ABEC, ACEP and Center ICE Partner to Deepen Collaboration with Iceland
Supporting innovation centered around marine industries makes sense to countries and states that have vast coastlines. Alaska and Iceland, which both have extensive coastlines, share an interest in cultivating marine innovation and industries through business accelerators called “clusters.”
The Iceland Ocean Cluster has worked closely with the state of Alaska for years. The Alaska Ocean Cluster, recently merged with the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, was one of the first sister clusters of IOC to be established outside of Iceland. In 2019, IOC and the then-director of the Alaska Ocean Cluster, Justin Sternberg, signed a memorandum of understanding to expand their collaboration.
As a result, the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska Blue Economy Center, Alaska Center for Energy and Power, and Alaska Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship, have engaged with Erlingur Gudleifsson, one of Iceland’s foremost innovators in seafood processing. This partnership will promote the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge in the fields of fisheries, energy and innovation between Iceland and Alaska. Gudleifsson has been a member of IOC’s advisory team since 2018 and will be based at the Ocean Cluster House in Reykjavik in his new position. He is a mechanical engineer and has extensive experience and knowledge in the fields of marine product innovation and full utilization. Gudleifsson holds an MBA from Reykjavík University.
“We look forward to further developing academic and industry collaboration between Iceland and Alaska through this partnership,” said Sternberg, now ABEC’s director. “Both regions are world leaders in sustainable seafood and energy innovation and have much to share to our mutual benefit. We welcome Erlingur and are grateful to IOC founder and Chairman Thor Sigfusson for his leadership and engagement with Alaska.”
“I have long believed there are many avenues for knowledge sharing between Alaska and Iceland,” said Gwen Holdmann, UAF’s associate vice chancellor of research for innovation and industry partnerships. “I am looking forward to strengthening existing partnerships and growing new ones, and I believe Erlingur has the right background and skills to help foster these collaborations. We are fortunate to have him as part of our team!”
UAF is a leader in Arctic research in fisheries, mariculture and the development of rural energy infrastructure. Through this partnership, UAF will fortify its position in energy and blue economy matters. UAF is the first American university to work officially at the Ocean Cluster House in Reykjavík.
Erlingur Gudleifsson joins UAF to promote the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge in the fields of fisheries, energy and innovation from Iceland to Alaska. Photo by Jeff Fisher.