Blue Food - Centre for future seafood, part II

Research Project, 2025 – 2028

The seafood sector has unique potential to enhance the competitiveness and robustness of the Swedish food system while addressing societal challenges and key areas of the Swedish food strategy, such as public health and heightened resilience.
However, aquaculture remains largely underdeveloped and of the total aquatic biomass landed in Sweden, 85% (!) goes to non-food uses; mainly small pelagic fish and fish side streams. Additionally, 72% of the consumed seafood is imported, presenting a national food security challenge. The vision of Blue food 2 is to support increased production, value-adding and consumption of innovative, sustainable, and healthy seafood in Sweden through cutting edge science, capacity building and co-creation of knowledge with all parts of society.  Through 7 research areas - sustainability, laws/ regulations, AI/digitalization, primary production, processing & product development as well as consumer/market - crucial knowledge is built e.g. within innovative and circular aquaculture systems and consumer-anchored development of diversified Swedish seafood with high nutritional profiles. Blue food 2 champions research excellence and knowledge co-generation with industry, government and NGOs from the entire seafood supply chain, creating networks, enabling high impact innovation and educating the next generation of seafood experts to secure realization of the Blue food vison.