Category: News

Since 2005, the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) has been an annual event where executives and stakeholders in fisheries and aquaculture meet in Bergen to learn about key innovations and compare books. In fact, the event was canceled in 2020 due to Covid, and last year, NASF was run as an online event.

This time, NASF will be held on June 21-23 and will be a so-called "hybrid" event., where it is expected that about 800 people will attend Bergen in person and that up to 1,500 people will participate via the internet. The program is particularly exciting this time as a total of over 160 lectures will be given in 27 seminars.

Do not miss this event!

Since 2005, managers and stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture industry have flocked to Bergen every year to attend the NASF conference. The target group of this three-day conference has traditionally been managers in the fisheries, aquaculture and related industries, ie. equipment manufacturers, marketing companies, banks, insurance companies, carriers, consulting companies, etc. Although the cost of participation has been significant, between 800 and 1,000 people have attended the event each year, which shows how important this conference is for the target group. Last year, NASF was transferred to the Internet, thanks to COVID, and it was considered a great success. Therefore, NASF will be held this year as a "hybrid" event. This year's program is particularly exciting and has been published on https://nor-seafood.com/

If there is a big link to the program, the following seminars attract special attention:

• Global aquaculture summit
• The post covid consumer by McKinsey
• Aquaculture feed summit
• Aquaculture & salmon market and production
• Global whitefish summit
• Global seafood transport summit
• International shrimp summit
• Land based fish farming
• Pelagic industry summit

As often before, Icelandic companies and individuals play an important role in the program. First of all, Marel and Benchmark Genetics / Stofnfiskur are among the main sponsors of the conference. The following Icelanders or parties connected to Iceland will be on the list of speakers:

• Mikael Tal Grétarsson - Iclandair Cargo
• Björn Hembre - Icelandic Salmon / Arnarlax
• Guðmundur Gíslason - Ice Fish Farm / Fiskeldi Austfjarðar
• Kjartan Ólafsson - Icelandic Salmon / Arnarlax

Participation in NASF in recent years has not been widespread, as the registration fee alone has been close to 200,000. kr. in addition, travel and accommodation in Bergen costs money. Nevertheless, fewer have found out than want to, as this is a unique opportunity to meet all the main managers in the fisheries and aquaculture industry in one place.

Now, however, the entire program will also be accessible online, where, among other things, it will be possible to organize online meetings with other participants. The conference fee for those who want to participate in person in Bergen is 1,490 EUR and for those who want to participate online, the fee is 490 EUR. Registration is required https://nor-seafood.com/registration/ but you can also contact Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís to negotiate a discount if companies want to register multiple participants. You can also contact Jónas for more information about NASF22.

There is still a possibility to become a sponsor of NASF22, in addition to which there is still an opportunity for innovation and technology companies to find out about the "New horizon & technology" part of the conference. Further information on sponsorship and NH&T can be found here.

The British Ambassador to Iceland Dr. Bryony Mathew, together with a beautiful group, visited Matís on the 10th of May. It was accompanied by representatives of the Grimsby Seafood Cluster, the Humber Institute, the Grimsby Fish Mecharnt Association and the University of Lincoln's National Center for Food Manufacturing. Representatives of the Agricultural University and the Farmers' Association were also invited to the meeting.

The aim of the visit was to discuss possible co-operation between companies and institutions in both countries in the field of food production and related industries. The Grimsby and Humber area is the cradle of fisheries in the UK and the University of Lincoln is one of the leading institutions in that country in the field of research and innovation in agriculture and food processing.

The United Kingdom, and in particular the Grimsby area, has for centuries been dependent on imports of fish from Icelandic waters, and at the same time the area has played a major role in the export of seafood from Iceland. The long and successful co-operation between the nations is of great importance to the countries' authorities, and they see an opportunity in fostering further co-operation on a broad basis. Therefore, the governments of the countries have signed declaration of intent on increased co-operation in the field of fisheries. Among the issues discussed at the meeting were opportunities and challenges in following up on the declaration of intent.

Lincoln University operates a kind of "technical park"For research and development of food. The technology park has an extremely strong infrastructure and expertise in most areas of food production. In this connection, we can mention, for example, automation (robotics) in agriculture and other food processing. The meeting created an extremely good discussion between the participants, which will no doubt be followed up in the coming months.

We thank Dr. Bryony Mathew and his entourage warmly welcome.

More potatoes are produced than other vegetables in Iceland. The harvest over the past five years has been in the range of 6 to 9 thousand tons. It would be possible to increase potato production in Iceland significantly and it would be a good contribution to increased food security as it is possible to store potatoes for a long time.

The popularity of potatoes has declined somewhat in recent years, not least among the younger generation. The healthy image of potatoes may not have been as strong as for the colorful vegetables. Tomatoes, broccoli, red peppers and other vegetables are well known to contain vitamins and other nutrients such as antioxidants. At Matís, measurements have been made of antioxidants and antioxidant activity in vegetables, including potatoes.

Surprisingly, more antioxidants were found in potatoes than in various colorful vegetables.

The project Improved quality, shelf life and less waste in the value chain of Icelandic vegetables was carried out at Matís in 2021 with a grant from the Food Fund. Chemical measurements of potatoes revealed that their carbohydrate content was often lower than for foreign potatoes. Bændablaðið 12 May 2022 discusses potatoes from farmers in Þórustaðir in Eyjafjörður, but potatoes from them were for research in the project. Some potato varieties had a much lower carbohydrate content than is common abroad. Low carbohydrate content also means that the calories are lower than in more carbohydrate-rich potatoes.

Most potato varieties provide fewer calories than cooked pasta and the potatoes have the antioxidants and vitamins in addition to the pasta.

The Office of the Medical Director of Health recommends that people eat five servings of vegetables and fruit a day. Potatoes are excluded in these portions, but perhaps there is a reason to change that. You can read about the results of the project in Matís' report Improved quality, shelf life and less waste in the value chain of Icelandic vegetables - Matís (matis.is)

On Thursday 19 May, the Laurentic Forum will take place for two hours. a workshop on seaweed utilization in the Arctic, which starts at 12:00 Icelandic time.

The state of algae utilization worldwide, as well as in Canada (Newfoundland & Labrador), Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland and Norway, will be briefly reviewed. Opportunities for collaboration and possible funding in research funds related to this article will be presented, and finally discussions will take place.

More information and registration website of Laurentic Froum

Agenda:

• Paul Dobbins, Senior Director of Impact Investing and Ecosystems Services, Aquaculture, World Wildlife Federation
• Jónas R. Viðarsson, Director of Division of Value Creation, Matis Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D
• Kate Burns, Founder and CEO, Islander Rathlin Kelp
• Olavur Gregersen, Managing Director, Ocean Rainforest Faroe Islands
• Anne Marit Bjørnflaten, Co-owner, Oceanfood AS North Norway
• Cyr Courtourier, Aquaculture Scientist, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University
• Stein Arne Ranes, Senior Advisor, Department of Industry and Economic Development, Troms and Finnmark County Council
• Moderator - Keith Hutchings, Executive Director of the Canadian Center for Fisheries Innovation   

The Laurentic Forum is a network of companies and institutions in the North Atlantic that aims to increase cooperation in the field of research, innovation and job creation in the blue economy within the region, with a special emphasis on "broken settlements".

On behalf of Iceland, Matís, Sjávarklasinn, Byggðastofnun and Þekkingarsetur Vestmannaeyja are members of the steering committee of Laurentic Forum.

Learn more about the event or the Laurentic Forum jonas@matis.is

If locals are proud of the cultural heritage, emphasize the traditions and customs of food culture as well as being guided by the uniqueness of food in different regions, food-related tourism in the Nordic countries has good conditions to increase in the future.   

The food tradition is a large part of the image of a country and a nation, as it reflects culture and history and is marked by the times and nature of each country. The dining experience is an integral part of the tourist experience wherever they go.

The Nordic Food in Tourism project has just been completed. The aim was to examine how tourists and other visitors talk about or perceive Nordic food, highlight the importance of local food in sustainable tourism and gain insight into how climate change, consumption changes and other variables can shape the future of food in tourism. The aim was to raise awareness of future challenges and opportunities related to tourism assessment and to provide strategic guidance in support of future action and Nordic policy-making that is also in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

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Food is a powerful marketing force in tourism. Nature, culture, clean energy and bustling human life are attractive resources and Iceland has everything to offer to integrate these four into the marketing of food in tourism. There is a need for a targeted publicity policy that aims to create interest and demand for food-related entertainment and local consumption, but also to respond to the interest and demand that already exists. There is a need to strengthen community awareness of the uniqueness of the food production we live in, knowledge of our food heritage and opportunities for the future.

Building a destination that intends to establish itself as a sought-after food destination in Europe requires strong cooperation and organizational power in order for the message to be strong. Service and quality need to be monitored in marketing and infrastructure needs to be ready to live up to promises and expectations.

It is important to look at the food value chain where the quality of the raw material is the basis, but consumer satisfaction and experience dominate demand.

It is important here that consumers and primary producers listen to each other to promote the development that the market calls for, with sustainability in mind. It is important to promote development and innovation in the light of underutilized resources and food policy aimed at minimizing waste. It is necessary to consider future scenarios, organization and collaboration.

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The Nordic food in Tourism project was one of the three Presidency projects of the Nordic Council of Ministers under the auspices of sustainable tourism in the north. The Ministry of Culture and Commerce (formerly the Ministry of Industry and Innovation) led the project in collaboration with the Icelandic Travel Cluster and Matís. Nordic partners came from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Åland and Finland, as well as an expert group from universities and the business community. The results of the project are based on data analysis, methods of futurology, interviews with experts and the results of a workshop with stakeholders.

The results are published in two reports, one focusing on the future vision and strategic guidance in relation to tourism assessment in the Nordic countries and the other in Iceland:

• Nordic Food in Tourism
• Food in the tourism of the future - Iceland

We encourage people to take advantage of these results, as they provide inspiration for further collaboration, development, investment and innovation in food tourism with sustainability in mind. The reports and further information can be found on the project website; Nordicfoodintourism.is

On April 26 and 27, the third and final MAKEathon of the Green Entrepreneurs of the Future project will take place, at Nesskóli in Neskaupstaður. MAKEathon Árskóli and Grunnskóli Bolungarvíkur have already done with great results. The MAKEathon project is an innovation competition that lasts for two days.

In this MAKEathoni, 24 students in 8th grade Viktoría Gilsdóttir participate. They work together in teams competing to solve a challenge that will be found during their visits to fisheries companies in the area. The challenge will be environmental and climate change. They try to create a kind of prototype, among other things in collaboration with FabLab Austurland under the guidance of Móses Helgi Halldórsson. 

Since this autumn, students have been taught about climate change, sustainability and innovation, among other things. All GFF material will be made available after the project is completed.

The Green Entrepreneurs of the Future project started in schools in September 2021 and MAKEathonin is their final part. The national competition between the three schools will take place in May and its results will be announced in Innovation Week (at Matís' presentation on 20 May).

The television station N4 has been recording about the project all winter, so they will be filmed on site. The show will be shown on the television station this autumn and the project will be presented there.

Green Entrepreneurs of the Future is an educational project intended for the oldest grades of primary school. The aim is to educate students about the effects of climate change on the ocean and its ecosystem, sustainability and innovation in an innovative and fun way. The project is funded by the Climate Fund and is managed by Matís. Other participants are the three schools, FabLab workshops in each location, Cambridge University, Climate-KIC and the Deep Entrepreneurship Center.

For more information, please contact the project manager of the project: Justine@matis.is. Schools that want to participate are especially encouraged to get in touch.

(media can be contacted by phone: 762 0266).

Here you can follow the progress of the project:

• Website of the project
• The project's Instagram page
• #Graenirfromkvodlar

Do you enjoy a variety of challenges related to promotion, communication and communication?

In order to increase the impact of Matís' work, we are looking for a versatile media person who can communicate complex information in a simple way with the media that are best suited for it. Whether it's news on a website, social media posts, videos, events or anything else.

Qualification requirements

• Experience of creating content on different media
• Education that is useful in work is an advantage
• Good writing skills in Icelandic and English
• Experience of using WordPress content management system advantage
• Communication skills and interest in people
• Independence, imagination and drive

About Matís: Matís is a leader in the field of food research and biotechnology. We have a dynamic team that is passionate about finding new ways to maximize the use of raw materials, increase sustainability and promote public health.

The job is temporary for one year. The employment rate is 100% and the job is located at Vínlandsleið 12, 113 Reykjavík.

With reference to Matís' gender equality policy, all genders are encouraged to apply. Applications must be accompanied by a CV and cover letter outlining the applicant's qualifications for the job in question. The name and telephone number or e-mail address of the recommender who can confirm the applicant's qualifications must also be provided. 

The application deadline is April 21, 2022.

Further information about the job is provided by Þormóður Dagsson, thormodur@matis.is 

Applications for the Food Fund have been opened for the third time, with a total allocation of ISK 593 million. 

The role of the Food Fund is to strengthen development and innovation in the production and processing of food and by-products from agricultural and marine products. The emphasis is on innovation, sustainability, value creation and the competitiveness of Icelandic food throughout the country. The fund is also authorized to support product development and marketing in foreign markets. The fund follows the United Nations' global goals. To this end, the fund supports projects and research by individuals and legal entities.

The aim of the fund is to cover projects at all levels, from ideas to marketing and practical research. Matvælasjóður's budget consists of appropriations from the state budget at any given time and other income as they are to be distributed.

It should be noted that the application deadline for the Food Fund has been extended and is now until and including 26 April next.

All information about the fund as well as instructions on its application system can be found on the Food Fund's website here: Icelandic Food Innovation Fund (is. Matvælasjóður).

The research and innovation project Sustainable Fertilizer Production - a Comprehensive Approach to the Cycle Economy was funded by the Rannís Marketing Plan at the beginning of 2021, where the working group explores ways to utilize local organic resources, by-products from various production and processes for producing sustainable agriculture and sustainable agriculture.

This report is one part of the project where an assessment was made of the organic waste generated in Iceland, both in terms of quantity and nutritional composition.

The objectives of this report were as follows:

• To identify and calculate the amount of organic waste that is generated in Iceland and could be used in the production of fertilizers. calculate the amount of organic waste generated in Iceland that could be used in the production of fertilizers.
• To calculate the amount of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in organic waste according to measurements carried out in the project together with domestic and foreign sources where information was missing.
• To make proposals and analyze where the main opportunities lie in the increased use of organic waste for fertilizer production in Iceland.

Click on the report to read it in its entirety.

The report is published by Matís and the partners in the project are Landgræðslan, Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands, Atmonia, landsvirkjun and Hafrannsóknastofnun.

More information about the project can be found on its project page here: Sustainable fertilizer production - a holistic approach to the circular economy