Fish firms net £80,000 for research projects

Two seafood companies have each won almost £40,000 from Interface Food & Drink to carry out research with universities.

Scottish Salmon Company is to work with the University of Aberdeen to look at ways of converting waste water into fuels and chemicals.

Managing director Craig Anderson said: “We operate in a competitive market and innovation plays an important role in helping realise enhanced ways of working at sites across Scotland.”

Meanwhile, Dawnfresh will team up with Abertay University on a project to research consumer responses to variations in the production of trout.

Head of marketing Russell Donaldson said: “We will be able to refine and adapt our processes, as well as developing products with the consumer in mind.”

Interface Food & Drink is funded by Scottish Funding Council and was set up with the aim of promoting partnerships between businesses and academics to drive innovation through knowledge exchange, collaboration and funding.

Project manager Helen Pratt said: “Innovation is the lifeblood of the industry. We believe that by getting industry and academia to collaborate, we can achieve exciting advances that will keep Scotland at the forefront of the sector, and that is the reason why we have created this competition.”