Our Team of advisers at the Iceland Ocean Cluster
The Iceland Ocean Cluster has an extensive experience in providing various advice and services to companies and organizations. We have a network of specialists within our cluster membership that can assist you in your seafood business or in establishing or enhancing your maritime/innovation hub. Some of the projects we have undertaken since the foundation of the cluster in 2011 are: Fonder of Codland Ltd. – full utilization company (2012), Adviser to Nordic Innovation regarding building a network of ocean clusters in the North Atlantic (2013), Founder of Collagen Ltd. (Marine Collagen ltd) which processes collagen protein from fish skin. The company is now in full operation and is owned by four large fisheries in Iceland. Advising on innovation and clustering for governments/organization in various states in the US and Asia (2014-2019), Co-founder and adviser regarding the establishment of the Ocean Academy in Iceland (2020), Advising on ways to fully utilize fish species in the US and Europe (2014-2020). Adviser to NORA and the Nordic Council of Ministers regarding establishing Blue Innovation ports in the Nordic region (2019).
Our cluster members come from various disciplines and have an extensive experience in various aspects of the blue ecosystem
The 100% Team
Einar Lárusson
Einar has an extensive experience in canning, roes and development of fish and meat products. Einar has assisted companies and institution in over twenty countries in developing fish products. Einar received an honorary award from the Iceland Ocean Cluster in 2014.
Dr. Holmfridur Sveinsdottir
Hólmfríður received her Ph.D. in food science from the University of Iceland. She worked for Matís (an Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D) as a specialist and project manager in the field of biochemistry and biotechnology where the main focus was on improved utilization of marine by-products. She late led the company Iceprotein, and co-founded and managed the Icelandic startup company PROTIS ltd, an Icelandic biotech company focusing on food supplements, based on fish protein hydrolysate
Halla Jónsdóttir
Halla is a senior scientist and project manager with history of guiding environmental studies and innovating new products. Possesses extensive experience on fundraising through national and international funds. Leverage excellent communication skills to forge partnerships with industry and environmental leaders. Successfully drive initiatives through all project phases, ensuring objectives are achieved.
Sigurjón Arason
Sigurjón is a Professor at the University of Iceland and Chief Engineer of Matís ltd. – Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D. He is recognised as one of the thought leaders in the global seafood processing industry. Sigurjón has been involved in fish industries worldwide in various studies on fish processing with focus on physical properties and chemical changes that take place throughout the whole processing chain. He has worked with almost every process and sectors in the fishing industry, both ashore and on board, as well as on the optimization of logistics, packaging technology and storage of products that optimize the storage life and quality of finished products. He is one of the utmost experts to improve the utilization of secondary raw materials obtained in seafood processing and has forty years of experience in this field.
Cluster / Innovation harbor specialist team
Thorkell V. Thorsteinsson
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, has a background in computer science and startups. Thorkell's research interests include industrial clusters and he recently introduced a new systematic approach to analyzing clusters.
Patrick Arnold
Patrick is the co-founder of the New England Ocean Cluster. He founded the HÚS, an ocean cluster house in Portland, Maine. Patrick has advised on various issues regarding cluster formation and cluster work.
Vilhjálmur Jens Arnarson
Vilhjálmur has been involved with the cluster work since the early days of the Iceland Ocean Cluster. Vilhjalmur was previously the deputy director of the Iceland Vessel Owners Association. He has an extensive knowledge about fisheries management and clustering.
Technical Advisor Team
Erlingur Guðleifsson
Erlingur is a mechanical engineer. He has 15 years experience with process plant designing, R&D of process equipment, layout development, manufacturing and consulting, mostly within the seafood industry. Working with subcontractors and suppliers on various of process plant projects. On site factory problem solving. Intensive work with fishing vessels designers and ship yards both in Europe, N-America and Latin America.
Team of Financial Advisors
Ari Wendel
Ari works privately and also in co-operation with Arctica Finance(www.artica.is) in larger projects. He has been involved in international fisheries and seafood financing for two decades, both in relation to bank financing (Agriculture Bank of Iceland and Landsbanki) and in equity funding and M&A work with Arctica Finance. Among the projects have been some of the largest Icelandic M&A deals and start-up financing projects. Ari holds a BS degree in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from University of Iceland and MS in Food Engineering from Oregon State University.
Senior Advisor
Árni Mathiesen
Árni served as Minister of Fisheries from 1999 to 2005 and then served as Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2009. He was ADG at FAO and head of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department from 2010 to 2020. He studied veterinary medicine at the University of Edinburg and fish pathology at the University of Stirling. He has worked as a veterinarian in various areas of Iceland, he has served as veterinary officer for fish diseases and also the managing director of a aquaculture firm.
Other Advisors in the Ocean Cluster Network
Technical advisors
Þorsteinn Ingi Víglundsson
Páll Gíslason
Haraldur Þorkelsson
Kristján Hallvarðsson
Naval architecture
Hjörtur Emilsson
Financial advisors
Bjarnólfur Lárusson
Ásmundur Gíslason
Runólfur Benediktsson
Jónas Gestur Jónassson
Jón Garðar Guðmundsson
The 100 Team
Kristmann Kristmannsson
Jónas Víðarsson
Ingólfur Örn Guðmundsson
Kristinn Hjálmarsson
Education
Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson
Sara Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Þór Ásgeirsson
Cluster/innovation harbor specialist
Örn Gunnarsson
Past Projects
The IOC has assisted Fishful Future with exploring opportunities for San Diego’s fishing, seafood processing, and culinary industries to move toward a zero-waste seafood supply chain by fully using each fish.
See more: www.fishfulfuture.com
The mission of the NordMar Ports project was to develop a Nordic and North Atlantic network of ports and port ecosystems. The port ecosystem includes ports and port authorities, other relevant public entities, shipping companies (including cargo, fisheries, and passenger ships), energy companies, tourism agencies and companies, as well as companies, clusters, and innovation and science centres in the blue bioeconomy.
The IOC has been part of the The NordMar Ports project since the beginning.
The IOC team has been advising the State of Illinois on utilization and value adding programs for Asian Carp.
Our teams have been advising the Nordic Council of Ministers regarding establishing Blue ports in the Nordic region.
Our team has been advising the Icelandic Government on the future of the Blue economy