What if the seafood of the future were already here?

A food magazine from a future that doesn’t yet exist. A Swedish cannery that perhaps should exist. And lots of delicious seafood that actually already exists. On Seafood Day, October 19, we’ll present our fictional magazine, *Sjömatskuriren*, a playful glimpse into what Swedish seafood might look like in the future.

Sweden has fantastic ingredients from the sea and lakes. We have the expertise, the people, and the companies that develop new products and solutions. Yet much of Sweden’s seafood rarely makes it all the way to our plates.

Through the Blå Samverkan (BlåS) project, we bring together stakeholders from research, the business community, and the public sector to develop the blue economy and create more opportunities for Swedish seafood. Here, we meet people every day who bring ideas, knowledge, and drive. Companies developing new products, researchers exploring possibilities, and stakeholders who want to work together to contribute to a more sustainable and resilient food supply.

So, how can we get more people to discover all the good things that are out there and, at the same time, see the possibilities in what’s on the horizon?

That became the starting point for *Sjömatskuriren*, a fictional food magazine where reality blends with visions of the future. Drawing inspiration from food magazines of yesteryear, we’ve created a few spreads featuring recipes, new products, and stories from a future where Swedish seafood has taken on a much more prominent role in our daily lives.

– Those of us who work in the blue economy see the opportunities every day. We interact with the people, the companies, the raw materials, and the innovations. But how do we get more people to see what we see? With *Sjömatskuriren*, we wanted to create an opportunity for ourselves to demonstrate how the food of the future from the sea and lakes can become more enjoyable, smarter, and perhaps easier to imagine,” says Kristin Johansson at Innovatum Science Park.

The future already has a history

It’s no coincidence that *Sjömatskuriren* looks like a food magazine from days gone by. Sweden has a long tradition of fishing, farming, salting, smoking, and preserving seafood. Much of that knowledge naturally has a place in the food production of the future as well.

By combining traditional expertise with research, new technology, and innovation, we can develop more products, create new business opportunities, and make better use of our Swedish raw materials.

“We’re not going back to the way things used to be. We’re moving forward, building on everything we’ve already learned. There are so many exciting developments happening in the Swedish seafood industry, and we want to present and showcase what all these initiatives together could lead to,” says Kristin.

A canning factory from the future

Another fictional idea also appears in *Sjömatskuriren*: a Swedish canning factory! It represents a future in which more marine ingredients are processed locally and new Swedish seafood products find their way onto store shelves.

But the idea behind the factory is very real.

Canned foods can be nutritious, have a long shelf life, be easy to transport, and be stored for long periods without refrigeration. These qualities make them attractive both to the food companies of the future and to Sweden’s food security efforts.

More opportunities to process and manage Swedish raw materials can contribute to new business opportunities, stronger value chains, and a more robust food supply.

It turns out that the old tin can simply has a lot to offer the future.

The pieces of the puzzle are already in place

The effort to bring together stakeholders in the blue bioeconomy did not begin with the trip to Iceland. For several years, Innovatum Science Park has been working with companies, research institutions, and public sector actors to develop collaborations and meeting places—not least through projects such as the Nordic Seafood Summit, Marefine, and Blå Samverkan.

The collaboration with the Iceland Ocean Cluster dates back to 2022. Since then, activities such as workshops, company visits, and meetings focused on marine byproducts, circular business opportunities, and increased value creation have been carried out.

At the same time, these experiences have made one thing clear: Sweden does not necessarily lack more stakeholders. There are already companies, entrepreneurs, research, testing and demonstration environments, and public sector actors here. The challenge is to get these elements to work better together. This is one of the starting points for the work now emerging around the Sweden Ocean Cluster.

“We have strong research, innovative companies, and entrepreneurs in the fields of seafood, aquaculture, marine ingredients, and circular solutions. At the same time, many still work in their own segments of the value chain. A Sweden Ocean Cluster could serve as a neutral meeting place that brings these stakeholders together and helps identify new business opportunities, collaborations, and innovation projects,” says Sonja.

Real Opportunities Behind the Fictional Headlines

Behind Sjömatskuriren’s inspirational images are real ingredients, people, companies, and innovations. Some are already a reality, others are in development, and a few ideas are still just visions.

These are also issues we are exploring together with companies, researchers, and other stakeholders as part of initiatives such as the Blå Samverkan project, through which we aim to strengthen development in the blue economy and create more opportunities for Swedish seafood.

AI helped create the fictional world of *Sjömatskuriren*, but the food is real. The dishes were cooked, photographed, and eaten. And, of course, the recipes are available for anyone to try.

“We don’t publish *Sjömatskuriren* to point out what’s missing, but to highlight all the amazing things that exist, everything that’s happening, and what the future might hold. Those of us who work on these issues see the possibilities every day. Now we want more people to see them,” says Kristin.

Our Contribution to Seafood Day

On October 19, Seafood Day will be celebrated for the second year in a row. The event is organized by Blå Mat and the Swedish Seafood Council, which aim to bring together stakeholders from across the seafood supply chain to highlight the ingredients, the people, and the opportunities offered by our oceans and lakes. Through *Sjömatskuriren*, we want to contribute to the celebration, offer inspiration, and envision a future where Swedish seafood plays an even greater role in our lives.

BlåS’s collaboration partners are: Falkenberg Municipality, RISE, Hav- och Samhälle, SWEMARC (University of Gothenburg), GU Ventures, Chalmers (Food Science), Chalmers (Industrial Engineering), CSR Västsverige, Fiskekommunerna (Fyrbodal Municipal Association), Sotenäs Municipality (Sotenäs Symbiosis Center), Sjömatsfrämjandet, and Innovatum Science Center