Bluegreen appoints new CEO as Marine Donut moves into industrial phase.
Norwegian technology company Bluegreen has appointed Stian Johnsen as CEO as it prepares to scale up production of its closed containment system, the Marine Donut.
The leadership change comes as regulatory frameworks for closed aquaculture tighten in key markets. In Norway, new regulations adopted in October encourage the use of floating closed systems in areas with high lice pressure, while Canada has decided to phase out open pens in British Columbia by 2029. Bluegreen says these developments are increasing interest in closed containment solutions.
Johnsen joins from Sterner AS, where he was group CEO. Sterner moved from several years of losses to a projected profit in 2025 during his tenure. He has previously worked with Bluegreen through a customer and supplier relationship between the two companies.
The Marine Donut has so far produced two generations of salmon of around 1,000 tonnes each, with reported outcomes including no lice, no escapes and low mortality, at 0.8 percent in one full-scale test. Bluegreen states that the technology is ready for serial production and that it is seeing growing interest from Norwegian farming companies in closed systems.
Outgoing CEO Nils Johan Tufte, who has led Bluegreen since its inception, will remain as chair of the board and a partner, and will serve as CEO of Bluegreen Group with a focus on market development and strategic partnerships.
