OptiFish aspires to provide technological solutions that will improve the sustainability of fisher’s operations, enhance control processes, and strengthen society’s trust in their products. Working towards this scope, the OptiFish Consortium comprises 19 partners across 8 countries. Each member possesses a unique combination of practical and theoretical knowledge within their respective fields, ensuring the consortium is well-equipped to achieve the project’s ambitious goals.
Among the partners are included:
- 7 research institutes (EV ILVO, AZTI, SO, WR) and universities (DTU, UC, WU) with significant research capacity in fisheries including AI, DNA and sensor based technological interventions, and fisher engagement.
- 7 technology companies (SCiO, BENCO, ANCHOR, EFICE, ZUN, VCU, VCUR) with extensive experience in data management (security, interoperability, developing systems architectures) and technology development.
- 2 producer’s organisations (DFPO, DPPO) specialised in representing the interests of fishers and acting as the connection point between policy and industry.
- 1 National Directorate of Fisheries (NDF) experienced in fisheries regulation, resource management and quality control.
- 1 National government body (JV) specialised in metrology research and infrastructure, measurement uncertainty, testing methodology, regulations, technical standardisation.
- 1 non-profit organisation (RFF) with thorough knowledge of market analysis, business modelling and creating effective dissemination and communication strategies.
The collaboration between universities, research institutes, industry SMEs, producer’s organisations, government bodies and non-profit organisation reinforces the multi-actor approach and brings together extensive knowledge of fisheries, AI, data management, policy, business modelling and ecosystem building.
Partners’ unique role in OptiFish
AZTI is a scientific and technological center, developing high-impact transformation projects. AZTI’s work on big data, AI, information fusion, fisheries, selectivity, governance, socio- economics and standards development will be applied on i) rapid DNA-based fish health assessment, ii) catch handling facilities: direct sorting and iii) identification of illegal, unreported activities at sea.
BENCO is a private company cooperating between science, business, and the public, capturing and processing spectral data in different settings. BENCO will contribute to species identification and sizing through EM cameras and to the assessment of fish health and quality.
DTU is an international technical university founded in 1829, conducting research that contributes to innovation in sustainable exploitation and management of aquatic resources. Within OptiFish, DTU will serve as the scientific co-lead of the project and will be responsible for i) reviewing state-of-the-art technologies, ii) catch reporting technologies and iii) data collection and validation in European fisheries pilot studies.
RFF is a forward-thinking organisation committed to revolutionising the agrifood sector through innovation, following the principles of sustainability and impact maximisation. RFF being experienced in leading communication and dissemination activities, developing exploitation strategies and bringing innovative technologies to market will be responsible for the communication, dissemination and exploitation of OptiFish results and capacity building and training.
SCiO is a private company providing world-leading, bespoke services across the entire lifecycle of scientific data management. SCiO will use their expertise providing innovative data management services optimised for different operational settings and facilitating the transformation of data into meaningful answers. They will provide data management framework and system architectures and support all the data-related tasks.
WR is a top-ranked research institution with a strong international reputation for its innovative, application-oriented, and groundbreaking research. WR’s leading research investigating the challenges faced by fishers and how innovation can contribute to profitable and sustainable fishing methods and management. In the OptiFish project, WR will lead the innovative technological solutions while they will manage the sorting band among the catch handling facilities.
UC is a university established in 1973, committed to educating individuals who are open to improvement and development and internalizing democracy. UC will use their experience conducting fisheries research that brings the sector into the digital age while considering societal needs. Among the different catch handling facilities, they will lead the sorting deck.
NDF serves as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries’ advisory and executive body in matters of fishing and aquaculture management. NDF are experts in Fisheries governance, legislation development and enforcement and international fisheries relations. Within the OptiFish project, NDF will be responsible for the policy and legislative framework reform.
SO is one of Europe’s largest independent research organisations conducting research related to ocean space for national and international industries. SO is experienced in working with AI, stakeholder co-production, social network analysis, systems thinking, scenario building, and conceptual modeling. SO, will lead the stakeholder co-production pathways to effectively implement the technological innovations in European fisheries.
EFICE is a software company developing solutions globally applicable to the fishery sector, providing users with an insight into their catches. They will lead the implementation of authorities’ reporting systems.
JV is an agency directorate under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, responsible for Norway’s metrological infrastructure and for ensuring its national and international acceptance. In the OptiFish project, JV will focus on requirements specification of data management framework and system architectures.
VCUR/VCU is an organisation supplying essential products and services for the commercial fishing industry, providing a wide range of fishing materials, including fishing nets, chains, ropes, gas oil and lubricating oil. In the context of OptiFish, they will develop, prototype and test mechanical principles for sorting catch on board that use vision cameras to properly analyse catch, improving image quality.
WU is the only university in the Netherlands focusing specifically on the theme ‘healthy food and living environment’ and works closely with governments and the business community. In the context of OptiFish project, WU will emphasise mainly on EM-based species identification and sizing.
ANCHOR is a tech company with global success deploying their specialised data collection and analysis tools for scientific and monitoring purposes. They are known for their cutting-edge remote electronic monitoring system, mobile device apps and incorporating advanced AI and machine learning algorithms into their products.
DPPO are experienced on representing pelagic vessels in Denmark, prioritising sustainable and responsible fishing and minimising unwanted catches. They will utilise their expertise to develop a methodology regarding pumping facilities.
DFPO represents both large and small vessels across Denmark, working cooperatively with authorities to develop a framework for the future of the fishing dynamic sector. DFPO will assist in catch handling facilities concerning the sorting table, as well as in the capacity building and training and in the multi-actor co-creation labs.
Overall, the OptiFish Consortium operates under a collaborative model, with leadership responsibilities rotating amongst partners for specific project segments. Nevertheless, all partners actively contribute to a shared vision, ensuring a comprehensive approach across a diverse range of activities. This collaborative spirit elevates the consortium beyond a simple collection of entities, solidifying it as a unified force dedicated to driving long-term, sustainable advancements within the fishing sector.
OptiFish’s core purpose holds significant value and fosters a sense of excitement. We welcome everyone to embark on this journey with us.
Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
