Imagine you catch fresh fish at sea, but by the time it reaches the store, it's lost weight, looks dull, and half the batch ends up in the bin. Regular ice just isn't cutting it — it's bulky, melts unevenly, and damages the product. A Norwegian company built a new kind of ice machine that produces ultra-fine ice crystals, which cool fish faster, keep it looking fresh longer, and take up less space on the boat. Think of it as upgrading from a chunky bag of ice cubes to a precision cooling blanket that wraps around every piece of fish perfectly.
Fresh seafood and other perishable foods lose significant value between harvest and retail due to inadequate cooling technology. Conventional commercial ice products cause weight loss, shorten shelf-life, damage product appearance, require heavy manual labour, and take up too much storage space — all of which translate directly into lost revenue and food waste across the supply chain.
A patent-pending ice machine (nanoICE) that produces ultra-fine ice for superior fresh food cooling. The project delivered 10-20 pilot units, selected an OEM manufacturer, established a serial production assembly line, and produced 40 commercial units in the first year of OEM manufacturing.
If you are a fishing vessel operator dealing with product weight loss, short shelf-life, and limited storage space on board — this project developed the nanoICE machine that delivers ultra-fine ice to improve weight retention, extend freshness, and reduce hard labour associated with traditional icing. The company targets a minimum of 8.5% of the total EU aquaculture market with this technology.
If you are a seafood processor struggling with food waste and product appearance degradation during chilling — nanoICE technology addresses these deficiencies by improving product appearance and extending shelf-life compared to conventional commercial ice products. With 40 units planned for OEM commercial production in the first year, this is a ready-to-deploy solution for processing facilities.
If you are a fresh produce company losing revenue to spoilage in your cold chain — nanoICE was designed for the broader fresh food value chain beyond seafood, including fruit and vegetable applications. The technology was validated through 10 to 20 pilot machines before moving to serial OEM production, proving it works across fresh food categories.
Specific unit pricing is not disclosed in the project data. However, the project explicitly targets an 'affordable price' as a key design requirement. With EUR 1,736,000 in EU funding backing commercialization and OEM serial production established, pricing should reflect volume manufacturing economics.
Yes. The project moved from 10-20 pilot machines to OEM serial production with 40 units in the first commercial year. An OEM manufacturer was selected and a serial production assembly line was created, indicating the technology is ready for volume deployment across multiple sites.
NANOICE AS (formerly Production and Harvest International AS) holds patent-pending IP rights for the nanoICE technology. They acquired the IP rights to refine and commercialize the technology. Licensing or purchase arrangements would need to go through NANOICE AS in Norway.
Yes. A minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 pilot machines were produced and tested before OEM selection. The project required first 10 pilots to be concluded successfully before moving to serial production. This is real-world validation, not lab testing.
The technology is designed specifically for the fresh food industry's cold chain. Based on available project data, the nanoICE machine targets commercial use in EU aquaculture and fishing vessels, which must comply with EU food safety standards. Specific certifications are not detailed in the project data.
The nanoICE machine is a standalone ice production unit designed as a direct replacement for existing commercial ice machines. The project focused on making it commercially robust for the marketplace, targeting medium and small sized fishing vessels and processors specifically.
NANOICE AS is a commercial entity with an established OEM manufacturing partner. Based on available project data, the company's mid-term goal is to become a market leader in fresh chilling, which implies ongoing commercial support. Contact the company through their website for service details.
This is a single-company project — NANOICE AS from Norway, a private SME that received EUR 1,736,000 through the EU's SME Instrument Phase 2, the most competitive funding line reserved for high-growth companies ready to scale. The fact that it's 100% industry with zero universities or research institutes tells you this is purely about commercialization, not basic research. The company has seafood harvesting, processing, and refrigeration expertise built in, meaning they understand both the technology and the customer. For a potential buyer or partner, this is a strong signal: the technology was developed by people who work in the industry, not by a lab looking for a use case.
NANOICE AS is a Norwegian SME — contact details can be found through their website nanoiceglobal.com or via SciTransfer's matchmaking service.
Want an introduction to the nanoICE team? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the company to discuss purchasing, distribution partnerships, or integration into your cold chain operations. Contact us for a tailored one-page brief.
