NCE Seafood Innovation
NCE Seafood Innovation is a Norwegian non-profit industry cluster (founded 2015, Bergen) that convenes the seafood value chain—aquaculture companies, suppliers, startups, VCs, and research institutions—through tiered memberships and three competency programs: Seafood Trainee, Seafood Next, and Seafood Digital Leder.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBergen, Norway
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NCE Seafood Innovation does
NCE Seafood Innovation is a Norwegian non-profit industry cluster organization established in 2015 and headquartered in Bergen. The organization convenes the entire Norwegian seafood value chain—including aquaculture companies, suppliers, start-ups, venture capital firms, research institutions, and academia—through a tiered membership model and a portfolio of competency programs. Its core offerings are three training programs: Seafood Trainee (a year-long recruitment and trainee program drawing 800+ applicants annually), Seafood Next (a one-year industry introduction program with an international module), and Seafood Digital Leder (a digital transformation program co-developed with NHH). The cluster also operates meeting places (HAVlunsj, member lunches, professional networking meetings) and convenes collaborative innovation projects such as AquaCloud, AquaBalance, Havbruksløftet, and Biosirkel.
The business model is membership-based and recurring. Members pay tiered annual fees ranging from NOK 9,800 (Start Up) to NOK 128,750 (Ordinary Member), with a top Partner tier above that. R&D partners pay NOK 55,000, VC members NOK 38,000, and Growth members NOK 25,000. Programs generate additional fees on top of membership (e.g., Seafood Trainee administration NOK 25,000 plus program fees). Distribution is entirely relationship-based direct sales delivered through a 4-person team, with no digital self-serve channels. Board and partner governance anchors the cluster to C-suite executives at Cargill, DNB, Lerøy Seafood Group, Grieg Seafood, Pharmaq, and Benchmark Genetics, alongside nine R&D institutions including Nofima, SINTEF, UiB, NHH, and NIVA. International reach extends through a partnership with Iceland Ocean Cluster and competency trips to Iceland and Scotland. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the cluster does not develop proprietary technology products and does not monetize data assets.
NCE Seafood Innovation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NCE Seafood Innovation
- Legal name
- NCE Seafood
- Website
- https://seafoodinnovation.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NCE Seafood Innovation is a Norwegian non-profit industry cluster (founded 2015, Bergen) that convenes the seafood value chain—aquaculture companies, suppliers, startups, VCs, and research institutions—through tiered memberships and three competency programs: Seafood Trainee, Seafood Next, and Seafood Digital Leder.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NCE Seafood Innovation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aquaculture Industry Cluster Services
- NAICS
- Aquaculture (11251)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquaculture Harvest, Processing & Packing (Farmed Finfish/Shellfish; On-Farm Plants) (AFANADAL)
Keywords
Where NCE Seafood Innovation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bergen
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
NCE Seafood Innovation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership fees: NCE Seafood generates revenue through annual membership fees charged at different tier levels. Partner tier requires contacting for pricing. Ordinary members pay NOK 128,750/year. R&D partners pay NOK 55,000/year. Venture Capital members pay NOK 38,000/year. Growth members pay NOK 25,000/year. Start-up members pay NOK 9,800/year. The Seafood Trainee program also generates revenue through administration fees (NOK 25,000) and program fees (NOK 34,375 for Start Up/Growth/VC members, NOK 68,750 for non-members). The Seafood Next program charges an administration fee of NOK 15,000. Seafood Digital charges NOK 5,900 for members/partners and NOK 9,900 for non-members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Partner membership - for companies wanting close cluster involvement and strategic advisory roles |
| Subscription | Annual | Ordinary member - for companies supplying products or services within/to the seafood industry |
| Subscription | Annual | R&D partner - for organizations and educational institutions engaged in R&D |
| Subscription | Annual | Venture Capital member - for investors/venture companies investing in early-stage seafood companies |
| Subscription | Annual | Growth member - for startups up to ten years old with more than 10 employees |
| Subscription | Annual | Start Up member - for startups up to five years old with negative financial result |
| Subscription | Annual | Seafood Trainee - Partner/Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Seafood Trainee - Start Up, Growth, Venture Capital |
| Subscription | Annual | Seafood Trainee - Non-member |
| Subscription | Annual | Seafood Next - all categories |
| Subscription | Annual | Seafood Digital - Partner and member |
| Subscription | Annual | Seafood Digital - Non-member |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
NCE Seafood Innovation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NCE Seafood Innovation operates as a Norwegian national industry cluster that delivers membership-based services to the seafood sector. Its core offerings include three named competency programs (Seafood Trainee for recruitment, Seafood Next for new-hire onboarding, Seafood Digital Leder for digital transformation training), tiered membership services (Partner, Ordinary, R&D, Venture Capital, Growth, Start Up), networking meeting places, and facilitation of collaborative innovation projects across the seafood value chain.
Product overview
NCE Seafood Innovation is a national industry cluster organization offering a portfolio of competency programs and networking services for the Norwegian seafood industry. The core offerings include three named training programs: Seafood Trainee (recruitment-focused trainee program), Seafood Next (industry introduction competency program), and Seafood Digital Leder (digital transformation training for leaders). These programs are complemented by membership services with multiple tiers, meeting place networking opportunities, and collaborative innovation projects. The organization does not operate a unified software platform but rather serves as a hub connecting industry players through education, knowledge sharing, and project collaboration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Seafood Trainee: Trainee program for the entire seafood industry, open to the entire industry for recruitment purposes. Year-long program with four modules consisting of 3 days each.
- Seafood Next
- Seafood Digital
Products and services
- Seafood Trainee
- Seafood Next
- Seafood Digital Leder
- Membership Programs
- Meeting Places
- Innovation Projects
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 800 applicants to Seafood Trainee program in 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use NCE Seafood Innovation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NCE Seafood Innovation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NCE Seafood Innovation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CargillcoreCargill is listed as a Partner of NCE Seafood, alongside other major industry players. As a leading fish feed producer and ingredient supplier, Cargill contributes to industry projects and participates in competency programs. Tarjei Eide, MD of Cargill's fish feed production in Europe and North America, is represented on NCE Seafood's board.
- DNBcoreDNB is listed as a Partner of NCE Seafood, providing financial sector expertise and investment perspective to the cluster. Anne Hvistendahl, Global Head of Seafood at DNB, serves on NCE Seafood's board.
- Lerøy Seafood GroupcoreLerøy Seafood Group is a Partner of NCE Seafood and one of the world's largest producers of salmon. Henning Beltestad, CEO of Lerøy Seafood Group, serves on NCE Seafood's board.
- PharmaqcorePharmaq is a Partner of NCE Seafood and uses Seafood Next as part of competency development and onboarding. Nils Arne Grønlie, General Manager of Pharmaq Analytiq, serves on NCE Seafood's board.
- Grieg SeafoodcoreGrieg Seafood is a Partner of NCE Seafood and uses Seafood Next as part of competency development. Nina Willumsen Grieg, CEO of Grieg Seafood Group, serves on NCE Seafood's board.
- Benchmark GeneticscoreBenchmark Genetics is a Partner of NCE Seafood and uses Seafood Next as part of competency development. Benchmark Genetics Iceland was visited by Seafood Next participants as part of the program's international module on aquaculture genetics.
- ThommessenminorThommessen is listed as a Partner of NCE Seafood, providing legal expertise to the cluster.
- EYminorEY is listed as a Partner of NCE Seafood, providing professional services and consulting expertise.
- Iceland Ocean ClustercoreIceland Ocean Cluster is a key international partner of NCE Seafood. Seafood Next participants visit Iceland as part of their program to learn about 100% Fish utilization and innovative practices. The partnership facilitates cross-border knowledge exchange between Norwegian and Icelandic seafood industries.
- GCE Ocean TechnologycoreGCE Ocean Technology co-organizes HAVlunsj (SEA Lunch) events together with VIS, Maritime Bergen, NCE Seafood, Marineholmen, and Maritime CleanTech. This is a regular monthly networking event for maritime industries.
- VIS (Visualization, Interaction and Exploration)coreVIS co-organizes HAVlunsj events with GCE Ocean Technology, Maritime Bergen, NCE Seafood, Marineholmen, and Maritime CleanTech.
- Maritime BergencoreMaritime Bergen co-organizes HAVlunsj events with GCE Ocean Technology, VIS, NCE Seafood, Marineholmen, and Maritime CleanTech.
- MarineholmencoreMarineholmen co-organizes HAVlunsj events and is the host location for NCE Seafood's office in Bergen. Marineholmen is the center of the maritime cluster in Bergen.
- Maritime CleanTechminorMaritime CleanTech co-organizes HAVlunsj events with the broader maritime cluster network.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NCE Seafood Innovation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GCE Ocean Technology: Norwegian global center of expertise for ocean technology, co-located with NCE Seafood on Marineholmen and co-host of HAVlunsj; comparable cluster model serving ocean/maritime technology members.
- VIS (Visualization Center): Bergen-based visualization and exploration research cluster that co-organizes HAVlunsj events; adjacent cluster serving similar maritime/ocean-tech members from the same Marineholmen location.
- Iceland Ocean Cluster: Direct peer: Icelandic national seafood/aquaculture industry cluster offering member services, networking, and innovation programs. Already partners with NCE Seafood and is functionally equivalent in mission and structure.
- Maritime CleanTech: Norwegian cluster focused on clean technology within the maritime and ocean industries; co-hosts events with NCE Seafood and serves a similar member-base structure with cluster-as-membership model.
- Maritime Bergen: Bergen-based maritime cluster organization that co-organizes events with NCE Seafood; operates a near-identical cluster model for the broader maritime sector in the same geographic and partnership ecosystem.
Others
- Norwegian-African Business Association: Another Norwegian membership-based industry cluster model; relevant only as a structural analog demonstrating that the cluster/membership playbook is replicated across Norwegian industries.
- NCE Maritime Cleantech (sub-cluster of Maritime CleanTech): Adjacent NCE-style cluster under the Norwegian Centre of Expertise (NCE) program; illustrates the broader Norwegian cluster ecosystem of which NCE Seafood is a part and against which it competes for member mind-share.
Broad incumbents
- Sjømat Norge (Norwegian Seafood Association): National industry trade association for the Norwegian seafood industry, including aquaculture, wild-catch, and processing. Functions as a broader-incumbent peer representing the same member constituencies at a national policy and industry level.
Regional players
- Innovamar: Chilean aquaculture and seafood innovation cluster; comparable regional cluster model focused on Chilean salmon economy - a direct geographic analog serving an analogous salmon industry.
- Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre: Scottish aquaculture innovation cluster funded through industry, academia, and government - structurally analogous to NCE Seafood and a key reference point for cross-border program visits already hosted by NCE Seafood.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NCE Seafood Innovation social profiles
Digital presenceNCE Seafood Innovation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NCE Seafood Innovation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
NCE Seafood Innovation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NCE Seafood Innovation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NCE Seafood Innovation
What does NCE Seafood Innovation do?
NCE Seafood Innovation operates as a Norwegian national industry cluster that delivers membership-based services to the seafood sector. Its core offerings include three named competency programs (Seafood Trainee for recruitment, Seafood Next for new-hire onboarding, Seafood Digital Leder for digital transformation training), tiered membership services (Partner, Ordinary, R&D, Venture Capital, Growth, Start Up), networking meeting places, and facilitation of collaborative innovation projects across the seafood value chain.
Is NCE Seafood Innovation a public or private company?
NCE Seafood Innovation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NCE Seafood Innovation founded?
NCE Seafood Innovation was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NCE Seafood Innovation based?
NCE Seafood Innovation is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does NCE Seafood Innovation make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership fees.
Who are NCE Seafood Innovation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GCE Ocean Technology, VIS (Visualization Center), Iceland Ocean Cluster, Maritime CleanTech and Maritime Bergen. Others are Norwegian-African Business Association and NCE Maritime Cleantech (sub-cluster of Maritime CleanTech). Sjømat Norge (Norwegian Seafood Association) is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Innovamar and Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre.
Does NCE Seafood Innovation have an API?
No public API is recorded for NCE Seafood Innovation.
What industry is NCE Seafood Innovation in?
NCE Seafood Innovation's product category is Aquaculture Industry Cluster Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANADAL, Aquaculture Harvest, Processing & Packing (Farmed Finfish/Shellfish; On-Farm Plants). Its NAICS code is 11251 and its SIC code is 2000.