Åkerblå acquires UK marine tech business
Norwegian marine and fish health consultancy Åkerblå Group AS announced today it was buying into the UK-owned Ecospan Environmental Limited.
The acquisition agreement means that Åkerblå will buy 100% of the shares in Ecospan Environmental, through Åkerblå British subsidiary Ocean Ecology, in which the group acquired a controlling stake in March 2021. Åkerblå’s Chief Executive is Roger Sørenson (pictured).
Financial details of the investment have not been disclosed.
Ecospan is a specialist in conducting long-term ecological monitoring programmes, hydrographic and oceanographic studies, sediment and water sampling, polluted land survey, marine environmental impact assessment and other technical services.
The business was founded in 2006, as a spin-off from AstraZeneca’s marine monitoring unit, established in 1965.
Åkerblå said: “With this, in addition to industry-leading marine ecological services, we will now be able to offer hydrographic and oceanographic surveys combined with market-leading hydrodynamic modelling and specialised advice in environmental permitting and planning.
“We are the leading provider of fish health and environmental services to the Norwegian aquaculture industry. In recent years, several of our customers have asked us for help in the UK.”
Åkerblå Group Chief International Officer Arvid Strømme said that through its investment in Ocean Ecology and now Ecospan Environmental, it has quickly established the necessary local expertise and resources required to deliver the interdisciplinary services its customers were looking for.
He added: “These specialties are well adapted to the portfolio of services we already provide, and therefore significantly strengthen our capacity and knowledge base in these areas, says Ross Griffin, technical director at Ocean Ecology. Ecospan’s experience, resources and well-established customer base will help us meet the growing demand for our services in the UK and internationally.”
Ecospan will continue to be led by Michael Field, who has been part of the organization since 1996, with support from Ocean Ecology and the broader Åkerblå Group.
The announcement pledged continuity for Ecospan’s long-term monitoring contracts, some of which extend over 50 years.
All of Ecospan’s operations will continue to be located in Plymouth, Devon, giving Åkerblå a local presence in the south-west of England.
Åkerblå Group Chief International Officer Arvid Strømme
