Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, has decided, after submitting the matter to the Government this morning, that Matís ohf. will move its operations to new premises by the end of next year.
In accordance with the goal of increasing the number of jobs in the construction industry, the State Construction Agency was commissioned to advertise for rental housing for Matís ohf. which now operates in three locations across the city.
It was then decided to choose the construction company Mótás, which had offered to rent a 3,800 square meter building at Vínlandsleið 12, Reykjavík. The building, which is now fully sealed, is on three floors with a basement, and the landlord will furnish the building and return it completely finished on the outside and inside. The landlord has estimated that the manpower requirement, including ancillary work to complete the building in accordance with Matís' building description, is around 200 man-years.
By Act no. 68/2006 on the establishment of Matvælarannsóknir hf. authorized the Althingi to establish a limited company for the operation of the Fisheries Research Institute, Matvælarannsóknir Keldnaholt, cf. a co-operation agreement between the Institute of Technology and the Agricultural University, and the laboratory of the Environment Institute. In the comments on the bill, great emphasis was placed on enabling the company to merge under one roof the activities of the institutions that were being merged.
The company - Matís ohf. - entered into force on 1 January 2007.