Fully Automatic Testing of Salmon- and Trout Roe: Nominated for Innovation Award

The German company Evonta has developed a fully automatic system for testing and measuring salmon- and trout roe. The system, the first of its kind on the market, allow breeders to study the roe at an early stage of development, without physical contact or chemicals.

OCT technology (Optical Coherence Tomography) capture unique 3D images of the roe and illustrates the development of the genetic material. The data is more reliable than what was previously possible with manual testing.

The data informs the breeder whether external adjustments, such as temperature adjustments, are necessary to improve the batch.

Nominated for the Innovation Award 2023

Thanks to its unique measuring system, EVONTA®-MF200se, Evonta has been nominated for the Innovation Award. The winner will be announced during the Aqua Nor 2023 exhibition.

— It is an honor to be chosen as a nominee for the Innovation Award. The nomination confirms that the industry is open to new, technological solutions to address the challenges of the future. This motivates us to continue our development and bring the technology one step further, says Björn Fischer, CEO of Evonta.

Inspired by Medical Technology

Evonta was inspired by the OCT technology used by opticians to examine their patients’ eyes.

— With OCT technology, the optician observes changes at the very back of the eye, without having the measuring instrument touching the eyeball. Similarly, we can now study salmon and trout roe and uncover errors or deficiencies in an early stage, says Björn.

Improved Data Collection Security

Today, salmon and trout roe are artificially fertilized and stored in special containers for incubation. Additionally, an arbitrary selection of eggs is treated with acetic acid, making them more transparent before manual testing.

— Because our measurement method is fully automatic, the breeder avoids being in physical contact with the roe or treating random selections of roe with chemicals. This means that we rule out variations and possible limitations in the test results, which may occur with manual testing, Björn explains, adding:

— The measurement method provides more reliable information about the roe and will ensure the quality of the entire batch – unlike arbitrary samples of eggs.

Predictable Quality

During the testing of the roe, you get a close-up of how the cells are developing. The images are transferred to a database, where advanced algorithms convert them into information that the breeder can understand and apply.

— You don’t have to study every single image of the roe; the technology does that for you. The recorded data is evaluated digitally, by artificial intelligence (AI)–based software, and logged, to ensure breeders know what goes on inside the eggs, explains Björn.

— Previously, the breeder was “blind” from fertilization until the finished result was ready. Now, you get insight into and information about the entire process, which lowers costs, reduces time spent, lowers the number of faulty productions, and overall ensures higher quality fish.

Meet Evonta at Aqua Nor

Evonta does not have a stand during this year’s Aqua Nor but will be present on the exhibition grounds throughout the expo – and would be thrilled to have a chat.

— We are looking forward to the trip to Trondheim, to partake in this year’s highlight for the aquaculture industry. Naturally, we are eager to present our measurement system to the industry, concludes Björn.

Book a meeting with Evonta at Aqua Nor 2023! Contact Björn Fischer at bjoern.fischer@evonta-technology.de or call +49 178 448 6164.

The winner of the Innovation Award 2023 will be announced during Aqua Nor on Thursday, August 24^th, at 11:30am in Mendelsohn Conference Hall in Trondheim Spektrum.