Innovation, value addition and overexploitation of the resource is one of the important aspects of the coalition document when discussing the fishing industry. -In short, this is about getting more out of and greater value from the fish and our common resource in the sea.
In line with this, in 2023 the system of fisheries experiments was proposed, so that there was a greater focus on research, culture and innovation. The new system was introduced last autumn and applications were called for, distinguishing between larger projects – so-called flagship projects – and smaller projects.
The requirements for flagship projects include that they must be commercial projects within research, development and innovation, including PhD projects. There should also be binding cooperation between Faroese companies and Faroese research institutions – this is an important part of both developing Faroese companies and developing Faroese research capabilities and research institutions.
Now that the first round of applications has ended, funding has been awarded to four exciting flagship projects – two directly related to product development.
When we in 2023 in the Ministry of Fisheries and Transport (where Jóhan Christiansen is now Governor of Iceland) put on the agenda research, development and innovation, it was with a clear objective that the Faroe Islands – crews, ships, shipping companies, derived industries on land – should get more out of our municipal and national treasuries. the sea.
Research, development and innovation have an impact on export value
In the discussion, which was about this both in 2023 and in 2024, I referred several times to the Icelandic company Kerecis, which is known for producing fish scales for skin transplantation.
In April, the CEO and founder of Kerecis, G. Fertram Sigurjonsson, showed a figure showing the Icelandic export value of cod products compared to the Norwegian export value – and the figures also distinguish between the export value with or without Kerecis. As shown in the figure below, Kerecis has a very visible impact on the export value of cod products.
It will be exciting to see what impact the appropriation for TARI and JFK Trol will have on the value addition of marine products – and whether other flagship projects will have a direct impact on export value.
It is clear that it will take time to take new paths, but this will hopefully be a good start, now that the new support scheme for research, development and innovation has begun to work.
Dennis Holm,
MP for the Liberal Party
