• The companies have signed a collaboration agreement by which Microsoft becomes Pescanova’s technology partner to develop solutions that aim to optimise aquaculture processes and improve animal health and welfare through continuous R&D&I.

• The Digital Platform for Nueva Pescanova Group’s aquaculture digitalisation programme will be based on cloud, IoT (Internet of Things) and Artificial Intelligence services from Microsoft, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.

• Aquaculture techniques will be modernised by incorporating Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, which will allow 100% of the processes to be controlled automatically and in real time, improving the efficiency and sustainability of the farms, incentivising the predictability of the business and guaranteeing food traceability.

Madrid, 3 March 2021. The Nueva Pescanova Group and Microsoft have signed a collaboration agreement whereby both companies will work together to promote the Group’s digital transformation and sustainability, within the framework of its Aquaculture 4.0 Strategic Plan.The objective is to advance, among other things, in the promotion of innovation projects for the protection of the marine environment and to guarantee the sustainability of species by developing new technologies in aquaculture, as well as improving production processes. Most importantly, to encourage digital culture in the countries where Pescanova develops aquaculture, especially in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, and through the Group’s aquaculture R&D&I centre, the Pescanova Biomarine Center in O Grove (Pontevedra, Spain).

Ignacio González, Nueva Pescanova Group CEO, and Pilar López, president of Microsoft Spain, have signed an alliance this morning, whereby both companies will work on the development of innovative solutions to improve the farming of species such as vannamei prawns and Galician turbot. This modernisation of current farming techniques, through the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, will allow 100% of the processes to be controlled automatically and in real time. This will improve the efficiency and sustainability of the farms, facilitate business predictability, guarantee food traceability and improve animal health and welfare.

This seeks to guarantee the long-term sustainability of wild species found in the marine environment, reducing pressure on fishing grounds and thus guaranteeing sustainable, safe, healthy and controlled resources while guaranteeing the supply of protein from the sea. According to FAO data, 47% of the seafood we consume worldwide already comes from aquaculture.

The agreement also includes a commitment by both companies to digital skills training, promoting the training of Nueva Pescanova Group professionals working in aquaculture, so that they can adapt their work methodologies, which until now have been mostly manual, to the use of monitoring tools for water, environmental conditions, the life cycle of species in the aquatic environment, etc. using digital methods and tools.

To this end, they will have the guidance, support and professional technologies and services of Microsoft, which has specifically designed a disruptive technological platform for Nueva Pescanova, in order to create innovative experiences, aimed at boosting high productivity and environmental protection. This Digital Platform for the Nueva Pescanova Group’s Aquaculture 4.0 transformation programme is based on cloud, IoT (Internet of Things) and Artificial Intelligence services from Microsoft, such as Azure and Microsoft 365, and aims to revolutionise the seafood industry worldwide.

Likewise, the Nueva Pescanova Group, through the Pescanova Biomarine Center, and Microsoft will explore synergies to promote, connect and generate new business scenarios that dynamise the aquaculture industry, foster innovative experiences for research into the farming of marine species and contribute to the development of entrepreneurial projects, through their respective incubation and acceleration programmes.

According to Ignacio González, “innovation efforts will be focused on developing environmentally friendly aquaculture initiatives and creating formulas that make it possible to demonstrate sustainability in all the processes of the value chain. This commitment is key for both companies, which have been committed for years to policies based on efficiency and sustainability”.

For her part, Pilar López pointed out that “Digitalisation and sustainability are the two axes around which to reimagine the world and relaunch the economy. This global alliance with the Nueva Pescanova Group is a good example of this. We will work together to optimise aquaculture processes and improve the conservation of marine species through technology”.

In addition, the strategic agreement includes other joint actions that favour the promotion of new technologies among the Group’s stakeholders. Among other examples are a Microsoft Pescanova Day, a conference that will bring together leading experts in marine science and technology to share the latest advances in marine innovation and sustainability; or a Hackathon Day at Pescanova, where Microsoft, its collaborating companies and technology start-ups will compete to come up with the best ideas to achieve the sustainability objectives of both companies in the coming years.

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