‘Unique’ culture key to Ace Aquatec’s success

Managing director Nathan Pyne-Carter has introduced a working culture that allows staff to set their own hours, he told the Dundee Courier yesterday.

‘People have the freedom to come in and work whenever they feel like it,’ said Pyne-Carter, who was named an IoD Scotland Regional Director of the Year last week.

‘If people want to extend their weekends then they can take a Friday or a Monday off and it’s not taken as holiday.

‘All of these things mean your staff want to work for you and your people work really hard in the time that they are working. We have a unique culture.’

Inspired

Pyne-Carter also told the Courier that Ace Aquatec’s underwater time-of-flight camera that captures fish biomass in real-time was inspired by playing the Xbox.

‘There’s a system that creates a 3D avatar for gamers and I wondered if that would work for fish,’ he said.

‘When we got into it, we realised the tech is based around infrared which doesn’t travel well under water, so we needed to switch spectrum.

‘You build up your knowledge as you work with different specialists and that helps make decisions about whether something is worth investing in.

‘I have a strong interest in technology. Where some people might read a novel, I’ll be reading university papers looking at the latest innovations.’

Ace Aquatec produces in-water electric stunners and predator deterrents, as well as 3D biomass cameras, for the aquaculture industry in Scotland and overseas, and is currently developing a sea lice removal system.

Prestigious

The company has won several innovation prizes, including, in 2017, the prestigious Aqua Nor award, and it has also won two Queen’s Awards for innovation.

The company secured the backing of leading aquaculture investor Aqua-Spark last year and further investment from Scottish tech entrepreneurs Chris van der Kuyl and Paddy Burns of 4J Studios in July.

This has enabled it to double its workforce to 20 in the past few months and continue the process of expanding its network globally.

Pyne-Carter will appear at this year’s Courier Business Conference on November 10. For details see here