Norwegian innovators prepare for Scotland showcase

Six innovative Norwegian companies are to visit the west of Scotland next month to introduce their products to fish farmers at two presentations at Dunstaffnage near Oban, and Fort William.

The supply companies include Aquafarm Equipment, which makes a floating closed containment system built from several glass reinforced plastic elements joined together to make a single unit. It has been tested for post-smolt production in collaboration with salmon farmer Mowi but can also be used to grow fish to harvest size, and for broodfish.

Another of the companies, Voatec, has developed its patented “360FishSweep” fish handling equipment in collaboration with SalMar and Lerøy. The equipment is used to extract cleaner fish and sick or wounded fish “in a highly efficient, predictable and gentle way”.

“In less than a year, our system has removed more than 1 million lumpfish and many thousands of salmon that have suffered from disease or injuries,” Voatec says on its website.

GreenFox Marine has developed a machine for automatic sex sorting of salmon smolts. According to the company, the advantages of sex sorting are many. Fish in sex-separated cages grow faster, have lower mortality and fewer wounds. At the same time, farms can optimise production for each sex through differentiated harvest times, light management, localisation, and other such measures.

The other companies are Meox (advanced net-cleaning robots and barge and ship hull washers); JM Robotics (cost-effective ROV systems for underwater inspections); and Promek (durable and customisable aluminium workboats).

The visit has been organised by Innovation Norway in conjunction with Fort William-headquartered Northern Light Consulting and West Highland Chamber of Commerce.

A chance to chat

Sarah Riddle, managing director of Northern Light and president of the West Highland Chamber, said that as well as being informative, the events will give fish farmers and others interested members of the local communities an opportunity to get together and catch up.

Hilde Hukkelberg, Innovation Norway’s managing director for the UK and Ireland managing director, said: “We’re excited for the event. Our mission at Innovation Norway is to support Norwegian companies entering new markets, with aquaculture being a key sector for us.

“There’s already a strong relationship and significant Norwegian interests in Scotland, and vice versa. Our goal is to unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth through collaboration.

“We’re also hosting Scottish delegations at (major aquaculture trade show) Aqua Nor, mirroring this effort in both directions.”

A tailored delegation

When asked if the six selected companies matched the needs of the Scottish sector, Hukkelberg explained: “We begin by recruiting companies actively seeking global markets, then engage in dialogue to ensure their interests align with demand in Scotland. Based on this, we create a tailored delegation and programme, which includes two market visits.

“We took the group to London for preparation, allowing the companies to connect. The next visit on February 10-12 will be the first market visit to bring the ecosystem together. These events foster industry connections, discussions on key topics and showcase innovative solutions tested and sold in Norway and other markets.”

The first event, on Tuesday, February 11, will be held in the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) premises at Dunstaffnage, near Oban, and begins at 3pm.

The event on Wednesday, February 12 will be held at Waterfront Lodge, Fort William, and starts at 2pm. Both events include a Q&A with the Norwegian delegates, and plenty of time for networking.

For more information and to reserve a place, click here for Oban and here for Fort William.