With the UK aquaculture industry poised for remarkable growth and the Chilean supply chain demonstrating great strength, a few weeks ago the UK embassy in Chile introduced the Blue Bridge initiative, a program designed for Chilean companies looking to expand their operations and innovations to the UK.

The Department for Business and Trade extended an open invitation to all eligible Chilean companies to win a six-month softlanding programme with personalised support, market presentations and a trade mission to AquacultureUK 2024 in Scotland.

In mid-November, the Embassy announced the seven companies selected to participate in the Blue Bridge program, which were Innovex, Kura Biotech, Kran, Bioled, Lago Sofía, Lythium and Bioelements.

In conversation with Salmonexpert, Gonzalo Santamarina, operations manager and founding partner of Innovex, commented that the motivations for participating in this initiative were the possibility of observing practices, techniques and technology used in Scotland, exchanging experiences with local companies, learning about local innovations, being able to interact with professionals and decision makers and the search for potential customers.

“Through this program we want to enhance Innovex’s services such as real-time monitoring systems, monitoring and oxygen injection systems and oceanographic buoys. The greatest expectation is to be able to carry out tests of our equipment in Scottish companies,” said Santamarina.

For his part, Esteban Riquelme, Business Development Manager of Kura Biotech, stressed that the main motivation for participating in the Blue Bridge program was the expansion of its operations. “We set out to successfully replicate the model we have developed in Chile, especially in UK salmon farms, which share similar challenges to local salmon farmers. In addition, we seek to strengthen existing business relationships in other lines of business.”

According to Riquelme, his main focus is the internationalization of the RESIST Food detection kit. This kit has the ability to detect pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria in food processing products and plants easily, quickly, and at a convenient price. “Through the Blue Bridge program, we seek to promote this product, offering effective and advanced solutions to guarantee food security at an international level,” he said.

“Our expectations for participating in the trade mission in Scotland and AquacultureUK 2024 are ambitious but realistic. Firstly, we seek to establish strong business relationships with various companies in the aquaculture sector in the UK. We want to achieve proper “softlanding”, ensuring a progressive entry into the market and presenting our products effectively. In addition, we aspire to offer our pathogen detection products as reliable solutions for the specific needs of the aquaculture industry in Scotland. We intend not only to sell our existing products, but also to identify opportunities for new developments that can meet the particular demands of this ever-evolving market.”

Opportunities

According to Mauricio Bueno, manager of Kran’s Aquaculture Division, the relevance of the aquaculture sector in Chile has allowed the development of world-class technology providers for the industry. “The Blue Bridge programme is an opportunity to bring our solutions for more sustainable aquaculture production and efficient water management to the UK, and thus get closer to the European market, which is part of our internationalisation strategy. The similarity in the challenges that aquaculture faces in the UK, in relation to building resilience and competitiveness through a transition to sustainable practices, represents an excellent opportunity for the solutions provided by Kran nanobubble applications, focused on the efficient management of water resources and the improvement of water quality without the use of chemicals. We see great opportunities to improve sustainability and production efficiency throughout the cycle, from fattening to fresh produce processing and preservation plants, increasing competitiveness in the European market.”

According to Bueno, the solutions for the aquaculture sector offered by Kran’s technology allow them to think about the entire production cycle. “We particularly see an opportunity in Kran Nanobubble Flake Ice, an application in which the melting of the east is delayed, reducing the presence of microorganisms in the box, maintaining a lower average temperature and as a result extending the shelf life of the fresh product, improving organoleptic characteristics, such as the reduction of odors and the slowing down of the oxidation of galls and adipose cells. In addition, the potential of Kran nanobubble applications at all stages of the production cycle, including production ponds, is added. In these ponds, we intervene in both open flows and RAS systems, applying our solutions to species such as salmon, conger eel and shrimp. In each of these cases, we have noticed substantial improvements in key performance indicators. This has resulted in a higher conversion rate and obtaining larger and heavier animals in a shorter period of time.”

For the executive, the participation in AquacultureUK 2024 and the trade mission in Scotland are of great importance for the company, as its main focus lies in exploring the market from a commercial perspective. “Our B2B services offer solutions at different stages of the production and commercial process, so we hope to be able to increase our presence not only in the UK, but in the European and global market. These platforms will offer us the opportunity to network with new clients and strengthen relationships with current clients in Chile who have a presence in the UK. Considering the results we have obtained, why not think about forging strategic alliances to strengthen our presence in the UK? Also, if the market justifies it, establish operations there.”

The Blue Bridge program will be delivered in two stages. In the first, over a six-month period, companies will learn everything they need to set up their business in the UK, tailored to their specific needs. For the first few months, they will have weekly sessions that will give you all the knowledge they require to successfully establish a presence in the UK.

As the trade mission approaches, they will receive bespoke support in crafting a UK go-to-market strategy, PR support and preparation for their participation in AquacultureUK 2024.