Jorgen - Project Manager

The Story

Passionate about improving aquaculture and fish farming to fuel a healthy and sustainable industry, Jørgen played a key role in DNV’s acquisition of Åkerblå. We learn why that’s such good news for DNV – and for our future sources of protein.

What project are you most excited about right now?

Since I started in DNV five years ago I’ve had an exciting career, working with research & innovation, strategy development and acquisitions. To date, I must admit that the most exciting project has been the acquisition of Åkerblå, who are already a world leading player in fish health management and environmental impact verification. Seeing more than 500 aquaculture experts across DNV and Åkerblå working together to shape a more sustainable industry is just epic. Daring to take this strategic step and confidently position ourselves at the heart of aquaculture assurance was a great move for DNV.

But our strategic ambitions will of course also benefit the entire aquaculture industry. Our intention behind this acquisition is to build an international powerhouse that supports our customers managing rapid growth, industrialization and heightened social expectations. So, together, our combined expertise can help us offer customers the entire range of services they need to meet the steadily increasing demands of consumers, authorities, and investors.

Why does this project feel so important right now?

Åkerblå has been expanding internationally, and we want to help them keep growing. It’s a perfect partnership, because together we can work on holistic risk management in fish health, biodiversity, and technological development. I’m passionate about leveraging our expertise to develop good industry standards, which will be crucial in the years to come.

Regrettably, there have been several incidents in this sector where fish health and welfare have been compromised, tarnishing the fish-farming industry’s reputation. I’m determined to support the operators placing fish health and biodiversity at the top of the agenda, ensuring that the industry is equipped to demonstrate that they have their house in order. This is essential for restoring trust and confidence in the industry, crucial for maintaining the social license to operate.

What makes your work feel impactful?

This project couldn’t feel more important for me, seeing that our food system is under significant stress. We know that food security is vulnerable to conflict, disease and climate change. There is a need for a dietary shift towards healthier food and the twin challenge of climate change vs nature preservation has heightened the focus on sustainable transformations in our global food systems. I believe some people still underestimate the potential of the aquaculture industry, but we need to ensure that concerns regarding animal welfare and biodiversity are not compromised due to short-term profits and operational efficiency.

Harvest from wild fish stocks won’t be enough to meet the increase in demand that we are going to see by 2050, and so aquaculture is going to become a huge source of healthy proteins in our diets in the future. I’m incredibly proud that we can develop future-oriented solutions for the industry, and lead the sustainable production of good, healthy food.

What makes you feel like you’re at the heart of things at DNV?

I love that, at DNV, being young doesn’t stop you doing exciting work: you’ll be given responsibility and exciting opportunities. For the past few years, I’ve been the project manager of this ambitious new aquaculture strategy. I never thought an opportunity like this would come so early in my career, and I’m so grateful that, together with my colleagues, I’m able to really make an impact.