International drive to increase aquaculture SME innovation

An international partnership met in Reykjavík today to scope out a new Aquaculture Innovation Network for the Northern Periphery and Arctic (AINNPA) aimed at improving innovation support for remotely located aquaculture businesses and, in turn, enabling demand-driven products and services.

SAIC Scholars Connect Plus is back for a third academic year, with up to 25 funded MSc places available to Scottish and EU students in 2017/18, as well as a host of career-oriented activities.

A new aquaculture-specific training course has launched, aimed at equipping first-time managers with the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective team leaders.

A scoping study into the concept of a centre of innovation excellence for Scottish aquaculture has found industry-wide support for the initiative.

The drive to reduce sea lice and increase harvests of Scottish salmon has received a £1.76m boost, following a successful application to the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

Trials to get mussels to spawn in a hatchery environment are now underway at the NAFC Marine Centre at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre has signed a Letter of Intent with New Zealand’s largest independent science organisation, the Cawthron Institute, to explore research projects of mutual interest – in particular, projects that could lead to higher productivity in the shellfish industry.

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) last night announced over £140,000 support for two projects aimed at improving salmon feed formulations, amplified by over a quarter of a million pounds of funding from industry and academic partners.

Monitoring of farmed fish and their environment to be boosted as the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) invests nearly £250,000 in projects to improve biodiversity and fish health in farming.

An innovative new test for seawater readiness, co-funded by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), could boost Scottish exports – both of farmed salmon and the country’s technological expertise.