On- & Offshore Incubator And Living Lab
Why
We simply love local seafood, and we want to make sure that the next generation too will be able to enjoy this delicious and healthy source of protein.
The traditional fishing industry, however, has been under pressure for years, due to shifting fish stocks, climate change, the rush to offshore wind energy, the ever-tightening regulation landscape, changing consumption patterns, etc.
That is why we have launched Marifish.Inc vzw, an all-in-one incubator, accelerator, and innovation community. Through Marifish.Inc, we help future-proof the Belgian fishing industry and ease the transition to sustainability, new technologies and a more diverse range of seafood.
How
Achieving commercial success in the highly competitive market of innovative aquaculture remains a challenge. Some start-ups have biological/technical expertise in aquaculture but lack entrepreneurial skills, whereas others are attracted by blue growth business opportunities but have little or no biological/technical expertise.
Marifish.Inc wants to help connect the dots. In the Ostend area we have an impressive range of internationally renowned research centres and facilities and a dynamic entrepreneurial community driven by the fishery port and the Flemish Fish Auction, and we know there are plenty of keen new entrepreneurs out there to boost the blue economy.
So, at Marifish.Inc we bring together all these fantastic stakeholders, facilities and opportunities to drive innovation in the domain of aquaculture. Through our incubator and living lab we offer a combination of
- state-of-the-art workspace and lab facilities
- business coaching tailored to the needs of our start-ups
- matchmaking with a thriving innovation ecosystem.
Collaboration and cocreation are key. Want to help build our innovation ecosystem? Contact our team!
Together we build a thriving innovation ecosystem for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
Together we highlight the assets of the dynamic Ostend fishing industry & community both at home and abroad
Together we promote innovative start-ups and scale-ups via a unique combination of housing, coaching and a vibrant community
What
New and driven entrepreneurs can launch and grow their business at Marifish.Inc in the best possible way: they not only get access to state-of-the-art facilities, but they also get their own business coach and can rely on a powerful network of peers, academics, corporates, and government.
What we have to offer:
- housing
flexible, state-of-the-art workspace and meeting rooms - coaching
your very own sparring partner, challenger and knowledge broker all-in-one to help you grow your business - community
access to a thriving network of peers, corporates, public services, investors, knowledge institutes, etc.
We are looking for (future) start-ups in fisheries & aquaculture value chains with
- an innovative approach
- market intelligence
- (pre) marketable products and/or services
- growth potential
- an entrepreneurial mindset
- a strong willingness to learn & collaborate
Are you ready to be part of our thriving community? Get in touch!
Who
Marifish.Inc wants to promote innovative concepts and start-ups in
- aquaculture and mariculture: extraction of valuable components from raw materials and/or side-streams, onshore algae farms, onshore processing of mariculture production, modelling and anchor techniques, data processing & monitoring, etc.
- transforming traditional fisheries: innovative fishing technology, new business models, data mining, automation and digital transformation, etc.
Marifish.Inc matches these young and driven entrepreneurs with equally driven corporates and other stakeholders, thus building an innovative ecosystem in fisheries and aquaculture and making sure that the next generation too will be able to enjoy the delicious taste of local seafood!
Where
Marifish.Inc is based at the Flemish Fish Auction site, in the heart of the Ostend Fishery port, a thriving hub for fishery, mariculture and aquaculture. We are thus surrounded by dynamic enterprises, operating throughout the value chain. We are also close to the Blue Cluster, assembling over 180 enthusiastic companies and knowledge institutions to promote the blue economy.
What’s more, we are also in the vicinity of internationally renowned research institutes and knowledge hubs, such as the Flanders Rearch Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and Ostend Science Park for Blue Economy (founded by Ghent University, Port Oostende & POM West Flanders). They perform excellent acadamic and practice-oriented research and have state-of-the-art demonstration and research facilities.
The
Marifish.Inc
team
Our
partners
Marifish.Inc was founded by the European Food Centre (home to the Flemish Fish Auction), Voka – Chamber of Commerce West Flanders, and the West Flanders Development Agency (POM West Flanders), thus combining both technical and business expertise, and bringing together complementary networks and facilities.
