We will continue to be relevant and forward-thinking

In September 2026, we will once again present a broad and strong conference program, says Erlend Sødal. The chairman, with a background from Skretting and Akva Group, is passionate as he talks about AquaNext’s ambitions. -We made a big investment with six full-day conferences during the 2024 event. We had dedicated conference tracks on topics such as fish health, digitalization, and raw materials. This was successful and inspires us to create an equally good program in 2026.

-To succeed, we must be perceived as relevant, says Sødal. Therefore, leading up to the next event, we will work closely with the industry to gather ideas and input for valuable themes and issues – preferably with a ‘pulse’ – that concern both the industry and society. We had the pleasure of collaborating with several fish farmers and companies from across the value chain in conference committees, and we will repeat this.

-We have a strong academic environment at the University of Stavanger, internationally recognized for its understanding of the industry’s drivers and economics in a societal context. Professors Tveteraas and Misund see the value of AquaNext in raising important discussions about aquaculture management.

An exciting topic is how digitalization and AI will evolve decision-making and operational models in the industry, and how this interacts with other technological developments and biology. We will focus on this and follow it up. Our conferences will continue to highlight themes such as fish health, technology, and digitalization, as well as the interplay between them. The development potential here is immense. How can regulators and commercial players take advantage of this? AquaNext will be the meeting place where these topics are presented and debated, where industry players, elected officials, and environmental organizations meet and challenge each other.

All in all, this will be a truly diverse and busy ant colony of actors and opinions – it’s going to be really exciting!