Why is Innovation important to Benchmark?
Through innovation Benchmark develops products and solutions that address the current and future needs of our customers in a way that enhances sustainability for the global aquaculture industry.
Benchmark’s mission is to drive sustainability in aquaculture by delivering products and solutions that improve farm efficiency, animal growth and animal health and welfare. We achieve this by bringing together our commercial insights and scientific expertise with technology platforms to drive step-change improvements for our customers.
Over the last 20+ years, Benchmark has developed numerous breakthrough solutions in genetics, advanced nutrition and health, addressing some of the most important sustainability challenges, from disease resistance to consistency in production and environmental impact.
Innovation has been at the core of Benchmark as a pioneer and industry leader driving sustainability.
Innovation Strategy
We are a customer-centric organisation, and our innovation strategy is centred around our customers’ need for sustainable solutions, harnessing our expertise in our core areas of genetics, advanced nutrition, and health. As a leading aquaculture biotechnology company, effective research and development pipelines are essential to the next generation of products and services.
We undertake internal and collaborative R&D programs targeted both at incremental innovations which are close-to-market, and longer-term breakthroughs with disruptive potential to tackle some of aquaculture’s main sustainability challenges. To achieve this balance, we set key performance indicators to help us assess our portfolio, investment profile and ultimately return on investment from innovation activities.
The Benchmark Innovation Board oversees and facilitates R&D collaboration and governance across our three business areas, aligning strategic oversight of market developments and opportunities with R&D priorities.
Optimising genetic improvement of salmon, shrimp, and other aquaculture species
Key strategic internal R&D projects and objectives:
- Development and optimization of genomic selection and trait recording to continuously improve health and performance of salmon, and shrimp
- New methods for mass production of sterile production animals
- Gene editing to introduce key health and performance traits in salmon
- Optimisation of sea lice prevention and treatment
Development of tools for effective sea lice management
Key strategic internal R&D projects and objectives:
- Improvement of formulated diets, ultimately targeting live feed replacement, for both fish and shrimp
- Optimising probiotics for microbial management in fish and shrimp culture
- Automation and optimization of live feed application in fish and shrimp hatcheries
Solutions for maximising early-life nutrition of marine aquaculture species
Key strategic internal R&D projects and objectives
- Optimisation of sea lice prevention and treatment
R&D and partnership collaborations
Benchmark engages in a dynamic blend of internal R&D and collaborative worldwide R&D initiatives with leading researchers, universities, and companies. Several strategic partnerships provide robust support to some of our most important R&D priorities. These collaborative partnerships allow us to access additional leading expertise and funding resources, maintain our excellent standing in the scientific community, and (co)develop intellectual property for future products and services.
Major partnerships include the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen (Gene editing and sterility); Nofima As (Genomic selection, gene editing); The Roslin Institute (Genomics and disease resistance); and University of Iceland (Sterility in salmon).
