Category: News

The municipality of Skagafjörður has been named Iceland's quality destination for a project called Matarkistan Skagafjörður. The Icelandic Tourist Board named Skagafjörður, but quality destinations are selected all over Europe in pan-European project but a news item to that effect appeared in Kjarnan a short time ago.

One of Matís' most powerful offices is in Skagafjörður Matís Biotechnology Center is located in Sauðárkrókur. Matís' activities at Líftæknismiðjan are multifaceted. First, Matís has set up a specialized laboratory in the field of biotechnology and biochemicals. Secondly, Matís operates a pilot plant in the processing hall of Líftæknismiðjan, where the company Iceprotein ehf. has built up its operations. Finally, Matís' staff at Líftæknismiðjan works with companies in Skagafjörður and NV-landi on various improvement and optimization projects.

With Líftæknismiðjan, research facilities have been created with associated processing facilities where scientists and pioneers in biotechnology can develop their products and processing processes in collaboration with Matís. The Biotechnology Center's laboratory is working on measuring the bioactive properties of biomaterials from Icelandic nature. The biotechnology center is open to all Icelanders, and individuals and companies can have facilities there for a shorter period of time for product production. The workshop will be a kind of hatchery for new start-up companies in biotechnology and important in shortening the process from idea to market. By choosing the location of Líftæknismiðjan, one looks at the local area, which is Skagafjörður's food pantry.

Kjarnan's news about Matarkistuna Skagafjörður can be found here: http://kjarninn.is/2015/07/skagafjordur-er-gaedaafangastadur-islands-samkvaemt-ferdamalastofu/

The fishing industry's collection of terms that is now published on the web brings together various terms from the fishing industry and gives them a clearer meaning. Attempts have been made to do this with both words and pictures. The museum was originally created in connection with the project "Increased value of data. "

The collection of information in the project "Increased value of data" revealed that the understanding of individual words and concepts is difficult to understand and that the same word can have different meanings between parties. Obviously, there is nothing more important in communicating about great value than having a coherent meaning in words and concepts.

The customs register contains over 100 terms, some difficult to understand and others not used in the right context. There are repeated misunderstandings in the classification and product descriptions due to this. The glossary can therefore undoubtedly be useful in the preparation of product descriptions in the customs register and in the drafting of regulations and laws of the public sector, it can also make communication between business partners more targeted. This glossary will also be useful to employees in the fisheries sector, in the preparation of product descriptions and other communications where it will be possible to refer to the glossary as a source.

The glossary can be accessed here (best viewed in Acrobat Reader).

As this is the first edition of the collection, all comments are welcome and will be appreciated Páll Gunnar Pálsson at Matís receive them as well as provide further information if requested.

Matís plays a leading role as one of the most powerful research companies in the country, leading research and collaborative projects of companies and thus strengthening national knowledge, trusting value creation and promoting improved living conditions. Integrity is of great importance to managers and employees, whether it is integrity in scientific work and research or integrity when it comes to Matís' operations and financial management.

Growth has characterized Matís from the beginning. This policy has been systematically followed after the company has progressed in international co-operation between food and research companies, in parallel with the extensive services it provides in this country. Matís' share of foreign income is just over a third and has never been higher. Increased foreign income not only contributes to increased growth, but Matís' operating base will be more solid in the future with more ways of generating income. To date, Matís has mostly worked in European countries, but in 2014, successful steps were taken into the North American market that promise good things to come in the near future.

The benefits of Matís' operations for Icelandic society are unequivocal. The company plays a leading role as one of the most powerful research companies in the country, it leads research and collaboration projects of companies and thus strengthens national knowledge, trusts value creation and promotes improved living conditions. Despite its young age, the company has already demonstrated how effective research is in society in innovation, product development, value creation and better use of resources, to name a few. Good research has directly resulted in greater value for companies and the economy.

Matís not only rises to a responsible role in research and innovation in food production in this country, but increased emphasis has been placed on the part of the company's service that deals with food safety; monitoring and measurement of food. This service is valuable to Icelandic consumers and is becoming increasingly important for the export of Icelandic food companies as the demands of foreign buyers and consumers increase.

Matís enjoys professional as well as operational trust, which is best seen by the number foreign participation projects of which the company is a member and the leading role that Matís has in many of them. A number of foreign companies also make use of Matís' research services, which also testifies to the trust it has built up in recent years. This trust is also enjoyed by companies and institutions in this country, which in many cases are Matís' partners in foreign projects. It can be said that not only does Matís itself benefit from project participation abroad, but also opens doors abroad for other domestic parties.

By its nature, the operation of Matís ohf. in many ways different from traditional public limited companies, but at Matís the goal is to utilize the funds created to further develop the operations and increase project participation. The best measure of the company's success is not least the experience that is built up within the company, professional knowledge, the level of education of the employees, the number of research projects and the results in them and other measurable factors. They form a so-called knowledge index that has never been higher within Matís than now. This fact is yet another proof that managers and employees are delivering quality work.

Everything results in the aforementioned work abroad, powerful research companies in Icelandic society. Professional knowledge and experience created in foreign projects is used in other projects that Matís is working on in Iceland. In this way it can be said that the old adage is true that every way from home is the way home.

The Open University at RU in collaboration with the Association of Companies in the Fisheries Sector (SFS), Matís, other university institutions and the main research institutes in Iceland have established comprehensive studies for foreign managers and specialists in the fisheries sector with the aim of developing and deepening their understanding of the industry. 

The course will cover management in the fisheries sector, processing of marine products, marketing and the latest developments in technology and innovation in the fishing industry. 

Furthermore, fisheries management, regulations, research and monitoring in the fisheries sector will be discussed.

You can get more information about the course here: Iceland School of Fisheries. 

Further information is provided by Sandra Kr. Ólafsdóttir, project manager at the Open University at RU, sandrak@ru.is, 599-6342.

It is important to choose an interesting course of study when deciding on further education. There is often a lot of competition for jobs after higher education and not everyone who gets a job immediately after school.

Students who graduate from a master's degree in food science seem to be very successful in getting a job immediately after graduation.

The first graduating class in the master's program consisted of 11 students. Shortly after graduating, nine of them were given future jobs, or over 80%. The jobs of the food scientists were, for example, at Icelandic Group, Lýsi, Fresh Meat Products, Matvælastofnun, Ísteka etc. companies or institutions.

Of course, it is not possible to get a guarantee of getting a suitable job after graduation, but it looks good when it comes to a master's degree in food science.

Further information is provided by Guðjón Þorkelsson at Matís.

Interested individuals may have their eyes on advertisements from Matís this past weekend.

Recently, Matís advertised for an ambitious and dynamic human resources specialist on the one hand, and for a strong market-driven specialist on the other. The application deadline is August 5, 2015. A human resources specialist will work at Matís' headquarters, Vínlandsleið 12, Reykjavík. The aim is for the work of the market-oriented specialist to be carried out at Matís' offices, for example in Akureyri Höfn in Hornafjörður or Sauðárkrókur.

Further information about the two jobs can be found on Matís' website www.matis.is/atvinna and subsequently, qualified interested parties can apply for each job in the same place.

Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) dr. David M. Malone visits Iceland and the UNU schools that operate in this country this week. On Monday 6 July, Rector David and his entourage visited Matís.

Rector of the United Nations University ( e. United Nations University - UNU) dr. David M. Malone is in Iceland this week with Max Bond, Assistant Rector of the United Nations University, visiting the schools of the United Nations Universities hosted in Iceland. In Iceland there are: from 1980 Geothermal school ( e. Geothermal Training Program - UNU-GTP), from 1998 Fisheries School ( e. Fisheries Training Program - UNU-FTP), from 2007 Landgræðsluskóli ( e. Land Restoration Training Program - UNU-LRT) and from 2009 Gender Equality School ( e. Gender Equality Studies and Training Program - UNU-GEST) United Nations University. The operation of the schools is part of Iceland's development cooperation under the auspices of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The program of the good guests is packed. Matís had the honor on Monday 6 July to be among the guests' stops on the first day of their visit to Iceland with an escort. Dr. Tumi Tómasson, director of UNU-FTP, began the guests' visit to Matís with a very short presentation. Dr. Tumi outlined the main reasons why the University of the United Nations decided to focus on the fishing industry in such a way that a special school would be operated here that deals with the issue. In the big picture, there are great opportunities to take better care of what is produced, make the most of it, and at the same time the importance of seafood in the daily consumption of the public in developing countries should be considered.
Arnljótur B. Bergsson, Division Manager of Resources and Products, introduced Matís and how Matís has come to value creation in the Icelandic fisheries sector with improved utilization, better handling and development of processing processes, for example in collaboration with UNU-FTP.

Professor Sigurjón Arason, Matís 'chief engineer, spoke about the integration of Matís' practical research and development projects into studies, including UNU-FTP students. Sigurjón also reported on Matís' involvement in the drying of seafood in Iceland and the smoking and drying of fish in Africa, work that is carried out in collaboration with a well-known fisheries school. Sigurjón also told about four doctors who have graduated from the University of Iceland with the support of UNU-FTP in collaboration with Matís and two doctoral students who are currently studying. Sigurjón also pointed out a report written by a former UNU-FTP student and Matís' main experts in the field of food digestion. use of geothermal energy in food production and was published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently. Discussions arose about the sustainability of fishing, the cleanliness of the environment and the future intentions of the doctoral students.

At the end of the short meeting, the guests were shown Matís' facilities on Vínlandsleið. The guests found the facilities exemplary. On their way around the house, the guests were introduced to doctoral students Cyprian Ogombe Odoli from Kenya and Dang Thi Thu Huong from Vietnam. The guests encouraged them in light of the importance of the subject of their research.

Matís hopes for continued good co-operation with the schools of the United Nations High School that operate in this country and hopes that dr. David M. Malone, Rector, and Max Bond, Vice-Chancellor of the United Nations University, enjoy their stay and benefit from the visits.

Cooling is important all year round, but especially important during the summer months.

The cold month of June is behind us in this country, the public is hoping for a good summer in Iceland. In Europe it is now somewhat warmer than is generally the case, even at this time of year. In continental Europe, for example, it was recently expected temperature could exceed 40 ° C including in some of the main market areas of Icelandic seafood, as was the case. Although not as dire consequences are expected, in France this summer, and of the heat wave of 2003, it is still more correct to have waded below.

As before, quality catch management is particularly important, it matters cooling raw material matter. Importance cooling does not end even when landed. It is important to protect fish from deteriorating quality, especially those that are to be sold fresh or frozen from possible heat stress, in treatment fishermen, fish processors, carrier and seljenda. As before, handling, cooling, etc. on board is important, the qualities that may be lost on board are not restored ashore.

Insulating packaging is suitable for protecting food from heat stress. Packaging does not cool product. Refrigerants that accompany, for example, fresh / chilled food into the packaging are placed in the packaging to maintain the cold temperature of the product. It is important that the food is in the condition it should be when it is packed. That the frozen product is frozen at the specified temperature and the core temperature is according to definition and that chilled fresh foods are cold. The packaging of a product must take into account the conditions in the product's environment at any given time. If fresh fillets or fillets are to be transported to mainland Europe this summer, it is more important than ever this winter to ensure that the product is cooled and that adequate protection against heat stress is ensured. The quality of fish that is extracted from the sea is neither eternal nor final, it is the task of everyone who comes to preserve the quality as best as possible with careful and purposeful cooling, prevent them from being lost unnecessarily and promote their final arrival. consumers.

Cooling is important all year round, but especially important during the summer months. The name Iceland does not provide insurance to parties in the Icelandic fishing industry against heat stress. High-quality work methods for everyone, such as purposeful cooling, facilitate all marketing work permanently.

On Friday 3 July, Atvinnuvegur and the Ministry of Innovation and Matís agreed on Matís' operation of referral laboratories in seven areas.

On Friday 3 July composed The Ministry of Industry and Innovation and Matís on Matís' operation of reference laboratories (TVR; e. National Reference Laboratory (NRL)) in accordance with Regulation no. 106/2010 and Act no. 93/1995. According to the agreement, Matís is responsible for the operation of TVR in seven areas: diagnosis and testing for diseases transmitted between humans and animals, monitoring of viruses and bacterial contamination in shellfish, research on Listeria monocytogenes, research on coagulase positive cluster cocci, research on Escherichia coli, research on pesticide residues and research on heavy metals. 

Reference laboratories in Iceland operate in collaboration with other reference laboratories in the European Economic Area. The statutory role and main responsibilities of the Reference Laboratory are diverse and include the coordination of the activities of nominated public research in each country. This includes advice and guidance on measurement methods, participation in the development and verification of measurement methods and the organization of comparative testsna, inform designated laboratories in the field of measurement of comparative tests, monitor the results of laboratories and offer assistance or take action according to Art. a specific process if necessary, disseminating knowledge and information from foreign reference laboratories to laboratories in Iceland, providing scientific and technical assistance to the competent authorities and maintaining accreditation.

It should be noted that Matís is not a supervisory body, supervision is in the hands of the Food Administration (MAST), or the parties to whom MAST entrusts the implementation of the supervision. Matís Reference Laboratories are one of the most advanced in the country and can meet the diverse needs of customers with a wide range of accredited measurement methods in many different areas. The laboratories are also well connected to foreign laboratories and mediate measurements that cannot be performed in Iceland. Further information is provided Hrönn Ólína Jörundsdóttir

Recently, the concept of bioeconomy has become increasingly commonplace. For example, the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers focused on the Nordic bioeconomy, and the current Danish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers takes into account the bioeconomy, especially the ocean, or the blue bioeconomy. .

In connection with this emphasis, we can mention a successful conference held in the Faroe Islands last June, which discussed bioeconomy following the emphasis on knowledge societies. European co-operation on research and development identified the "knowledge-based bioeconomy" as one of the co-operation priorities for the years 2007-2013.

Food producers have common interests and co-operation between different branches of food production can benefit each and every one as well as a larger group of food producers. For example, Matvælalandið Ísland has highlighted the undoubted benefits of multifaceted co-operation within the bioeconomy.

There are many different definitions of the bioeconomy. The definition often takes into account the environment of the definer and the interests of a smaller or larger entity in a particular area. It is important that the definition of a bioeconomy covers issues that are all important, as a bioeconomy in one place is likely to affect the bioeconomy of other places. 

The term bioeconomy has been used to cover all life resources, their interplay and context and their impact on economic, environmental and social factors. Bioeconomic research thus transcends industries and seeks to maximize the benefits of resources without compromising them.

Sigrún Elsa Smáradóttir, Matís 2013 annual report