The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded funding to the NSF Seafood Engine in New England, a regional initiative designed to strengthen the fisheries and aquaculture sectors through technology, innovation and research.
Led by the Portsmouth-based non-profit NERACOOS, the initiative brings together seafood producers, technology companies, government agencies and research institutions across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The programme aims to enhance the competitiveness of the seafood industry by accelerating the development and adoption of advanced technologies.
The Seafood Engine will receive US$15 million over its first two years, with the potential to secure up to US$160 million over the next decade as it develops an internationally competitive technology and innovation cluster. According to NSF, the investment supports the objectives of the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.
The initiative will focus on improving fisheries and aquaculture, a sector that represents around 25 percent of the United States’ seafood value in New England. Technologies developed through the programme are expected to be scalable across the country, helping to strengthen the national seafood industry.
One of the programme’s first priorities is to support collaborative research and development projects involving seafood producers, researchers and technology companies. These projects will develop ocean intelligence systems using advanced sensors deployed on fishing vessels and aquaculture farms to improve data collection and operational decision-making.
The Seafood Engine will also establish a regional seafood apprenticeship consortium to support workforce development, enabling new entrants to participate in research projects and help bring new technologies into commercial use. In addition, funding will be made available to blue technology companies to accelerate the commercialisation of innovations that have progressed beyond the research stage.
Over time, the programme aims to expand research, workforce development and technology transfer activities while strengthening seafood processing capacity and the wider supply chain. These efforts are expected to create new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses across New England’s coastal communities.
“Built on the ingenuity and steadfast determination at the heart of America’s oldest commercial enterprise, the Seafood Engine is ready to confront key challenges facing the industry with bold innovation,” said Jake Kritzer, principal investigator of the Seafood Engine and Executive Director of NERACOOS.
The Seafood Engine was selected as one of 12 NSF Engines following a national competition involving nearly 300 initial proposals.
