Norwegian seafood industry association partners with IBM on blockchain

The Norwegian Seafood Association (Sjotmatbedriftene) is kicking off an industry-wide involvement in blockchain technology to increase the region’s competitive edge.

The agency partnered with US tech giant IBM and Nordic IT infrastructure firm Atea to share supply chain data across Norway’s seafood industry in a bid to push traceability forward.

“Norwegian seafood is known for its quality but we still do not have the ability to trace where the fish came from, how it was grown or how it was stored,” Robert Eriksson of the Norwegian Seafood Association .

The technology can help producers display one single version of supply chain events for consumers to trace their seafood products back to the source.

The blockchain network records data on catch location and time, shipping updates, customs clearance and even temperature.

Several Norwegian seafood companies are already in the process of releasing data to the network, such as salmon farmer Kvaroy Arctic, which is delivering its products to the United States.

Aquaculture feed giant BioMar is also collaborating for Nordic seafood companies to give details on the origin and quality of feed the fish consumes.

Norway exported 25,000 seafood meals per minute in 2019. Consumers are also willing to pay a premium for brand providing traceability, according to a recent IBM study.

The IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply is a service for customers to build their own branded blockchain network.