DNV has agreed to acquire technology and intellectual property from Bergen-based AquaCloud, following the latter’s bankruptcy earlier this year.
In January, AquaCloud’s board filed for bankruptcy after the company was unable to secure further financing. The bankruptcy trustee said at the time that the platform had significant potential.
AquaCloud has developed digital tools and data platforms for the aquaculture industry, focusing on fish health, lice coordination, data standardisation and the sharing of production data. The company has participated in several research and innovation projects since its establishment.
DNV said the acquisition is intended to ensure the continuation and further development of the data standards and infrastructure built through AquaCloud.
“The aquaculture industry needs common data standards and trust-based infrastructure to meet increasing biological and regulatory requirements,” said Thomas Vogth-Eriksen, director of aquaculture and ocean health at DNV. “The industry faces shared challenges, from changes in water temperature and algal blooms to jellyfish and disease, but also new opportunities through the introduction of technology. The framework conditions are changing, and the industry must move from being experience-based to knowledge-based. That requires a broad and representative shared data foundation.”
DNV said the AquaCloud platform will be integrated into its Veracity cloud platform, which is used for secure handling and sharing of verified data across industries. Veracity is currently used by shipping companies to manage and report data in line with regulatory requirements and stores verified operational data for more than 11,000 vessels.
Trude Steinbru Heggstad, head of digital and innovation at DNV Aquaculture & Ocean Health, said broad participation from aquaculture companies will be essential.
“We want as many aquaculture companies as possible to see the value of sharing their data and to trust that this can be done securely through the platform. It is essential that the data represent a large share of production in order for participants to gain real value through better insight, benchmarking and cross-learning. We will work towards broad industry anchoring and invite dialogue,” she said.
DNV said a common platform with accumulated data could form a key foundation for the aquaculture sector, supporting site optimisation, more targeted use of technology, greater transparency and improved ability to meet regulatory requirements.
