Company history

Kelp (Laminaria hyperborea) has been widely used around the world for a long time. It has been used in Norway and France for many decades. In Norway, an industry based on seaweed harvesting has established itself and created jobs and export value since the late 20th century. The industry has led to significant product development, innovation, and contributed to value-creating research.

At the initial stages of the project, preliminary studies were carried out on the distribution of kelp along the coasts of Iceland. The studies were conducted in 2019 and 2020 and revealed that the amount of kelp was sufficient to justify further research into its distribution.

Icelandic Securities Ltd. (Íslensk Verðbréf hf.) became involved in the project early in 2021. The company has extensive experience in seafood-related projects and has strong support for the development of such projects. Further research began on a larger marine area in collaboration with and under the guidance of the Marine Research Institute. These studies revealed that there is sufficient quantity of the kelp Laminaria hyperborea outside of northern Iceland to justify permits for exploration and exploitation. The company Íslandsþari ehf. was granted such a license at the end of 2021, thus laying the foundation for the commercialization of Icelandic Laminaria hyperborea.

Íslandsþari commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2022 after having secured sufficient funding to investigate the feasibility and groundwork for future forms of exploration and full utilization of Laminaria hyperborea on the coasts of Iceland.

Íslandsþari aims to harvest kelp, a natural resource, with respect towards both nature and society. All of Íslandsþari's operations are based on research conducted under the guidance of the Marine Research Institute, with the goal of monitoring the long-term effects of seaweed harvesting and laying the foundation for sensible utilization.