This workshop aims to enforce the importance of innovation as a key factor of competitiveness in the fishing and aquaculture sector. It is proposed to emphasise seafood transformation: fourth and fifth range products, and catering.

P R O G R A M M E

Friday 21, 09:00-13:00

Room: Teatro Sala Casona (Laboral)

CHAIR: Arturo González (General Director of Fundación Innovamar)

OPENING: Aurora de Blas (Deputy Director General of Fisheries Economics)

SPEAKERS:

RAMON CLOTET (FUNDACIÓN TRIPTOLEMOS)

“Marine production: its future contribution to food development”

Societies need food, and fast-paced development means they increasingly need it in a stable, semiprocessed or processed form, to provide for the needs of a global market. Sea products, present and future, which enjoy great popularity in many cultures, have strengthened their position thanks to their nutritional qualities. The industry that generates these products needs to brace itself for the challenges ahead in two key areas: the balance between primary production and sustainability on the one hand, and transformational production on the other. Work in these two areas must be coordinated and oriented to making innovative headway along the lines set out by the OECD, ie innovation is not just products and technology. It also implies new raw materials, internal strategies and marketing techniques. Any organisation seeking to innovate must open up to the market of the real world and new ideas.

NABIL KHAYYAT (CENTRE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY)

“Innovation and creativity in fisheries and aquaculture products”

In the last ten years, capital and material assets were the key elements for production. Technology was available “key in hand” and assured business success. This is how the industrial society was shaped. Today we have a knowledge-based society, driven by the intensive implementation of knowledge. We thus face hitherto unknown challenges and opportunities, with real possibilities for the use of scientific and technological knowledge to become more differentiated and enhance our competitiveness. In today’s dynamic markets, where the average life of products has been significantly shortened, companies are forced to act quickly if they intend to survive. Their response must necessarily be based on creativity, and creative strategies are a must in any real-life situation. We have no alternative but to react, and innovation is the right way to go.

FEDERICO MORAIS (SPANISH FEDERATION OF FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRIES)

“Open innovation"

Businesses in the food industry are currently seeing a reduction in their competitive advantage, stemming from the fact that their main suppliers have turned their services into a commodity, which becomes rapidly shared with competitors. The major risk is losing control of the value chain of knowledge. The industry must draw on the concept of open innovation to establish strategic partnerships that will enable all the know-how to be used by stakeholders in the development of new processes and products.

RAFAEL ANSÓN (ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY OF GASTRONOMY)

“Gastronomy of the sea"

Sea cuisine has always been one of the great pillars of Spanish gastronomical culture. Ever since the 17th century, cuisine treaties have advocated a mild treatment of the best fish and seafood as the best way to preserve their taste. In modern times, traditional recipes and the creative formulations of master chefs are a rich source of ideas for healty eating enthusiasts and cooking fans.

JAVIER BORDERÍAS (INSTITUTE OF REFRIGERATION. SPANISH NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL)

“Gourmet by-products: from the imagination to the dinner table"

One way of utilising the by-products of fish flesh or the flesh of non-marketable species is by making use of processes that re-structure fish flesh, once removed from the bone structure. Thus, products with attractive textures and appearances are obtained. These processes include cold gelling through use of ingredients and thermal gelling of minced flesh or surimi. In this lecture, Javier Borderías will be explaining how the technology works and showing some examples of products prepared in his laboratory.

ELENA CALZADO ROLDÁN (FUNDACIÓN INNOVAMAR. PESCAPLUS)

“Innovation is no longer innovative"

We are in the “age of innovation”. In times of crisis, Europe holds on to this word like a shipwrecked seafarer to a floating plank. Most companies are aware that they need to be innovative if they are to survive in today’s competitive, fast-moving, global economic environment. But if we all innovate, innovation ceases to be innovative. Instead of setting us apart from our competitors, it becomes an obligation for business survival. Innovation implies a far-reaching change in corporate values and behaviour, which is only effective if it is adopted in a swift and constant manner. This is a complex process that does not assure success, although in most cases it is worth the effort. The key lies in knowing which steps to take, how to encourage creativity, and which organisational measures need to be adopted in order to realise and channel the full potential of the innovating spirit.

LEAD: Elena Calzado Roldán

Fisheries and Acuaculture Division, Fundación INNOVAMAR

ecalzadoinnovamar [dot] org (ecalzado[at]innovamar[dot]org)