DNV invests in Aquabench to strengthen knowledge, digitalization and sustainability in Chilean aquaculture
DNV has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Aquabench S.A., a leading provider of services, analytics and insights to the Chilean salmon industry. The investment will support Aquabench’s continued growth and give its customers access to even more advanced solutions, tools and analytical capabilities.
As the world’s second-largest producer of salmon, Chile is one of the most important aquaculture markets globally. With DNV's global footprint and trusted technical expertise Aquabench will be even better positioned to drive innovation and further development, while maintaining its independence, customer proximity and deep understanding of the local industry.
Aquabench holds a unique position in the Chilean aquaculture industry as a neutral and collaborative information platform, built on an extensive database of production, environmental and fish health data. Integrity and responsible handling of information will remain fundamental principles for the business. DNV and Aquabench also confirm their shared commitment to the highest standards of confidentiality, data security and data governance, ensuring both the protection of customers’ sensitive information and compliance with applicable competition law.
“Chile is one of the world’s most important producers of high value seafood, and the investment in Aquabench reflects DNV’s long-term commitment to supporting the sustainable development of the industry. With DNV as a majority owner, Aquabench will have an even stronger foundation for developing new offerings and delivery models, continuing to be a strategic support for the Chilean aquaculture industry and adjacent sectors,” said Geir Fuglerud, CEO Life Sciences at DNV.
As part of DNV’s global ecosystem, Aquabench will be able to contribute to faster development of innovative services in areas such as fish health, biosecurity environmental analytics, and sustainability. One particularly important area will be the further development of collaborative fish health projects, which can create new opportunities for knowledge sharing and help address common challenges through development of best practice across markets and regions.
Digitalization will be central to this new phase. Through DNV’s global experience in risk management, technology and assurance, Aquabench will be able to develop digital solutions faster and to a higher standard. This will provide customers with more reliable information, more efficient processes and a stronger basis for decision-making, while giving companies deeper insight into production and operational conditions based on robust data and advanced analytics.
“Aquabench has built a unique position based on trust, data and deep industry knowledge. By combining the company's local expertise and insight with DNV’s global capabilities, we see significant opportunities to accelerate innovation, digitalization and knowledge-sharing for the benefit of customers in Chile and abroad,” said Rikard Albrigtsen, International Business Development Lead at DNV.
The investment also means that Aquabench becomes part of an international company and expert communities within aquaculture, technology and sustainability. This unlocks new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge transfer and synergies across markets and disciplines, with customer needs and the development of the Chilean aquaculture industry as the clear starting point.
“Aquaculture companies are facing increasingly stringent requirements related to traceability, sustainability and operational efficiency. This investment gives us the opportunity to strengthen our role as an independent knowledge partner and offer the industry increasingly digital, precise and future-oriented solutions,” said Joel Leal, General Manager of Aquabench.
Preserving the trust and strong relationships Aquabench has built with its customers will remain a high priority. The investment will also support the further development of Salmobench, Aquabench’s digital intelligence platform for the Chilean salmon industry, providing digital intelligence platform to support informed decisions throughout the value chain.
The investment follows DNV’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in Aqualis, a Chilean provider of aquaculture infrastructure inspection and certification services. Both investments reflect DNV’s long-term commitment to Chile’s aquaculture industry, strengthening its capabilities in infrastructure assurance, industry insight and digital decision support.