10 reasons why your blue health business should be located in Vestland

Vestland’s proximity to clean, nutrient-rich waters provides an unmatched supply of raw materials. But the region has more than natural resources; here is a complete ecosystem, from world-leading aquaculture companies to cutting-edge research institutions and strong innovation clusters.

At HavExpo 2026 we enlarged our team with speakers from across the ecosystem, who all demonstrated how the strengths in Vestland translate into real opportunities for companies targeting the blue health industry.

We were proud to share the stage with four superstars at HavExpo 2026, demonstrated how strengths in Vestland converge to create a powerful platform for innovation. : From left: Jacob Grieg Eide, Fride Iversen, Björgólfur Hávarðsson, Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem and Samuel Muren. Photo: Vigdis Øvreeide.

Sustainability performance is the industry driver

Björgólfur Hávarðsson, CEO, Vegvisir AS, kicked off the meeting by framing the big picture: aquaculture is growing rapidl, however the industry’s future will be defined by its ability to solve hard biological and environmental challenges.

- Despite decades of innovation, fish health issues such as sea lice, gill disease and handling injuries continue to constrain growth. Mortality remains structurally high, with around 12–14% annual sea-phase losses, highlighting the urgent need for new solutions, he pointed out.

At the same time, regulation is shifting. Hávarðsson pointed out that growth is no longer driven by market demand alone, but by sustainability performance; emissions, fish welfare and environmental impact.  

- This creates a clear opportunity. The companies that can solve these challenges, through aither biology, data, or technology, will define the next phase of the industry, said Investment Manager in Invest in Vestland, Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.

- With long ocean traditions, a world-leading aquaculture sector, strong life science environments, and close collaboration between academia, industry and public actors, Vestland offers a complete ecosystem for companies working within blue health, agreed Hávarðsson and Lem. Photo: Vigdis Øvreeide.  

Vestland is an accelerator

Oxy Solutions has developed nanobubble oxygenation technology that improves water quality, fish welfare and production efficiency. By stabilising oxygen levels and reducing harmful conditions, the technology strengthens fish health while lowering energy use. Company CEO Fride Iversen showed how companies are already capturing these opportunities.

The company recently made a strategic decision to relocate from Oslo to Bergen, specifically to be part of Vestland’s ecosystem.

- For Oxy Solutions, Vestland is not just a location, it is an accelerator, said Iversen, and pointed to the proximity to aquaculture clusters, good access to pilot customers and test facilities and strong connections between industry, research and capital, said Fride Iversen. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem. 

Stability starts at the immune level

QuantiDoc is building tools to make the fish immune system measurable, predictable and controllable. CEO Jacob Grieg Eide took the perspective further into biology and data.

- Today, aquaculture often reacts to disease after it occurs. QuantiDoc’s approach is continuous Immune Control (CIC). That means we use biomarkers and AI-driven analysis to detect stress and risk early, enabling proactive management, said Grieg Eide. 

- Biological instability starts at the immune level. By turning biology into data, companies can reduce mortality, improve growth and create more predictable production and unlock major value across the industry, said Jacob Grieg Eide. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.

Sustainability as a competitive advantage

Company Lancar Nutri develops nutritional products from Nordic fish species, targeting major global health challenges such as obesity, high cholesterol and chronic disease. CEO Samuel Muren highlighted the downstream opportunity: transforming marine resources into human health products.

The company focuses on pure nutrients from marine raw materials, scientifically validated health effects and sustainable use of underutilised biomass.  By upgrading low-trophic fish that is traditionally used for feed into high-value health products, Lancar achieves significant value uplift while supporting circular economy principles.

Muren underlined how high quality research from University of Bergen enables faster translation of research into commercial products, reducing the time from discovery to market.

Blue health is rapidly emerging as a key growth area, where marine resources and bioactive compounds are increasingly used to develop health-promoting products for both humans and animals.Samuel Muren showed how Langcar is targeting an increasing market. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem. 

From challenges to opportunity

Across all presentations, one message was clear: From oxygenation technologies and immune diagnostics to new marine ingredients and data-driven farming, the solutions emerging in Vestland are already shaping the future of the global blue economy.

If you are looking to be part of this transformation, Invest in Vestland is the region’s investment promotion agency and can offer support, free of charge.  We can help you identify the right sites and industrial locations, navigate regulatory processes, connect with business networks, research institutions and clusters and guide you towards professional services.

Vestland’s established marine value chains provide a strong backbone for new ventures. Companies benefit from existing infrastructure for processing, logistics, and export, in total allowing them to scale quickly and reach global markets, all on display at HAVExpo 2026. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.