Recommendations for future research priorities
An expert panel was assigned the duty of formulating future research priorities based on the information presented during the six scientific sessions of the TAFT conference. The information presented in the posters should also be taken into consideration.
The panel was appointed by the working group for fish (AG-FISK) under the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the assignment was the following:
'The aim is to work out a set of recommendations for research and innovation addressing the organisations responsible for research and innovation in the Nordic countries, as well as the Nordic Council of Ministers. The recommendations should be based on the information presented at the TAFT meeting 15 - 19 September in Copenhagen.
Based on the scientific presentations and discussions the panel members shall formulate priorities for research and innovation that would be suitable for Nordic collaboration, being at the cutting edge of international research and presenting good opportunities for development of research and innovation in the Nordic countries. Further, Nordic strengths shall be taken into consideration.'
The panel consisted of the following members:
- Torger Børresen, Denmark (chairman)
- Susanna Airaksinen, Finland
- Ingrid Undeland, Sweden
- Turid Rustad, Norway
- Gudrun Olafsdottir, Iceland
- Jakup Mørkøre, Faroe Islands
As there were six thematic sessions at the TAFT conference, the duties of observing the presentations and suggesting research priorities within each of the sessions were split among the six members of the panel according to the following scheme:
- Global supplies – new safety challenges: Jakup Mørkøre
- Sustainable aquaculture for tailor made seafood: Susanna Airaksinen
- Seafood and health – benefits and perceived risks: Ingrid Undeland
- More efficient utilisation of aquatic raw material: Turid Rustad
- Retaining nutritional value through the processing chain to the consumer’s plate: Gudrun Olafsdottir
- Robotics and application of new technology in the seafood processing industry: Torger Børresen
During lunch at the last confrence day the panel gathered and the proposed recommendation settled among the panel members. At this gathering representatives from the AG-FISK group of the Nordic Council of Ministers were also be present and gave their feedback to the panel. They were Sigurjon Arason, Erling Larsen and Ásmundur Gudjonsson.
The compiled recommendations formulated as 'one-liner' statements were presented to the plenary audience just before the industry session started.
The recommendations are the following:
- Supply/safety challenges: Chain consideration, data/information handling and logistics, solving zero tolerance problem, predicting pathogenic growth; parasites
- Sustainable aquaculture: Consider combined quality parameters as well as full utilisation of all raw material when planning aquaculture production (multispecies)
- Seafood and health: Complexity of food matrix and impact on individualised human nutrition, including better understanding of bioactive components in Nordic seafood
- More efficient utilisation: Expanding new applications of by-products and new resources, considering raw material quality, logistics and quality chain and legislation
- Retaining nutritional value: Natural antioxidants from Nordic biota; applying them in food matrix and food systems for protecting nutrients and biomolecules
- Robotics and new technology: Automatic IT based on line/at line sensor systems for monitoring optimal production yield, safety and quality parameters
After the TAFT conference the expert panel will draft a document explaining in further detail what is behind each of the 'one-liner' statements. This document will be presented in the publication series TemaNord by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The recommendations may be downloaded as a pdf file by clicking 
Recommendations
