Nordic Centre of Excellence for sustainable and resilient aquatic production

SUREAQUA is funded through NordForsk’s Nordic Bioeconomy Programme, and is coordinated by the International Research Institute of Stavanger (IRIS). SUREAQUA will serve as a common platform to facilitate collaboration across sectors in the Nordic bioeconomy. With close to 40 partners from across the Nordic region, including universities, research centres, industry, and non-governmental organizations, the Centre’s collaboration network is extensive and the potential for collaboration is large.

The Nordic region is particularly well-positioned to grow and improve its potential in aquatic production. From improving technologies in aquaculture, to finding alternative and more extensive uses of bio-resources, to establishing comprehensive and effective assessment models and governance approaches, the Nordic region has a unique opportunity to lead the transition to the blue bioeconomy.

Strong cooperation within the Nordic region has the potential to address these complex challenges in an effective manner promoting sustainability and resilience throughout the sector. The partnerships that make up the SUREAQUA consortium are extensive and their combined expertise is broad.

The activities of SUREAQUA are organised along the lines of four themes so as to ensure a comprehensive approach to understanding and developing the Nordic bioeconomy to its full potential. Though each theme has its own clear goals, there is naturally much crossover between all four:

1.       Technology and Biorefinery

2.       Environmental Quality and Sustainability

3.       Social and Economic Sustainability (coordinated by Pirjo Honkanen, Nofima)

4.       Governance and Communication

Nofima is participating in all four themes of the centre with researchers from several departments and locations within Nofima.