Institute of Marine Research

What Institute of Marine Research does

The Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet, or HI) is a Norwegian government administrative research institute (forvaltningsorgan) directly under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (Nærings- og fiskeridepartementet). Headquartered in Bergen, it operates as Norway's national advisory research institute for marine biological resources, providing research-based advice to authorities on fisheries management, aquaculture regulation, and marine ecosystem governance. The institute employs approximately 1,030 staff across its headquarters and four research stations in Austevoll, Flødevigen, Matre, and Tromsø, making it one of the largest marine research institutes in Europe. Its primary constituents are the Norwegian government, fisheries management authorities, the aquaculture industry, and international organizations such as the FAO.

Name

Institute of Marine Research

Legal name

Havforskningsinstituttet

Website

https://hi.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet) is a Norwegian government research institute headquartered in Bergen, employing ~1,030 staff, that provides marine research, monitoring, and advisory services to the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, the aquaculture industry, and international partners like FAO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Research and Advisory Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Marine research services
• Fisheries management advice
• Aquaculture monitoring
• Oceanographic data
• Marine ecosystem advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Institute of Marine Research is a national advisory research institute organized as a government agency directly under the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. Core activities are funded through government appropriations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Institute of Marine Research is a Norwegian government research institute that conducts marine scientific research, performs ecosystem monitoring, and provides evidence-based advisory services to the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and international bodies. It operates research vessels and four research stations to produce stock assessments, seafood safety data, climate status reports, and aquaculture risk evaluations.

Product overview

The Institute of Marine Research operates as a Norwegian government research institute providing marine research, advisory services, and monitoring. The organization functions as a unified research institution offering multiple interconnected services: research publications (Toktrapport, Rapport fra havforskningen, Fisken og havet), data platforms (Sjømatdata seafood database, Norwegian Marine Data Centre), climate and environmental monitoring (Klimastatus), and advisory services for aquaculture and fisheries management. Infrastructure includes four research stations (Austevoll, Flødevigen, Matre, Tromsø) and research vessels equipped with acoustic survey systems. The annual Risikorapport norsk fiskeoppdrett synthesizes environmental risk assessments for Norwegian aquaculture operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toktrapport (Survey Reports) Survey reports documenting research cruise findings, methodologies, and results from fieldwork conducted on IMR's research vessels across Norwegian and international waters.
• Rapport fra havforskningen (Research Reports) Comprehensive research reports covering topics such as aquaculture risk assessment, salmon lice monitoring, escaped farmed salmon studies, and environmental impact assessments.
• Fisken og havet (The Fish and the Sea) Scientific publication series addressing marine ecosystems, fisheries science, environmental status, and resource assessments for Norwegian waters.
• Sjømatdata (Seafood Data Portal) Online database providing seafood monitoring data, including information on contaminants, nutrients, and safety parameters in Norwegian seafood products.
• Klimastatus (Climate Status) Annual climate monitoring reports providing status on ocean circulation, water masses, and climate conditions for Norwegian coastal and marine areas including the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea.
• Research Vessels (Johan Hjort, Dr. Fridtjof Nansen) IMR-operated research vessels including FF Johan Hjort and the FAO/Norway Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, equipped with acoustic survey systems (Simrad EK80), CTD probes, and trawling equipment for marine research.
• Forskningsstasjoner (Research Stations) Four research stations located in Austevoll, Flødevigen, Matre, and Tromsø providing laboratory facilities and field research capabilities for marine science studies.
• Norwegian Marine Data Centre (NMDC) National marine data centre responsible for collecting, archiving, and disseminating marine research data from IMR surveys and monitoring programs.
• Akvakultur Rådgivning (Aquaculture Advisory) Advisory services for Norwegian aquaculture industry covering salmon lice monitoring, environmental impacts, fish health, and sustainable farming practices.
• Risikorapport norsk fiskeoppdrett (Norwegian Aquaculture Risk Report) Annual risk assessment reports evaluating environmental impacts of Norwegian fish farming, including sea lice, disease spread, genetic interactions, and pollution risks.
• Nansen Programme Surveys International ocean survey program operated jointly with FAO using research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, covering nearly 60 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean for fish stock assessment, biodiversity surveys, and climate impact research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16-year monitoring study tracking nearly 7,000 salmon fillet samples and nearly 1,000 fish feed samples for nutrients and contaminants (2006-2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen is operated through a partnership between FAO and Norway's Institute of Marine Research as part of the Nansen Programme. The vessel functions as a floating scientific platform collecting data on fish populations, marine biodiversity, ocean health and climate change impacts to help governments make evidence-based decisions on fisheries and ocean governance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IFREMER: France's national marine research institute with comparable scope in fisheries science, oceanography, and aquaculture advisory to government. Like IMR, IFREMER operates research vessels and laboratory stations and provides stock assessments to national authorities.
• DTU Aqua (Technical University of Denmark): Denmark's primary marine fisheries and aquaculture research department. Comparable Nordic national research function providing similar advisory services to Danish authorities on fish stocks and aquaculture industry environmental impact.
• SINTEF Ocean: Norway's leading applied marine and aquaculture research organization. Provides closely related aquaculture, fisheries, and ocean technology research, often working alongside IMR or competing for the same Norwegian research mandate.
• GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel: Germany's largest marine research institute focused on ocean science, climate, and marine ecosystem research. Comparable in scope of ocean observation and advisory research and partnered through European marine science networks.
• Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): UK-based marine science organization conducting oceanographic, fisheries, and aquaculture research. Operates research vessels and laboratories on a comparable national-advisory scale to IMR, including long-term ocean monitoring.
• Marine Biological Association (MBA): UK marine biology research organization with a long history of marine science work including plankton monitoring and marine biodiversity research. Comparable in research scope and advisory nature, though smaller in operational scale.

Broad incumbents

• NOAA Fisheries: U.S. federal agency providing fisheries science and management advice with analogous mandate for stock assessments, marine mammal research, and aquaculture guidance. Functions as a much larger direct counterpart in regulatory advisory role.
• CSIRO (Marine and Atmosphere): Australia's national science agency with significant marine research capability covering fisheries, oceanography, and climate. Provides similar government advisory role from a national agency perspective with research vessels and monitoring programs.

Others

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): UN agency partner in the Nansen Programme. Not a competitive peer, but FAO sets global fisheries management standards and commissions international ocean surveys from institutes including IMR, making it a key ecosystem participant.

Regional players

• Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI): Swedish government agency conducting marine and oceanographic monitoring with comparable Nordic operational footprint. Performs related environmental monitoring and oceanographic advisory work for Swedish authorities across the same regional seas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/havforskningsinstituttet
• Xx.com/havforskningen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/havforskningsinstituttet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Marine Research