Minister of Research and Higher Education Ola Borten Moe visited GC Rieber VivoMega.

Jan Roger Bjerkestrand, Ola Borten Moe, Frode Jenssen and Bente Jeanette Foss.

The minister participated in the official start of construction of the new Campus in Kristiansund before he came to GC Rieber to be presented with our ongoing research – and development projects.

CEO Jan Roger Bjerkestrand and CTO Bente Jeanette Foss welcomed Minister Ola Borten Moe, along with local politicans Marit Krogsæter and Geir Inge Lien.

The R&D department at GC Rieber VivoMega is constantly working with new projects. One of the projects is to develop a new technology to see if it’s possible to make omega3 concentrates using Norwegian raw materials, mainly from white fish. The project is sponsored by the Norwegian Research council and done in collaboration with SINTF and ORIVO.

At GC Rieber VivoMega employees with education level from Batchelor up to PhD level has gone from 6% to 42%. This is what it takes to be the leader in the industry and make excellent fish oil concentrates sustanably. Recruitment is essential and we need Campus Kristiansund, as well as Technical College. 10% of our process operators are apprentices and we cherish and challenges them, in the hope that they will stay with us, or return when they have finished further studies.

Ola Borten Moe got a brief introduction to the industry and then had a tour at the factory. We hope he got inspired to see that the investments the state is doing in our work with research and development is positive for not only GC Rieber but also for the Norwegian fishing industry. After all GC Rieber VivoMega’s vision is to improve human health with superior omega3s through sustainable and innovative solutions

Frode Jenssen at the control room of GC Rieber VivoMega doing a tour for Minister Ola Borten Moe.