"No single company can solve the industry's biggest challenges on its own," said Hege Michelsen Kolstad, Head of the Norwegian Fish Processing Network.
Photo: NCE Aquatech Cluster.
A key meeting point for the slaughterhouse and seafood processing sector in Norway, the Norwegian Fish Processing Network (Slakterinettverket) seeks to convert its current structure into a national industry cluster for fish processing plants and the supplier industry.
With that goal in mind, the network has taken a further step by applying for admission to NIC Connect. This phase constitutes the fundamental entry point to the Norwegian Innovation Clusters (NIC), a collaborative program operated by Innovation Norway together with Siva and the Research Council of Norway, established to help strengthen Norwegian business through collaboration on innovation.
"No single company can solve the industry's biggest challenges on its own. In the Fish Processing Network, we have succeeded in building a strong culture of knowledge sharing among companies that would otherwise be direct competitors," said Hege Michelsen Kolstad, Head of the Norwegian Fish Processing Network.
Established in 2021 as a professional platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange among the salmon slaughterhouses and processing plants within the NCE Aquatech Cluster—the Norwegian aquaculture technology cluster—Slakterinettverket's initial objective was to create a space where its members could identify common challenges, discuss solutions, and collaborate more closely with the supplier industry to develop better-suited technologies and practices.
However, the need for broader collaboration quickly became apparent, and today, the Norwegian Fish Processing Network is a national collaborative platform for fish processing plants, bleeding vessels, and harvesting vessels of all sizes and from all regions.
"We meet to share experiences and work on common day-to-day challenges. There are no secrets here—we learn from one another and improve together. That is how we can elevate the entire industry," explained Eskil Laukvik, Plant Manager at Sinkaberg NT145, the main processing and slaughtering facility of the Norwegian seafood company Sinkaberg AS, part of the Lerøy Seafood network.
Laukvik is part of the network's resource group, where fish processing plants such as Astafjord Slakteri, Slakteriet, Cermaq Alta, and Sinkaberg itself help set the direction and priorities for the work on behalf of the industry.
Thus, what began as an initiative for the supplier industry has evolved into a forum where the processing plants themselves set the agenda, while suppliers and research institutions are brought in to develop solutions and, therefore, now they want to go further, becoming a national industry cluster.
"This is an initiative that has largely grown out of the members themselves. Engagement is high, and the need for a common arena is clearer than ever," the network's Head stated.
Eskil Laukvik is one of those who has helped build the Norwegian Fish Processing Network from the very beginning.
Photo: Sinkaberg.
The Norwegian Fish Processing Network explained that the ambition to create its own cluster is to strengthen the innovation capacity and competitiveness of an industry that is fundamental to exports and value creation in Norway.
"Once trust is established, something powerful happens. Companies share experiences, address common challenges, and develop solutions together. This is what we now want to scale up through a dedicated cluster," Kolstad said.
The new cluster will place special emphasis on food safety and quality, a more circular use of resources, and the development of technology and solutions to achieve more efficient operations in the sector. Furthermore, it will also strengthen dialogue with authorities and society regarding the framework and future development of the industry.
Its ultimate goal is to establish itself as the leading national platform for developing future processing solutions in the seafood industry, with potential for future international expansion.
According to Slakterinettverket, eventual admission to NIC Connect would provide access to specialized knowledge, support tools and networks that could further strengthen this work.
"We have already proven that this model of collaboration works. Now we want to take the work to the next level and assume a clearer national role," the network's Head, Hege Michelsen Kolstad, concluded.
