NASF Tech Aqua

Presenting companies: NCE Aquatech Cluster | TidalX AI | Garware Technical Fibres | dsm-firmenich | Scootscience | Marel | Optimeering Aqua | MMC | BIOceanOr | Optimar | ReelData | ScaleAQ | Previwo | Blue Lice | Protix

Chair:

Morten Andersen
Cluster Leader - NCE Aquatech Cluster

Morten is the acting cluster leader at NCE Aquatech Cluster and works as a Senior Manager at BDO Consulting. Morten has 25 years of experience in operations, project, and process management for both startups and production companies. He leads the national Slaughterhouse Network through NCE Aquatech Cluster and is heavily involved in cluster development and collaborative projects. Morten works with both national and international seafood clients on strategy, sustainability, and circular economy.

Speakers

Choosing the right partner for digitalization

Steve Tucker
CEO - Aquabyte

In a market where multiple companies claim to offer the best solutions, what key factors should you consider when selecting the ideal long-term partner to digitalize your farming operations?

Founded in 2017, Aquabyte provides systems for automatic lice counting, biomass estimation, and the monitoring of welfare and behavior in salmon, trout, and coho farming. Its solutions are currently used in surface, closed, and submerged pens, as well as in land-based farming, including smolt.

Aquabyte’s operational headquarters is in Bergen, with additional offices in San Francisco (USA) and Puerto Varas (Chile). The customer base includes the top five producers in the aquaculture industry.

Tidal Technology: How AI can create a new normal and a data-driven future

Over the past several years we have seen a massive expansion in technological advances for aquaculture. With world-class innovation developed at Google's moonshot factory and launched as an independent company in July of 2024, Tidal has developed and scaled advanced underwater perception technology to unlock new possibilities for salmon production. As climate and biology continue to evolve, we are leveraging AI to deliver insights in support of a new and data-driven normal.

Kira Smiley
Director of Sales and Marketing - TidalX AI

Title TBA

Vayu Garware
Garware Technical Fibres

Smart Protein; Scalable tech for sustainable Aquaculture

dsm-firmenich has developed a single cell protein technology that can be scaled and fit the demand from the Norwegian salmon industry for significant volumes of sustainable novel raw materials going forward. The technology is unique as it combines a robust strain with patented-fermentation process to enhance productivity. Meet us at NASF Tec where we will share our success stories on protein level, production in Germany and performance in salmonids at high inclusion !

Louise Buttle
Global Innovation Lead - dsm-firmenich

Louise is a global aquaculture professional with over 25 years industry experience in the feed and additive markets. Louise earned her PhD in fish physiology under conditions pertinent to aquaculture from the University of Hull, UK. After completing her PhD, she worked in Spain in aquaculture research before joining EWOS, a salmon feed business that was acquired by Cargill in 2015. Over the next 20 years, Louise's career took her to work in various salmon farming countries; Scotland, Chile, and Norway.
During her time with EWOS (Cargill), Louise held a variety of positions. For example, she served as the R&D Manager for EWOS Innovation in Chile, led the Sustainability Corporate Reporting for EWOS Group in 2015 and was the Cold Water Technology Lead for Cargill Aqua Nutrition.
Since 2019, Louise has held senior positions in aquaculture for dsm-firmenich. Her roles have included Global Technical Manager and Global Marketing Director. Currently, Louise has commercial responsibility as Global Key Account Manager, as well as business development for Sustell™ aquaculture, a sustainability platform. Louise has also been an integral part of the Smart Protein team for several years, driving commercial and market insights for the aquaculture business.

Beyond Monitoring: the DataOps Backbone of Effective Ocean Risk Management at Saltwater Farm Sites

I'll discuss the transition from simple farm monitoring to a more sophisticated DataOps approach that’s being used by Scoot Science’s customers in Canada, Australia, and Norway. I’ll discuss Scoot Science’s SeaState software and cover examples of using strong DataOps practices to optimize operations at saltwater production sites.

Jonathan LaRiviere
Scootscience

Jonathan LaRiviere is Chief Executive Officer of the ocean analytics group Scoot Science. Scoot Science helps fish farmers protect assets, operate sustainably, and increase profits through software that enables a more complete assessment of local ocean risks. Jonathan holds a PhD in Ocean Sciences from UCSC and has published original research in Nature, Nature Geoscience, Science, and Geophysical Research Letters, among other magazines.

Building trust to break the cycle:
Lessons from Blue Lice's preventive approach to sea lice control

Karoline Sjødal Olsen, CEO and co-founder of Blue Lice, will share how Blue Lice’s preventive technology captures sea lice larvae before they infect the fish. Karoline will highlight how trust-based collaboration and sharing of knowledge with fish farmers has been key to the success of their solution. By combining advanced technology with open communication and iterative development, Blue Lice has reduced treatments and delayed time to first treatment on 7 cycles of fish.

Karoline Sjødal Olsen MSc

CEO and co-founder, Blue Lice

How integrated digital solutions are transforming seafood processing

Discover key industry trends, challenges, and strategies for integrating digital solutions with traditional machinery to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Diego Lages
Global Sales Director – Marel

Global Sales Director Marel Fish, Iceland.
Aquaculture Engineer by the Aquaculture Galician Institute.
Esade Business School
• Master degree in General Management
• International Business and Marketing.
• B2B Sales Management and Business Transformation for CEO´s

Experience
Expert in Fish Processing and aquaculture farming.
With more than 20 years of experience in the sector has inspired many companies around the globe to be more competitive, transforming the way seafood is processed.
•Acuinova (Pescanova Group) as Quality and Processing Manager
• Marel Spain & Portugal and Marel Latinoamérica as General Manager
• Marel Fish Industry, Global Sales & Marketing Director (2018)

5 lessons learned from the clash between decades of expertise and AI-driven decision-making in the daily work of skilled fish farmers

CEO at Optimeering Aqua, Erlend Torgnes, will share 5 key lessons learned from working closely with farmers to deploy their decision support tool, Bioplan. These lessons emerge from the friction that occurs when AI models are introduced into the complex and rapidly changing realities of daily farming life. Erlend will also discuss how iterative development is essential for addressing these challenges, ensuring that farmers can unlock the full value of the AI embedded in Bioplan.

Erlend Torgnes
CEO – Optimeering Aqua

Title TBA

MMC

A new paradigm: anticipate vs. react: leveraging water quality forecasts – focus O2

BiOceanOr will share success stories related to use of O2 forecasts into fish farming operations, in Chile, in the MedSea

Gaëtan Fabritius
Chief Business Officer - BIOceanOr

Gaëtan FABRITIUS is Chief Business Officer at Bioceanor. With a background in Business & Information Technologies, Gaëtan spent about 15 years in the data industry, leveraging satellite and ocean data for downstream services in different vertical markets, including O&G and fisheries industries for example. Back in 2022 he decided to join forces with Charlotte & Samuel DUPONT, 2 marine biologists, to catapult Bioceanor Artificial Intelligence & biology capabilities into the aquaculture industry.

Cost-Effective Mobile Stun & Bleed Solutions for Aquaculture

Hans Owen will focus on Optimar's innovative and cost-saving mobile Stun & Bleed solutions tailored for the aquaculture sector. The system ensures humane handling of fish from the moment they enter alive until the process of humane killing is complete. Designed to enhance animal welfare, it features full automation, easy cleaning, and seamless surveillance of the process. With options for different species and increased profitability, this solution sets a new standard for efficiency and welfare in aquaculture, now also available as mobile solutions.

Hans Owen Thunem
VP Global Sales Aquaculture - Optimar

With a wealth of experience in the aquaculture equipment supply industry, Hans Owen combines solid expertise and a strong passion for advancing aquaculture. His deep knowledge of the industry, broad network, and commitment to innovation position him as a leading voice in developing new solutions for fish farming.

AI-camera technology to support efficiency, health and welfare in land-based aquaculture

Gareth Butterfield
Commerical Director - ReelData

Gareth has an extensive background in aquaculture spanning multiple geographies and species. After completing his PhD at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Gareth joined EWOS UK as Commercial Manager, before moving to Canada in 2017 to lead the North American business as Commercial Director for EWOS_Cargill. From there he moved to a Global role covering all major salmon producing regions and Middle East and Africa, as the Strategic Marketing and Technology Director. In early 2024, Gareth made the move in to AI and technology, joining ReelData – a start-up company based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia – as Commercial Director.

Can prevention reduce risk?

Carolina Faune
Previwo

Carolina is a veterinarian with an MBA from the Universidad Austral de Chile and has more than 25 years of experience in the aquaculture industry. Carolina has previously held various leadership positions at Novartis and Benchmark, providing a solid and strategic perspective on the global aquaculture industry.

The future of aquaculture: Embracing a mosaic of diverse solutions

Audun Sivertsen Fjeldvær,
CEO ScaleAQ

Boosting Fish Health, Profits, and our Planet with Protix

Insect ingredients are more than “just” a replacement for fish meal, but actually reveal themselves as a functional ingredient, similar to products such as Krill. Recently completed on-farm trials have demonstrated that high-quality insect meal from Protix, ProteinX, can improve fish yield, quality, and taste, as well as farmers’ profitability.

A new calculator based on the scientific data reveals the impact on profitability when farmers experiment with different variables, while also highlighting the impact on the environmental footprint! The consistent outcome remains clear: ProteinX is a turnkey high-quality protein that boosts profits and lowers your footprint. The science is conclusive – begin your journey towards high-performing, low-footprint feed with Protix today.

Michel van Spankeren
Protix

Michel is at the forefront of sustainable aquaculture as Protix’s dedicated Business Development Manager. Born and raised in the heart of a maritime community, Michel’s journey in the aquatic world has evolved into a personal mission: transforming aquaculture into a more sustainable and environmentally conscious industry.
Since entering the field in 2010, Michel has strategically navigated various facets of the aquaculture industry, accumulating invaluable experience in research, farming, and nutrition. His diverse roles across hatcheries, research institutions, and aqua-feed companies have afforded him a comprehensive perspective on the industry’s intricacies.
Educationally, Michel has a robust theoretical foundation obtained at Wageningen University. Here, he earned two master’s degrees, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of aquaculture and animal nutrition.
Michel’s current position at Protix reflects his dedication to driving sustainability within the aquaculture industry. As the Business Development Manager, he plays a crucial role in navigating the intricate dynamics of the value chain, facilitating the translation of circular ingredients into innovative and sustainable seafood propositions. In essence, Michel acts as a bridge, connecting Protix’s cutting-edge solutions with the broader industry, catalyzing positive change.

In pursuit of the third species

Assessing the candidates to become the next salmon and shrimp

Matt Craze
Spheric Research

Matt Craze worked for many years as a commodities analyst, helping establish Bloomberg’s agri-commodities pricing coverage, and as a strategy consultant working for most Big 4 firms. He set up Spheric Research in 2017 as an independent research firm dedicated to the global aquaculture industry. Spheric Research focuses on emerging aquaculture species and technologies and has advised several governments, major companies, and non-profit groups around the world. The company’s yearly Land-based Aquaculture Report, published each year via Undercurrent News, has been featured in The Economist.