Food Science

Value creation and innovation are the keywords

Innovation is an important first step in turning knowledge into a product and value. The opportunities in Iceland lie in using pure nature in a sustainable way to create wholesome foods with positive properties. Value creation and innovation are key elements in this.

At Matís, emphasis is placed on utilization and market thinking in all projects and activities of the company, because the rapid dissemination and utilization of knowledge is no less important than the basic research itself when it comes to products on the market.

Matís has great opportunities to implement and market the results of research and development projects, which leads to increased value creation for the Icelandic industries and to prosperity for the public in Iceland.

Value creation is therefore a key word in all of Matís' work, whether it is in collaboration with parties in Iceland or abroad. Here you can see a few examples of projects that Matís has had a role to play and have already returned value to the parties involved in the projects, whether looking at Matís as a company, its employees, customers or owners, ie. of the Icelandic state.

Innovation and value creation are the key to creating more and better jobs

The opportunities in Iceland are to utilize pure nature, with sustainability as a guiding principle, to create healthy foods with positive properties. Value creation is the key to that. Matís' goal is to increase the value of what the country and the tickets produce and apply knowledge to that end.

Offensive in the fishing industry

Matís has a large and successful collaboration with Icelandic fisheries companies. The company is on the floor in the processing and on board the ships. The companies perceive that Matís employees have knowledge that they can use and want to use. It is possible, for example, to use slugs that have been thrown into the sea for a short time. If it comes ashore fresh enough, the organic matter that can be used in pharmaceuticals, fatty acids and fertilizers can be reduced.

Mackerel is an exemplary example

Another example is the mackerel that was most smelted when Icelanders started fishing for this species. Only a year later, the processing was mostly for human consumption and was then ready for the market at the same price as experienced mackerel nations such as Norway. This was considered an incredible achievement. Increased processing of pelagic fish offers enormous opportunities. An increase in pelagic catches by 1% in consumer goods would mean an increase of ISK 2 billion in export earnings. It is no coincidence that Icelanders get much more value from every kilo of cod caught on the market than Norwegians. It is based on a value chain that connects research on storage methods, processing and close links with the market.

We can still improve

Despite good results, all cod products are far from being fully utilized - there are opportunities to do even better. It is possible to create more and better jobs with improved utilization of raw materials and entry into a demanding market with a clean environment and positive health effects as a guideline.

Winter wheat, rapeseed and volcanic eruptions

Matís also participates in projects related to agriculture. The so-called winter wheat that is planted in the autumn, germinates before the winter and survives if all goes well, is an example of this, but so far wheat cultivation has not been on the agenda in Iceland. Matís has also worked on projects related to the cultivation of rapeseed and barley. Domestic feed is very important for animal husbandry. There is a group of farmers who see such a project as a smart business opportunity. Grain prices have risen and this trend is expected to continue.

No idea too crazy

Matís has assisted many entrepreneurs in getting started with their business. However, not everything will work out. But some start-ups are living a good life today. Employees themselves are also encouraged to come up with ideas for new products or services. All proposals are discussed and evaluated and no idea is considered too crazy to be written off without consideration.

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