Boosting the aquaculture business to the next level

18 Eylül 2018

A new innovative software tool for targeting an improved environmental footprint and optimising processes in fish farming may soon be able to boost the aquaculture business to a new level. This is the aim of a new project launch by leaders in aquaculture innovation in Denmark that combines a higher degree of knowledge sharing, better research and optimized production follow up.

Fish farming is evolving in to a more high-tech business as it approaches the same high levels of other types of animal husbandry such as e.g. pig farming. Several ongoing research projects aim to speed up this process, including an exciting new project under the umbrella of the Danish Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP). The GUDP-project aims to develop an advanced tool that can gather and process data from stakeholders throughout the aquaculture business including suppliers and fish farmers, in a shared cloud-based database.

Over the last several decades, the world of information technology has advanced significantly, and so has the aquaculture industry. However, the combination of both is still at its infancy.

"The GUDP-project aims at combining IT and aquaculture to develop smart, easy-to-deploy, user-friendly tools that can lead to a new era of connected, responsible and efficient, and thus, sustainable aquaculture", says Paw Petersen, Managing Director, Oxyguard International A/S.

The project is led by OxyGuard International and builds on contributions from many the most innovative companies in Danish aquaculture business such as BioMar, Danish Salmon, AquaPri, Danaqua, Aller Aqua, Kongeåens Dambrug, DTU-Aqua, University of Copenhagen. Collaboration at this level with this large number of contributors helps to boost the development and the use of the tool. In this way the project also ensures that all parts of the aquaculture production chain are taken into consideration.

For data processing, the software will build on technologies such as big data, internet of things (IoT) and machine learning. This will lead to enhanced husbandry in the farms, optimized usage of feed and oxygen, and a significant range of other things that all in all will help reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture.

Ole Christensen, Vice President for BioMar's EMEA Division said, "for BioMar, the aim is to help our customers to become more efficient and more sustainable in an economically viable way. Our participation in projects of this kind helps us deliver on our strategy of innovating for a sustainable aquaculture for today, and tomorrow".