Matís is not only a strong research and knowledge company on an Icelandic scale, but Matís also fully compares with comparable foreign companies and institutions.
An example is the search for a company with as much and extensive in-depth knowledge and experience in research related to seafood. In that field, it can be said that Matís is one of the leading companies in the world, "says Hörður G. Kristinsson, Matís' research director.
From the beginning, Matís' international research and development work and participation in foreign projects has steadily increased and has now become a large part of its operations. Matís' staff has at the same time education and extensive experience that is useful in project relationships on almost every continent.
"This move towards foreign targets is necessary to maintain Matís' strong work and further connect its operations with strong research and development groups abroad. International co-operation is the key to further development of research for the benefit of Icelandic society. As an example of the great success that has been achieved in Matís' work, it can be mentioned that we are now participating in about 30 international research projects. Of these, Matís leads over ten projects, all of which are very large and with many international partners, "says Hörður.
New methods - a new approach
Hörður mentions as an example Amylomics and Ecofishman, both projects that are handsomely funded from the European Union's Seventh Framework Program and received excellent evaluation. The projects are very different, but Hörður says that they well reflect the great breadth and expertise that Matís has. "The Amylomics project is about finding new enzymes from Icelandic hot springs to convert starch in a new way. This can lead to a revolution in the use of new starch varieties, for example in the food industry, in addition to introducing new Icelandic enzymes. The Ecofishman project is about exploring a new approach to fisheries management where stakeholders have the opportunity to influence the development of fisheries management. The outcome of the project can lead to important improvements to the current fisheries management system, for the benefit of all, "says Hörður.
Matís on all continents
In addition to major European projects, there is great energy in Matís' Nordic co-operation. This can be seen from Matís' outstanding success in obtaining grants from the Nordic Innovation Program in the autumn of 2011. Matís leads five large projects that received grants from the fund and participates in almost all projects that were funded.
"This is a good example of the great power and ambition that lies in Matís' work. The projects range from developing new consumer products from Icelandic seaweed to creating a plan for marketing Nordic whitefish products, "says Hörður.
Matís' foreign co-operation is not only limited to Europe. The company's projects and partners are on almost every continent. An example is a development project that began in the autumn of 2011 for the Tanzanian government related to research on fish, fish processing and an assessment of the social status of fishing communities on Lake Tanganyika. Matís has recently worked on other important development projects in Africa, for example in Kenya and Mozambique, related to quality issues and the training of fisheries inspectors and technicians. On the other side of the Atlantic, Matís has participated in aquaculture projects in Chile and research on bioactive marine materials in the United States in collaboration with both universities and large companies. A new project is also underway with Canadian scientists to study the effects of fish proteins on type 2 diabetes, a growing global problem. These projects are mostly due to the expertise and experience that Matís employees have and are highly sought after worldwide.
Record in the number of student projects
Matís' role and role in student education and training has grown and the company has strong connections with many reputable foreign universities. Hörður mentions a very successful collaboration with UNU, the United Nations University, since its establishment, but Matís employees play an important role in teaching at the university's so-called quality line, and students are located at Matís and do their final projects there. "Last year, a new record was set in the number of students at Matís who worked on these and other projects. Of these, many were foreign students from around the world who benefited from the guidance of Matís scientists and the excellent facilities that the company can offer students. They consider Matís an exciting option because of how well the company is connected to both the university environment and companies, as most of the student projects are of the nature that they are working on scientific projects with practicality in mind. "
For further information Hard.