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An assistant professor is wanted to work in the joint position of the University of Hólar and Matís with an office in Verin in Sauðárkrókur.

Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology Hólar University emphasizes research in aquaculture with special regard to environmentally friendly and profitable solutions in the industry, for example in terms of feed science, aquaculture environment, recycling and breeding. The faculty has 11 employees and in addition to them about two dozen students in master's and doctoral studies. Matís is a powerful knowledge company that carries out diverse research, service and innovation work in the food and biotechnology industry. Í Verinu is a vibrant community of scientists and the business community, and a forum for innovation in resource utilization.

The role of the employee must be to strengthen interdisciplinary research in the field of aquaculture with an emphasis on the disciplines of Hólar University and Matís.

The employee is expected to be able to formulate interdisciplinary research in aquaculture and related disciplines, conduct teaching and research, supervise master's and doctoral students and participate in the development of new products related to aquaculture.

Educational and qualification requirements:

• doctoral degree in aquaculture, breeding, animal nutrition or related disciplines
• experience of research in aquaculture or related fields, teaching, management, project design or development work
• responsibility, initiative and competence in human relations
• good English skills

The provisions of the Act on Public Universities no. 85/2008 and rules on new hiring and advancement of academic staff at Hólar University.

This is a 100% status. Wages are according to collective agreements of public employees. Remuneration, rights and obligations are otherwise governed by the Act on the Rights and Duties of Government Employees no. 70/1996. The applicant must be able to start work on 1 August 2016. For further information, please contact Bjarni Kristófer Kristjánsson, tel. +354 455 6386 and Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir, tel. +354 858 5014.

The application deadline is May 30, 2016. Applications must be sent to the e-mail address umsoknir@holar.is marked „lecturer-aquaculture“. Applicants must enclose with their application copies of diplomas, CVs and summaries of academic work, as well as a statement of plans in the event of employment. The application must also be accompanied by a summary of publications and other scientific results that the applicant wishes to be taken into account in assessing eligibility, as well as the names of two reviewers.

All applications will be answered when a decision on employment is available. 

Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, recently visited Matís with some of the ministry's employees. He got acquainted with Matís 'operations, met Svein Margeirsson, Matís' CEO and several employees of the company.

Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, Fisheries
and the Minister of Agriculture and
Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís.

The visit was enjoyable and it was important for Matís to shed light on the good work that the company's employees are doing.

We thank the Minister and the staff of the ministry for the visit.

What is better than getting those who know how to work to show how good work is done. Matís and the National Association of Small Boat Owners (LS) are launching a competition among fishermen to show in words and pictures what is needed for first-class catch to land.

Social media will be used to show the work of fishermen and the fishermen themselves will take care of pictures and text.

At the end of each month, May, June, July and August, one fisherman will be selected who is considered to have delivered the best and most positive material. Only the pictures and the text will be evaluated and it will be up to Matís and LS to choose from the submitted and published pictures.

The aim of the project is to increase awareness of the importance of good catch management and how important it is to practice good work practices. It is necessary to show consumers in a positive way that things are going well and that we are working responsibly for the sustainable use of our common resource.

Photos or short videos can be of almost anything related to fishing, fishing and catch management. However, we first and foremost want to see images that capture the positive image of catch management and it is not wrong to wonder what it is that does your fish the best on the market and by what means you can show that in words and pictures.

It is not at all forbidden to be original and fun in the choice of images and give the imagination a little free rein because it will be a lot of work.

Instructions for the photo contest

You can participate in the competition via social media Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also send an email with a photo and text to the email address fallegurfiskur@matis.is. 

Facebook

1. Go to the site www.facebook.com/fallegurfiskur or find the page in the Facebook phone app under Beautiful fish and click the "Like" button.
2. Take a picture that highlights the good handling of the catch / raw material, which means that first-class catch is landed.
3. Place the picture on the wall next to it www.facebook.com/fallegurfiskur and write descriptive text about the image.
4. Click the "Share" button or the button or button that shares the image and text on Facebook.

Instagram

1. Go to the site www.instagram.com/fallegurfiskur/ or find the page in the Instagram phone app under Beautiful fish and click the "Follow" button.
2. Take a picture that highlights the good handling of the catch / raw material, which means that first-class catch is landed.
3. Post the photo with descriptive text on your Instagram wall, but also do two things:
a. "Hash-tag" / use the hashtag (#) on the image / post with 1TP3Beautiful fish and
b. Add @beautifulfish to the text or "Tag" beautifulfish in the "Tag people" option
4. Click the "Share" button or the button or button that shares the photo and text on Instagram.

Twitter

1. Go to the site www.twitter.com/beautifulfish or find the page in the Twitter phone app under Beautiful Fish and click the "Follow" button.
2. Take a picture that highlights the good handling of the catch / raw material, which means that first-class catch is landed.
3. Post the image with descriptive text on your Twitter wall, but also do two things:
a. "Hash-tag" / use the hashtag (#) on the image / post with 1TP3Beautiful fish and
b. Add @beautifulfish to the text or "Tag" beautifulfish in the "Who's in this photo" option
4. Click the "Tweet" button or the button that shares the photo and text on Twitter.

For further information Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

Related material:

• An app for sailors to calculate the need for ice
• The importance of good handling of fish
• Fish technology
• The Fresh Fish Handbook
• More published material by Matís

On Monday 2 May, Sigríður Sigurðardóttir, an employee of Matís, will defend her doctoral dissertation in industrial engineering at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Iceland.

Opponents are dr. Villy Christensen, professor and director of the Institute of Marine and Fisheries Research at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and dr. Ronald Pelot, Professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

The supervisor was dr. Gunnar Stefánsson, Professor at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Iceland. Sigurjón Arason, professor at the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and chief engineer at Matís, dr. Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, dr. Páll Jensson, professor of industrial engineering at Reykjavík University, and dr. Birgir Hrafnkelsson, Associate Professor of Statistics at the Faculty of Science, University of Iceland.
 
Dr. Ólafur Pétur Pálsson, professor and dean of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, will chair the ceremony.

When does this event start: May 2, 2016 - 2:00 PM Event location: Box Further location: Room 132

Summary of study

Fisheries management is a difficult task that addresses a number of challenges, including an oversized fishing fleet, discards and unprofitable fishing. Fisheries can be seen as a system characterized by human interaction with natural resources. Computerized simulators are useful for raising awareness of fisheries management as well as supporting fisheries management decisions. Models are useful for assessing the impact of changes in fisheries management on various factors, such as fish stocks, employment and profitability. The changes are, for example, fishing restrictions, a change in the allocation of quotas or a requirement that all catch be landed.

The aim of the study was to promote better fisheries management. The purpose was to develop models and simulate fisheries management systems with the aim of comparing different approaches to fisheries management. This is done by looking at their impact on selected variables, which are either economic, biological or social. The main contribution of the study is to present methods that have so far been little or not used in this field. The research is interdisciplinary and combines modeling and simulation that has its roots in engineering and fisheries science based on ecology, economics and sociology. Three models were developed, a hybrid dynamics model consisting of a system dynamics model and a discrete-event simulation model and a new type of model similar to unit models. .-agent-based models). One part of the study dealt with discards, where twelve methods for reducing discards were systematically evaluated with a so-called SWOT analysis, which involves identifying strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities.

About the doctoral dissertation

Sigríður Sigurðardóttir was born on December 1, 1983. She completed her B.Sc. degree in 2007 in industrial engineering and a master's degree in the same subject in 2011. Sigríður's master's thesis dealt with models and ways to streamline milk processing at Mjólkursamlag Kaupfélag Skagfirðingar. In parallel with her doctoral studies, which began in 2011, Sigríður has worked for Matís on various projects, especially in the fisheries sector. Sigríður spent part of her studies abroad; at the University of California, Berkeley and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and was supervised by professors there.

Sigríður's husband is dr. Egil Maron Þorbergsson and they have a daughter Anna Ísafold.

It has probably not escaped many that the University of Iceland (UI) got another rose in the buttonhole earlier this week when the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015-2015 published a list of the best universities in the world. The school moves up by almost 50 places on this list, from 270th place to 222nd.

There has long been a good connection between UI and Matís. Many of Matís' employees teach at the University of Iceland, especially in food and nutrition as well as teaching in biotechnology-related subjects. Matís staff is extremely proud that Matís is mentioned as a partner of this powerful university and looks forward to continued collaboration in the coming years and decades.

Matís congratulates the University of Iceland on this great recognition!

About the collaboration between UI and Matís

Matís has had a great and good collaboration with the University of Iceland on studies in food science, which is a collaborative project between the Faculty of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland and Matís. The study places great emphasis on students working on practical projects and being connected to the business world.

The collaboration with the University of Iceland is not limited to the Faculty of Food and Nutrition, as there is also extensive collaboration with the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences and also the School of Social Sciences.

In the summer of 2013, Matís and the University of Iceland entered into an agreement on extensive collaboration in the field of teaching and research. The agreement lays the foundation for further strengthening of theoretical and practical education in the field of food research and food safety, as well as co-operation in other areas of teaching and research. The agreement is an important step in the formal collaboration between Matís and the University of Iceland on the sharing of resources, research infrastructure and human resources. It includes the intention to be at the forefront of the fields of study covered by the agreement.

The University of Iceland has formulated a strategy for the year 2016, where emphasis is placed on doctoral studies, excellent research and teaching, as well as emphasis on collaboration with institutions and companies such as Matís. The University of Iceland conducts extensive research and teaching in the fields of study that Matís deals with, especially in the field of health sciences, engineering and natural sciences at the university.

Much is being done to ensure even better co-operation and good co-operation between parties in these important sectors. For example, in 2012, food science studies in Iceland were launched. In collaboration with Matís and the University of Iceland, in collaboration with other state-run universities, a new international master's program in food science was established, but the program has had a better impact and the number of students is increasing year by year. Further information about the program can be found here: www.framtidarnam.is.

In addition, a new division was established at Matís with the aim of connecting industry and the university community even better.

"With the establishment of a division for education and food production, we make Matís' activities and role more prominent and better connect the business community, education, research and development of food," says Guðjón Þorkelsson about the new field of education and food production that started working within Matís on the 1st. June 2012.

The Research Center of the University of Akureyri (RHA) is holding an interesting conference tomorrow, Friday 15 April. A number of good lecturers will give presentations related to the fishing industry and one of them is Sæmundur Elíasson from Matís and the University of Akureyri.

More information can be found on the website RHA.

Climate change is real and lasting. Concerns about climate change are a threat to the sustainable growth of aquaculture and fisheries worldwide. The world's population is growing rapidly, demands for nutritious and healthy food are increasing and future forecasts point to a contraction in food production due to climate change.

ClimeFish - New project

ClimeFish is a European research project funded by the European Research Program, Horizon 2020, and work on the project began on 1 April. The aim of the project is to ensure that the production of marine products can increase, both in species and in areas where sustainable increase is possible, taking into account expected climate change. The project will be a factor in ensuring the safe supply of food, job security and the sustainable development of rural coastal areas.

The ClimeFish project will develop deviation examples and conduct a socio-economic analysis to identify risks and opportunities for aquaculture in the light of climate change. Methods will also be developed to reduce risk and identify opportunities in collaboration with stakeholders. This will serve the purpose of strengthening scientific advice and improving long-term production plans and policies. In the ClimeFish project, production will be examined in three areas, in fishing, aquaculture in the sea and aquaculture in lakes and ponds. Sixteen case studies will be carried out on more than 25 fish species across Europe. Stakeholders in the project are 21 from 16 countries and come from universities, research institutes and medium-sized companies.

For further information Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

Recently, dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir, CEO of IceProtein and Protis, the Fisheries Incentive Award. The award is a rose in the buttonhole of Hólmfríður, the staff of IceProtein and Protis and FISH Seafood, owner of IceProtein and Protis and recognition of the activities of these companies in Skagafjörður. The award is also a special pleasure for Matís because it is not so long since Hólmfríður worked at Matís' biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur.

But what is IceProtein and what kind of business is involved in the company?

History of IceProtein, Matís in Sauðárkrókur and dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir

IceProtein

At the Fisheries Research Institute (IFL), which is Matís' predecessor, an innovative company was established in 2005 for research projects that involved the utilization of proteins from marine products that were not fully utilized in processing. In 2006, due to FISK Seafood's interest in the operation, the IceProtein factory was moved to Sauðárkrókur and became part of Be Science Parks.

FISK Seafood then acquired a 64% share in Iceprotein in 2009 against a 36% share in Matís. IceProtein and Matís have been involved in a number of research projects. IceProtein's policy was to apply for grants for research and development of service projects for Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga and other companies. Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga established a development fund to support research related to the company's operations in 2010 and the fund's income was 0.15% from the operating income of each production unit. Since the establishment of the development fund, IceProtein's operations have increasingly been linked to service projects for Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga. At the end of 2012, FISK Seafood bought Matís' share in IceProtein and hired dr. Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir as managing director. Shortly afterwards, more employees were hired for the company and the research capacity and production increased.

In 2015, IceProtein's operations led to the establishment of a new company, Protis, which handles the production and sale of a new product line under the name of the new company. Today, three types of supplements are produced under the name Protis and they are sold in most stores in this country. In January 2016, there were four Protis and IceProtein employees and they all have a degree in biotechnology and biochemistry.

Matís in Sauðárkrókur

In November 2008 opened Matís biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur where a specialized biotechnology and biochemical laboratory was located. The aim was to bring together companies in Skagafjörður and apply advanced research technology in the production of products from underutilized raw materials. The biotechnology center worked with IceProtein on experimental production and facilities were set up for the analysis of bioactive substances. The biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur was established with the support of FISK Seafood, which is one of the largest fisheries companies in the country. At the beginning of 2016, Matís had four employees in Sauðárkrókur.

From Verin in Sauðárkrókur

Dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir

Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir defended her doctoral dissertation at the University of Iceland in May 2008 and then began working in the autumn at the Matís biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur together with other staff and master's students. Since then, Hólmfríður has been in charge of research and development in the field of biotechnology and biomaterials. Hólmfríður's doctoral degree is in the field of biotechnology and in her master's studies she studied nutrition. Her field of interest has been research on biomaterials derived from marine raw materials and with special emphasis on proteins and peptides derived from cod (Gadus morhua).

In 2011, FISK Seafood, which had then acquired a majority stake in IceProtein, invested in new headquarters and moved IceProtein and Matís' biotechnology center to that premises. On that occasion, Matís added equipment to the biotechnology center. In 2013, when FISK Seafood had fully acquired IceProtein, Hólmfríður moved from Matís and became the managing director of IceProtein.

"I hope that this award is not only grist to the mill of our Skagfjörður people to continue working closely with all kinds of entrepreneurs for the benefit of innovation and development of FISK Seafood and the industry, but also to encourage other fisheries companies to increase cooperation with entrepreneurs. . Innovation leads to better quality in fishing and processing, an improved image, more diverse sales channels and greater value creation within the companies."
Dr. Hólmfríður Sveinsdóttir