NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES RESEACH INSTITUTE

 

The oldest marine science centre in Poland. Its beginnings date back to June 1921 when the Sea Fisheries Laboratory was established in Hel.

• The MIR-PIB is supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
• According to the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of June 2011, the Institute has been awarded a National Research Institute status.
• MIR-PIB cooperates with a number of institutions e.g. ICES, HELCOM, BSAC, WEFTA.

 

Mission of the Institute: providing independent, objective and current knowledge based on conducted scientific research and development studies, which support the economically sustainable and environmentally sound development of marine fisheries.

 

The mission of MIR-PIB is realized through the following activities:

• providing scientific advice to the Polish fisheries administration, the EU Commission, and relevant international organizations;
• performing and promoting fisheries, biological, and interdisciplinary research of the marine environment;
• performing and promoting research in the field of processing technology, marine foodstuff safety and nutritional value, as well as fisheries, aquaculture and fish processing economics;
• fostering public awareness of the functioning and rational utilization of marine ecosystems with special emphasis on sustainable fisheries.

 

 

The main research interests of the MIR-PIB include disciplines that enable an ecosystem approach to fisheries management:

• biology of species exploited by fisheries,
• marine ecology,
• fisheries economics.

 

The area of innovative and technical research done by the MIR-PIB comprises:

• fish processing technology and mechanization,
• food and environmental chemistry

 

 

 

Plankton Sorting and Identification Center in Szczecin

Established in 1974 as a result of an intergovernmental arrangement, it initially acted for and was funded by US scientific institutions. It currently offers services related to the taxonomic identification of a variety of plankton samples and the work on size and biological structure. The main clients of the Center are laboratories and institutes from the USA (NOAA-NMFS), Canada, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.

 

MIR-PIB Gdynia Aquarium

 

• The MIR-PIB Gdynia Aquarium takes an active role in public education, the goal of which is to disseminate knowledge about marine biology, ecology, and environmental protection.
• A modern zoological garden that is home to almost 2,000 aquatic and semi-aquatic animals belonging to more than two hundred species from every corner of the world. Its main attractions include a breathtaking coral reef, and a wide range of aquatic animals from demersal sharks, red piranhas, and freshwater stingrays to the dwarf crocodile, and the green anaconda.

 

Department of Fisheries Economics

 

The primary objective of the Department of Fisheries Economics MIR-PIB is to conduct scientific research, development work and also expert services in marine fisheries, fish processing and aquaculture and support stakeholders in the management of these sectors.

The Department focused its activity on:

• Collection and analysis of data on economic performance of fisheries, fish processing and aquaculture (Data Collection Program).
• Market research and consumer testing (Projects: ProHealth, GRASS, Low-value fish species).
• Micro- (InnoAquaTech, Success) and macro-economic analyses (consulting for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).
• Development of products (ProHealth), technologies (InnoAquaTech, ProHealth), fish sourcing (Low-value fish species, GRASS), supply chains (project GRASS, Low-value fish species).
• Evaluation of sustainable development concepts - circular economy (BeRural).
• Expertise and scientific advice for the European Commission and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

 

 

 

Role in the Up4Food project

 

WP6 Consumer acceptability and knowledge barriers

 

An important component of the project Up4Food is consumer attitudes research, as well as processing opportunities and barriers to using ingredients from the side-streams to produce new foods. This research is part of the sixth work package (WP 6), headed by Department of Fisheries Economics MIR-PIB.

The work of this package will use both qualitative and quantitative research methods: survey questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and social labs - method of multi-level collaboration and consultation in the development of new products.

Collaboration between consumers and representatives of supply chain actors in social labs will enable the identification of barriers to the use of nutrients from side-streams and the marketing of new products with such ingredients. The results obtained in WP 6 will provide new knowledge on the perceptions and acceptability of prototype solutions and will allow new food concepts to be shaped.

 

Task 4.4. Economic aspects of introducing new food concepts to the market

 

MIR-PIB is also the task 4.4 leader where the economic aspects of new food concepts implementation will be the analysed. The economic conditions for the use of new materials from the side-streams and the scenarios of implementation of food concepts will be presented in that task. One of the applied research methods will be a SWOT analysis, which will be carried out to indicate the possibilities of implementation of individual food concepts using circular ingredients. Then based on the information collected from food actors in the project, potential target markets and scenarios will be identified along with an assessment of market capacity, value and growth rate. Using the Business Model Canvas, an assessment of the economic aspects of food concepts, implementation will be carried out, which will allow mapping efficiency conditions.

 

 

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