Nofima leading a new center for research-driven innovation
Nofima will host a new center for research-driven innovation (SFI). SFI Digital Food Quality Center - digitization in food production.
In addition, Nofima becomes an important partner to Sintef Ocean and NTNU in the SFI Harvest Center Technologies for sustainable biomarine value creation.
– I appreciate the Research Council of Norway grants to new SFIs, ie Centers for research-driven innovation. These grants create predictability in important areas. Nofima is naturally very pleased with the grants to SFI Digital Food Quality, which we host and SFI Harvest, says Øyvind Fylling-Jensen, CEO of Nofima. He will also use the opportunity to congratulate the other research communities that receive the status of the Center for Research-Driven Innovation.
188 Million Norwegian crones to digitization of the food production
– We have entered the fourth industrial revolution, where digital data is the driving force. All machines and instruments communicate with each other and collaborate via digital networks. This creates new opportunities for the food industry, says senior researcher Jens Petter Wold at Nofima. He will lead SFI Digital Food Quality.
The purpose of Digital Food Quality is to contribute to a greener globe, a healthier population and better dining experiences for the consumers. Smart sensors and robots, combined with machine learning and efficient analysis of big data, make it possible to tailor exactly the quality both the food producers and the consumers want, in a sustainable way.
– The Norwegian food industry is technologically advanced and there is great interest in good digital solutions. A total of 188 Million over eight years gives SFI Digital Food Quality å unique opportunity to develop solutions which will be available and useful to farmers, food industry, grocery stores and consumers, says Jens Petter.
By using smart measurement methods and machine learning it will be possible to model relationships between farmer’s practices, raw material characteristics, food processing and product quality.
Sustainable utilization of krill and calanus
In SFI Harvest, Nofima leads two research areas. Research director Ragnhild Dragøy Whitaker in Nofima will be responsible for the development of products and business models and from various low-tropical species.
– The knowledge and facilities Nofima have within technology and processing of various biomasses will be an important cornerstone of the research. The purpose is to contribute to higher value and utilization of these low-tropical species, says Ragnhild.
The other research area, with sustainable harvesting models as the topic is led by research director Bent Dreyer in Nofima.
– An important condition for sustainable utilizing is to choose harvesting strategies that make us able to preserve the most important attributes of the raw material. This allows us to produce the most valuable products. At SFI Harvest, we will have the opportunity to put together knowledge from the entire value chain, says Bent.
The total budget for Nofima’s efforts in SFI Harvest is 16.8 million.
