The Norwegian food research institute Nofima has entered into a strategic research alliance with Alltech, one of the world’s largest animal health and nutrition companies.
Original author:
Press Release
Published: 09.07.2012
Facts
Facts about Alltech
- Founded by Dr. Pearse Lyons 32 year ago
- A global animal health and nutrition company with more than 2800 employees in 128 countries
- The company’s headquarters are in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
- The company has a stated goal of achieving an annual turnover of $US 4 billion.
The main goal of the alliance is the development of feed for the aquaculture industry.
The American company Alltech has the goal of achieving an annual turnover of NOK 25 billion. Increased sales within the aquaculture sector are seen as a key factor in achieving this goal, and Alltech Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Karl Dawson points to the importance of long-term research collaboration with the world’s leading research environments.
“The salmon industry faces challenges that require a progressive partnership with research institutions that are focused on finding long-term answers. This agreement provides us with the structure to work with alternative feeding solutions, which is one of the salmon industry largest challenges,” says Dawson.
More specifically, it is the use of microalgae in fish feeds that will be the theme of the research alliance. Alltech Algae in Kentucky is one of the world’s largest algae production facilities, and broad research takes place to find solutions for applications of algae in animal feeds.
“Norwegian scientists have unique competence in aquaculture and we are looking forward to collaborating with the world’s leading research environment in the hunt for our innovative answers for the aquaculture industry,” says Dawson.
For Nofima, which is an industry oriented institute, this alliance is an important step in the work to increase collaboration with leading Norwegian and global industrial actors. The agreement runs for three years, which ensures that the alliance will not only develop the industry, but also the potential to advance science.
“Nofima covers the whole aquaculture value chain, from breeding and genetics through to sales and marketing,” says Nofima CEO Øyvind Fylling Jensen. “This makes us unique, and is important in order to understand how development at one end of the value chain affects the rest of the chain.”
“It is also decisive that we find solutions for the aquaculture industry that not only works at that moment, but is also sustainable over time. This research alliance has the potential for this type of innovation and consequently we are looking forward to working with a major player like Alltech.”