FHF Wild Capture Fisheries R&D Program

Robotized Fish Handling Onboard Vessels (PIB)

Supports development and onboard implementation of robotic fish handling systems to improve vessel operations in commercial fisheries.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

FHF — Fiskeri- og havbruksnæringens forskningsfinansiering finances applied R&D for the Norwegian seafood sector through a mandatory 0.3% export levy, operating as a state-owned company under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. This PIB-instrument call allocates 3 million NOK to the development and on-vessel implementation of robotized fish handling systems (Norwegian: Utvikling og implementering av robotisert håndtering av fisk om bord). The PIB label — Praktisk Innovasjons- og Bedriftsutvikling — signals that proposals must demonstrate a clear pathway from technology development to commercial fishing fleet adoption, typically through industry co-applicants. The call deadline is 23 June 2026. Eligible applicants include for-profit companies, non-profit organisations, universities, and research institutions registered and operating in Norway; individual applicants are not eligible, and international participation requires a Norwegian lead with ID-porten access. The call sits within FHF's groundfish and wild capture fisheries program, which encompasses fisheries technology, vessel gear, and the handling of white fish and pelagic species from catch to landing. At 3 million NOK, this is among the smaller calls in the 2026 FHF portfolio (~119 million NOK across 14 open calls), but it addresses a strategic automation gap in vessel-side processing efficiency.