How to Stay Relevant as a Seafood Pioneer
Although innovation has always plaid a key part in Lerøy Seafood’s success, they recognized a need for more structured work within this field of work.
The opportunity
Pioneering lies in the DNA of Lerøy Seafood, the world-leading seafood corporation with a history dating back to 1899. They have consistently been at the forefront of innovative solutions making seafood accessible to a broad range of consumers in a safe and valuable way.
The word “pioneer” not only nods to their history as a company daring and willing to push for change, but it also creates expectations for what’s to be created and innovated in Lerøy for decades to come.
Although innovation has always played a key part in Lerøy’s success, they still recognized the need for a more structured approach in this work. More specifically, they needed a common language, unified methodology and increased capacity to work with strategic innovation.
ÆRA was hired to help set up a brand-new innovation unit within the corporation, as well as an annual innovation class that will ensure that the broader organization is involved in the development of an innovation mindset, methodology and structure for capturing new ideas.
“I like to say: «You have consultants, and then you have ÆRA.» The two are not the same.”
Pål Michelsen
Head of Brand & Innovation, Lerøy
Learning by doing
The work to establish an innovation unit in Lerøy began with a substantial amount of sparring with key stakeholders, in order to lay a strategic foundation for its reason to exist.
This was followed by discussions around specific goals, methods and tools, mapping out the responsibility of the innovation unit itself, as well as the involvement of and expectations to the yearly participants of the innovation class.
To ensure that future-driven development spans Lerøy as a group, and not just designated to the innovation unit, the innovation class was set up as an iterative innovation process centered around “learning by doing”. It is an approach developed where participants explore new insights, future scenarios, hypotheses and ideas to provide Lerøy competitive advantage in a changing world.
Facts
Lerøy has set out to reach specific sustainability targets within this decade. Among other things, reducing their food waste and food waste to the level from 2019 by 50% within 2024 and reducing their CO2 emissions by 46% by 2030. Projects such as Lerøy Ocean Harvest, cultivating kelp and mussels, are important investments in reaching said goals.


The result
This project is an ongoing partnership, in which the main goal is to transfer the competencies within ÆRA to both the brewing innovation unit in Lerøy and the organization overall, enabling the corporation’s future, sustainable success. Most results will thus be visible over time.
With expected results such as an increased ability to achieve sustainability goals and a stronger internal innovation culture comes a more defined position for Lerøy in the global seafood market.
What we provided
- Strategy for sustainable growth
- Organizational design
- Change agents and advisors
- Learning by doing
- Leader group program
Video and photos by Lerøy ©
Related projects
SkogbrandA Product Portfolio Protecting Norwegian Forests | Strategy & Business Development | Confidential | ||
SkogbrandA Study on Forest Owners' Insurance Needs | Strategy & Business Development | Confidential | ||
Haugen GruppenFinding Tomorrow's Growth within Food & Beverage | Strategy & Business Development | Confidential | ||
Finn.noOperation Mission | Strategy & Business Development | Confidential | ||
DiakonhjemmetA Test Arena for Holistic Health Models | Strategy & Business Development | Confidential | ||
Fremtind ForsikringEnsuring Future Mobility | Strategy & Business Development | Confidential |