Strengthening industrial research in Troms

Strengthening industrial research in Troms - NORWAY - The holding company and the largest subsidiary in the Blue-Green Food Alliance will be localised in Troms. The marine research community in the north is being further strengthened given that Akvaforsk is being placed under the subsidiary.

Strengthened industrial research is important for the national focus on seafood.

The background for this is the political desire to coordinate and strengthen the marine research community in Norway and establish a clearer division between administrative research and industrial research.

"This is important for the Norwegian fishery and aquaculture industry and for the national focus on seafood", says Managing Director Ivan C. Burkow at Fiskeriforskning.

Three subsidiaries

Three subsidiaries will be formed in connection with this restructuring and will be located in Troms, Bergen and s, respectively. All of the companies will work with industrial research, and management in the holding company will be situated in Troms.

The three companies will be built up around Fiskeriforskning in Troms, Fiskeriforskning in Bergen and Matforsk in s. Organisationally and managerially, Akvaforsk will be placed under the subsidiary in Troms.

Joint effort for the fishery and aquaculture industry

The restructuring will result in several organisational changes. What these changes will fully involve will be clear during the year. First, the interim Board of Directors in NOFIMA AS will define how the new industrial holding company and the subsidiaries will look.

"All organisational change processes are challenging, and this is no exception", says Burkow.

"It is of course regrettable that we are losing our department in Bergen, which is becoming an associated company, but I am sure we will continue our good collaboration with our colleagues in Western Norway", he says in closing.

Source: Fiskeriforskning - 12th May 2006