Category: News

The Hornafjörður Business Affairs Committee is advertising for applications for an initiative project for small-scale food production in Hornafjörður. This is a support project intended for individuals and companies in the Municipality of Hornafjörður who want to work on the production and development of food in the Matís food factory in Hornafjörður.

Matvælasmiðjan was opened at the beginning of November 2008 and is specially set up to support entrepreneurs and companies who want to start value-added small-scale production of food from Icelandic raw materials. Funds for the project are part of the funds allocated to the Municipality of Hornafjörður in connection with the government's mitigation measures at the beginning of 2008. The aim of the project is to complete products that can be sold directly to consumers, in shops and to or in restaurants in the district. Nýheimar has been working on the development of ideas and business plans in recent years, but now the goal is to take the next step and complete products ready for consumers. in consumer packaging. The Hornafjörður Business Affairs Committee manages the project in collaboration with Matís and the Icelandic Innovation Center. The Employment Affairs Committee accepts applications and processes them.

Matís and Nýsköpunarmiðstöð Íslands provide advice in preparing applications and then provide support to the grantees in the future.

Strength is provided to:
buy expert advice for testing and certification,
buy production time from Matís in the food factory,
buy advice and design from experts on the image and appearance of the product and packaging.

The aim is for the final product of each project to be a ready-made product on the market. There is no funding for original ideas or business plans.

For further information, contact Hjalti Þór Vignisson, Mayor of Hornafjörður, tel. 470 -8000 / 822-7950 and e-mail hjaltivi@hornafjordur.is. The application deadline is December 20, 2008.

The project is carried out on the initiative of the Municipality of Hornafjörður in collaboration with Matís offices and the Iceland Innovation Center in Hornafjörður.

Matís advertises for graduate students to work on final projects and individual projects in collaboration with the company. An advertisement in Morgunblaðið can be found here.

Matís offers projects in pharmaceutical sciences as part of a master's program. The project is about isolation and analysis of complex polysaccharides and other biomaterials from marine invertebrates as well as measurements of their bioactivity. The project will use a variety of methodologies and all facilities and equipment for the project are first class. Applicant must have completed a B.Sc. degree in biochemistry, food science, pharmacology, biology or related disciplines. Information about study and career is attached to the application.

Further information about the projects is provided by Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson, gudmundur.o.hreggvidsson@matis.is, and by phone 422-5000.

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Matís offers projects as part of a master's program. The projects include research related to the statistical analysis of data from the food value chain, the application of operational analysis in the food industry, the development of food production processes and the management of the value chain. The research is conducted in collaboration with Icelandic food production companies in the fisheries and agriculture sectors. Applicant must have completed a B.Sc. degree in Industrial Engineering, Operational Engineering, Food Science, Computer Science or related subjects. Information about study and career is attached to the application.

Further information about the projects is provided by Sveinn Margeirsson, sveinn.margeirsson@matis.is, and by phone 422-5000.

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Matís offers projects as part of a master's program. The projects focus on research related to the uniqueness and special characteristics of raw materials for food processing from the Icelandic environment and could be related to food microbiology, food chemistry, consumer research, sensory evaluation and innovation in the food industry. Applicant must have completed a B.Sc. degree in biochemistry, food science, agricultural sciences, pharmacology, biology or related disciplines. Information about study and career is attached to the application.

Further information about the projects is provided by Guðjón Þorkelsson, gudjon.thorkelsson@matis.is, and by phone 422-5000.

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Matís offers biotechnology projects as part of a master's program. The project is about research into enzymes from marine microorganisms that act on complex polysaccharides. A variety of methodologies will be used, such as microbiology, enzymology, genetics and genomics, and all facilities and equipment for the project are first class. Applicant must have completed a B.Sc. degree in biochemistry, biology or related disciplines. Information about study and career is attached to the application.

Further information about the projects is provided by Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson, gudmundur.o.hreggvidsson@matis.is, and by phone 422-5000.

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Further information on Matís' operations and employment opportunities at the company can be obtained from Jón H. Arnarson, Human Resources Manager, jon.h.arnarson@matis.is

Recently, an article appeared in Ny Nordic Mad, a fun project about the food culture of the Nordic people.

It mentions Matarsmiðjan á Höfn and how local food production creates increased opportunities in the local area. Article: „Nordic Delights ”- food memories from Iceland

In a press release from Kerecis ehf. and Matís ohf. sl. On Friday, the companies announced the signing of a framework agreement for research into fish proteins for the treatment of various medical tissue problems in humans.

The research agreement between the companies is for one year but contains an extension clause. Matís is expected to carry out all of Kerecis' protein research at the company's new biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur and at its research facility in Reykjavík. Matís has extensive experience and expertise related to the production of products from fish proteins and has first-class research and development facilities for such research.

The full press release can be found here.

The Board of the Technology Development Fund decided at its meeting, on Tuesday 25 November 2008, with whom to enter into agreements on support from the fund.

In short, Matís collaborates with 4 of the 18 individuals / companies with which the Technology Development Fund intends to enter into agreements.

They are:

Project title	Project manager at Matís	Partner company / institution
Long live the first model	Rannveig Björnsdóttir	Akvaplan-niva in Iceland
Simulation of cooling processes	Björn Margeirsson	Promens Tempra ehf.
Staining of char	Jón Árnason	Fóðurverksmiðjan Laxá hf.
Offensive new target	Róbert Hafsteinsson	3X Technology ehf.

A complete list of those with whom the Technology Development Fund decided to enter into an agreement can be found here.

Matís congratulates the above companies on the course.

Information on various versions of Matís, including reports, posters, scientific articles, etc. can be found here.

In recent months, interest in the eco-labeling of seafood has greatly increased, as the various environmental perspectives have become more and more important at all levels of the seafood value chain.

However, people do not always seem to realize what is behind these signals, that is, what their role is, how they work, whether they work, whether the signals available are comparable, and so on. Here we will try to shed light on these speculations and present the signs that affect us Icelanders the most.

A very interesting article has been published by Matís on eco-labeling in the fisheries sector. The article can be found here.

It is clear that parents have the most encouraging and formative influence on young people's fish consumption, and those who have become accustomed to eating fish as children continue to do so later in life. It turned out that education and knowledge clearly increased fish consumption among young people.

Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir at Matís graduated with an MS degree in food science from the University of Iceland in October 2008. Her main task was to gather information about young people's fish consumption and their attitudes towards fish and the project was carried out within the AVS project: Young people's attitudes and fish consumption: Improved image seafood.

The purpose was to find ways that could contribute to a better image of seafood among young people and increase their consumption of these products in accordance with nutritional recommendations and thus possibly affect themselves and the next generation

The main results of the project were that young people between the ages of 17 and 26 ate fish as a main course 1.3 times a week, which is under the Public Health Institute's recommendations that fish should be eaten twice a week or more. Parents have the most encouraging and formative influence on young people's fish consumption. Eating fish as a child greatly affects young people's attitudes towards fish consumption later on. It can also be seen from the results that the part of these people who left home ate the least fish.

Insecurity regarding the handling of fish such as cooking it is a discouraging factor in fish consumption. Interventions that included increased access to fish through school canteens, open educational lectures and web promotion resulted in better knowledge of the fish and fish oil consumption increased by almost half and more for girls than boys. Those who did not have fish before the intervention liked it better after the intervention.

With regard to this development in declining fish consumption, it is important to counteract it as soon as possible by increasing knowledge of the importance of fish consumption for health reasons as well as teaching young people how to cook fish. The family is a strong influence on fish consumption, so it is important that parents also take an active part in educating and introducing the fish to their children. If fish products are to be marketed for this age group or their fish consumption increased, it should be borne in mind that it is important for young people that the fish meal takes into account their requirements. The results showed that the young people have different tastes and opinions and can be divided into several different groups both according to their taste for fish dishes and attitudes to health and hygiene.

The study as a whole showed that fish consumption is below standards and knowledge of fish is not good. Efforts are needed to get young people to eat more fish and educate them about the importance of fish for health. The study also showed that education benefits young people and had a greater effect on those who were less for fish. Icelanders have lived in the fishing industry for centuries and knowledge of fishing and fish processing is among the best in the world. Knowledge of fish consumption and what determines fish consumption should be a key factor in the marketing of seafood.

If Icelanders' consumption of their main production is declining, it can damage the image of exported seafood from Iceland. Looking to the future, it is clear that concerted action, based on in-depth consumer research, targeted education on both health and cooking of seafood, as well as an increased supply of diverse fish dishes, can be important factors in reversing consumption trends in recent years and contributing to increased fish consumption. and improved public health of the nation. With this study, a large database has been established, which is a prerequisite for continuing to study the attitudes and fish consumption of Icelanders.

You can access Gunnþórunn's dissertation here: Attitudes and fish consumption of young people

Matís opened a biotechnology center in Sauðárkrókur recently. Tuesday, November 18th. Einar K. Guðfinnsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, opened the workshop in the presence of a large crowd.

With the establishment of the biotechnology center, research facilities will be created with associated processing facilities where scientists and pioneers in biotechnology can develop their products and processing processes in collaboration with Matís. It should come as no surprise that Matís is opening this workshop in Skagafjörður, as Skagfjörður's food box is well known, where it grows and thrives under the auspices of a vibrant and diverse food industry. The biotechnology center is open to all Icelanders, and individuals and companies can have facilities there for a shorter period of time to produce products. The workshop will be a kind of hatchery for new start-up companies in biotechnology and very important in shortening the process from idea to market.

The photos show when Einar K. Guðfinnsson and Sjöfn Sigurgísladóttir, CEO of Matís, formally open the biotechnology center together with Guðmundur Guðlaugsson, mayor of Skagafjörður, Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, project manager at Matís and Patricia Hamaguchi from Matís.

Trust the pillars - mobilize human resources

Last Friday, November 14, a mass meeting was held among companies and people in the high-tech and start-up sector at Hilton Reykjavík Nordica.

The meeting was called "Now" is the opportunity because now is the time to start the systematic development of high-tech and start-up companies through active cooperation and solidarity between the government, management and employees to strengthen the foundations of innovation and mobilize human resources. The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen offensive spirit and self-confidence.

At the meeting, the companies presented their operations, brought good news about the results of development and marketing work and presented offers that included, among other things, that they can add people, provided that certain working conditions and pillars for innovation are in place.

Matís' presentation can be found here and here Matís' offer can be found.

Representatives of several companies spoke in addition to Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Guðlaug Þór Þórðarson and Össur Skarphéðinsson. Valgeir Guðjónsson, musician, created music on site together with DJ Margeir and Björk Guðmundsdóttir, musician, gave an encouraging speech. The meeting was chaired by Þórólfur Árnason, CEO of Skýrr and Svafi Grönfeldt, Rector of RU.

The meeting was hosted by the Confederation of Icelandic Industries, the Association of Biotechnology Companies, the Association of Start-up Companies, the Association of Information Companies and Reykjavík University.

Agenda

16.00 Helgi Magnússon, Chairman of SI opens the meeting and the chairmen take over

16.10 Short contributions from representatives of companies and the government

Stiki - Svana Helen Björnsdóttir, Managing Director

Össur - Egill Jónsson, Managing Director of Production

Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Education

Skýrr- Sigrún Ámundadóttir, Director of Software Solutions

Klak - Eyþór Ívar Jónsson, Managing Director

Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister of Health

Valgeir Guðjónsson creates music with the participation of meeting guests       

Marel - Sigsteinn Grétarsson, CEO of Marel in Iceland

CCP - Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, Managing Director

Össur Skarphéðinsson, Minister of Industry

Marorka - Jón Ágúst Þorsteinsson, CEO

Betware - Stefán Hrafnkelsson, Managing Director

Stjörnuoddi - Jóhanna Ástvaldsdóttir, CFO

SagaMedica - Perla Björk Egilsdóttir, specialist

Björk Guðmundsdóttir, musician

Song by Valgeir Guðjónsson and DJ Margeir performed 

17.00 Mannblendi

At a conference on business and innovation on the shores of Vatnajökull last weekend, the Cluster Harvest Festival was held at Smyrlabjörg on Friday night, hosted by the State of Vatnajökull and the East Skaftafellssýsla Tourism Association.

Recognitions were given on the one hand from the State of Vatnajökull and FASK, Vitinn - another guiding light, and on the other hand from the Icelandic Tourist Board.

The choice was made by the former Hotel Höfn, which has been a major pillar in the tourism industry in the area.
The lighthouse - another beacon is provided to companies or individuals who in one way or another have been a beacon to other parties in the industry.

The Icelandic Tourist Board also awarded recognition for Professional Development in Tourism and Research, the award was presented by Pétur Rafnsson on behalf of the Icelandic Tourist Board, but the award went to Nýheimar. Ari Þorsteinsson accepted the award on behalf of Nýheimar.

The award was given to all parties within Nýheimar who, on the one hand, through purposeful co-operation between themselves and on the other hand through strong and growing co-operation with companies in tourism, food and culture, as well as enthusiastic and energetic individuals and entrepreneurs, provided new strong foundations for tourism. in the State of Vatnajökull. This has further strengthened the strong tourism industry that has been built up in recent decades and is known nationally for its cohesion, courage and daring.

At the same time, systematic work has been done to build bridges to neighbors, both in the east and west as well as across the country. This applies equally to co-operation on a social level as well as on behalf of individual companies or individuals. With this, we have continued to develop the journey that the pioneers of previous years set out on a long time ago with Árni Stefánsson, hotel manager at Hótel Höfn, at the forefront.

Members of Nýheimar are: (listed in alphabetical order)
Búnaðarsamband Suðurlands
The upper secondary school in East Skaftafellssýsla
Bird Observatory in Southeast Iceland
University Center in Hornafjörður
Hornafjörður Cultural Center
Matís
The Iceland Innovation Center, formerly the East Iceland Entrepreneurship Center
State of Vatnajökull
East Iceland Knowledge Network
Naturally
In addition to these, many companies and projects have had facilities there for a longer or shorter period of time.