Norway’s participation in Vietfish 2026 will involve much more than exports of salmon and other seafood.
Eleven Norwegian companies and industry organisations will exhibit at the Norway Pavilion, presenting solutions covering several stages of the aquaculture value chain – from genetics, fish health and feed to automated processing, farming equipment and waste reduction.
Vietfish 2026 takes place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City from 19 to 21 August.
According to the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, the pavilion will include Benchmark Genetics, Fjell Technology Group, the Norwegian Seafood Federation, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), Optimar, PHARMAQ, SalMar, ScaleAQ, Skretting, TechValue and Trapia.
Many of the participants are technology suppliers rather than seafood exporters.
Benchmark Genetics develops breeding programmes intended to improve the health, growth and robustness of farmed fish and shrimp. PHARMAQ supplies vaccines and diagnostic services that can help prevent disease and reduce the need for antibiotics in aquaculture.
Skretting produces feed for farmed fish and shrimp and operates two factories in Vietnam. Its second Vietnamese facility opened in Long An province in 2022 following an investment of USD 24 million.
ScaleAQ supplies equipment and digital systems for fish farms, while Optimar develops automated technology for handling and processing seafood.
Fjell Technology Group focuses on wastewater, sludge and seafood by-products. Its technology can turn fish heads, guts and other production residues into feed ingredients and other useful products instead of allowing them to become waste.
The exhibition follows the conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association, EFTA. Once the agreement enters into force, Norwegian salmon will become duty-free in Vietnam, while tariffs on mackerel will be removed over three years.
However, the Norwegian delegation shows that cooperation between the two countries is not only about selling Norwegian seafood to Vietnam. It also includes the technology, knowledge and equipment used to make Vietnam’s own aquaculture and seafood-processing industries more efficient and sustainable.
As ScandAsia reported from Vietfish 2025, Norwegian companies also presented processing and animal-welfare technology at last year’s exhibition.
