traditions, food supplements, food safety, consumer protection and nutritional advice, all with reference to food, nutrition and health. Food is on the human side will be published on the occasion of the day as has been the case in recent years, but the magazine covers various interesting issues in the field of food production, nutrition and health with special emphasis on the main theme of each Food Day.

Researchers, students and companies will be available to present their research and products during registration as well as during coffee breaks. Further information about this will be sent to companies and the university community, but those interested are encouraged to contact Þóra Valsdóttir, thora.valsdottir@matis.is  for further information.

On Food Day is Fjöregg MNÍ delivered but it is awarded for a commendable enterprise in the field of food and nutrition. Fjöreggið is a great prize piece, designed and built by Gleri in Bergvík and has been donated by the Confederation of Icelandic Industries from the beginning. Nominations will be requested from the MNÍ Fjöregg Committee.

The Executive Committee of Food Day is currently working on the final touches to the agenda and it will be published soon. MNÍ's entertainment committee has also been appointed, but it is planned to hold MNÍ's annual party on Friday 21 October, but it will be announced in more detail in the near future.

Draft agenda (subject to change):

Do you have a futuristic idea to strengthen the Icelandic fishing industry and related industries? The next Fisheries Conference will be held in Harpa on 24-25. November 2016

The Fisheries Conference calls for futuristic innovation ideas, which should be recognized at the next conference of the forum. The aim is for the ideas to be progressive and original and to create a basis for discussion or new thinking.

What to keep in mind

A futuristic idea shall be presented in a concise manner where a description of the idea, a proposal for implementation, expected results and effects will be beneficial for the image of Icelandic products (maximum 2 pages). See more at: www.sjavarutvegsradstefnan.is/afni/verdlaun

Deadline

The deadline for submitting applications is October 25

Where to send the idea?

The avant-garde concept is only expected to be submitted electronically. Send the idea as an attachment (word or pdf file) to the conference email address: valdimar@sjavarutvegur.is Wait for confirmation of receipt and if it does not arrive within 24 hours, call 695 2269.

Prize and presentation

The following awards and promotions for the best ideas:

• Prize money will be awarded in the amount of ISK. 500 thous.
• The three best ideas are presented and given special recognition at the Fisheries Conference.
• The three best ideas get a booth at the conference to present their ideas.
• More ideas will then be presented in a special conference issue of the Fisheries Conference.
• The 10 best creators get one for free at the conference.

To further support good avant-garde ideas, the best ideas of each year must be found in conference proceedings in the coming years. In addition, idea makers will have the opportunity to present visionary avant-garde ideas at the Fisheries Conference in the coming years. In 2015, four avant-garde ideas were introduced and a similar number is expected this year.

More information can be found at website of the conference.

The knowledge company Matís, which carries out diverse research, service and innovation work in the food and biotechnology industry, has secured participation in extensive pan-European projects. It brings together dozens of leading companies, research and educational institutions to find ways to innovate on a world-scale level and to promote entrepreneurship within the continent. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EiT) will invest in the projects until the year 2020 for 2.4 billion euros or 290 billion Icelandic kronas. The total investment will amount to almost ten billion euros, or 1,200 billion Icelandic kronas, but the participants finance 75% from the research themselves.

Europe is behind

Hörður G. Kristinsson, Matís' director of research and innovation, says that the plan is based on new thinking and focuses on eight specific projects (Knowledge Innovation Community - KIC), one of which is about food and innovation in the European food industry (EIT Food). This is Matís' point of contact with the plan, but its origin is the fact that Europe has been declining in innovation and great emphasis is being placed on reversing that development. The eight projects (KIC) are a key tool for this; they are independent units with the CEO and the executive board and control how the money is allocated within the group, according to certain rules set by the group.

In short, the role of the KIC projects is to increase Europe's competitiveness and innovation. Contribute to the growth of the economy through the development and development of new companies, and increase employment by developing new products and services. Like, and not least, to train the next generation of entrepreneurs.

"Matís is one of only two participants from the Nordic countries that are members of EIT Food and we are especially looked at in terms of knowledge and skills when it comes to research and development of products and substances from the sea and processes related to them, or the blue bioeconomy. This is a huge recognition for Matís and the work that our wonderful staff has done in recent years, as well as Iceland. It can be said that this has lifted us from the first division to the champion division, "says Hörður and adds that the application process for individual projects is very extensive and the competition for funding is enormous.

Without condemnation

"EIT Food is the project that worked after a lot of work and a very strict filter. It's for seven years. Fifty people from thirteen countries are involved; all companies, universities and research institutes or companies that are at the forefront of their field in Europe and the world, "says Hörður and names the two largest food companies in the world, Nestlé and PepsiCo. Also Givaudan, the world's largest flavoring company, DSM, Roquette, Nielsen, Siemens and Bosch. The universities of Cambridge, ETH Zurich and the University of Technology in Munich are also participating. Other powerful research companies, or institutions, in the project together with Matís include VTT in Finland, Fraunhofer in Germany and Azti in Spain.

Over the next seven years, EIT will invest up to ISK 48 billion in the project against a counter-contribution of ISK 145 billion. "The total investment is therefore the largest operation that has been undertaken in Europe in the field of food research," says Hörður.

The focus of revolutions

But what challenges will the participants, and Matís among them, face?

"A seven-year business plan will be put together next year to shape how we as a group are going to tackle some of the major challenges that Europe is facing in terms of the food sector and consumers. We intend to make Europe the focal point of revolution in food innovation and production, bringing consumers directly to the table in this process and developing 290 new or improved products, services and processes. We also intend to support and create 350 new companies, train over 10,000 graduate students and professionals in food science and related disciplines by 2024, in addition to reducing 40% from greenhouse gas emissions in the European food sector by 2030, "says Hörður and cites examples.

"Matís will take an active part in the entire project, but we will have a particularly large role in terms of seafood and ingredients made from seafood and unused raw materials from the sea. There are great opportunities in the food industry in terms of the use of raw materials and ingredients from the sea to meet the needs of future consumers. The consumer will be at the heart of this great task, but we will bring it to the table to help us revolutionize the European food sector. This project opens up enormous opportunities for us and Iceland and connects us firmly with a very strong group of companies, universities and research institutes, "says Hörður.

A gigantic project at a glance

• A seven-year business plan set up next year.
• Develop 290 new or improved products, services and processes.
• Support and create 350 new companies, train over 10,000 graduate students and professionals in food science and related disciplines by 2024.
• The aim is to reduce 40% greenhouse gas emissions in the European food sector by 2030.
• The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will invest 2.4 billion euros or 290 billion Icelandic kronas in the projects until the year 2020.
• The total investment amounts to ISK 1,200 billion, but the participants finance 75% from the research themselves.
• Matís works directly and indirectly with Nestlé and PepsiCo, Givaudan which is the world's largest flavoring producer, the companies DSM, Roquette, Nielsen, Siemens and Bosch.
• The universities of Cambridge, ETH Zurich and the Technical University of Munich are participating.
• Other powerful research companies, or institutions, in the project together with Matís include VTT in Finland, Fraunhofer in Germany and Azti in Spain.

The news first appeared in Fréttablaðið / Svavar Hávarðsson