An international partnership is scoping out a new Aquaculture Innovation Network for the Northern Periphery and Arctic (AINNPA) to improve innovation support for remotely located aquaculture businesses.
The six-month preparatory phase to map out current aquaculture innovation support across the NPA territory will identify existing and emerging opportunities for SMEs and build a collaborative network across participating regions.
Heather Jones, CEO at the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), said: “For those operating in more remote locations, it can be difficult to access the support and services needed to innovate. AINNPA seeks to address this by recognising the specific challenges and opportunities facing SMEs, by sharing best practice across the participating regions, and by developing innovative new products and services via an integrated support network.”
Supported by the Interreg NPA programme via the European Regional Development Fund, AINNPA brings together innovation experts from the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Scotland, and is led by SAIC, located at the University of Stirling.
The next step is to actively engage stakeholders in the process and SAIC is after the support of regional development agencies, aquaculture producer organisations and other trade associations who can help identify the priorities for innovation and who, ultimately, will be the main conduits for encouraging uptake of AINNPA across participating regions.
For more information, aquaculture organisations and businesses interested in contributing to AINNPA should contact Robin Shields on +44 1786 278322 or email robin@scottishaquaculture.com
