DNV acquires stake in Chilean company
The Norwegian certification specialist has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the company Aqualis
Aqualis has quickly established itself as a major player in Chile within the inspection and certification of aquaculture infrastructure, serving several of the country's largest salmon producers, DNV says in a press release.
The company is authorised by Chile's Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (Sernapesca) to carry out certification, and operates in all of the country's main aquaculture regions.
Rikard Albrigtsen, international business development lead at DNV, said: "Effective infrastructure assurance is about much more than meeting regulatory requirements. It provides operators with confidence that critical assets are performing as intended, while giving them the insight needed to manage risk proactively."
Geir Fuglerud, chief executive of Life Sciences at DNV, said: "Chile is one of the world's most important aquaculture producers and continues to play a leading role in the industry's development.
"As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, producers increasingly need assurance partners that combine technical expertise, operational scale and digital innovation."
Aqualis has developed its own digital platform that collects inspection results, certificates and history for each facility.
'Important step'
Aqualis chief executive Nicolas Mayer-Rechnitz de Petris, describes the acquisition as an important step for the company.
"Ever since we were established, our ambition has been to offer a more transparent approach to securing aquaculture infrastructure. As part of DNV, we can build on this goal by combining our local expertise with DNV's global experience."
Petris says that DNV's ownership will benefit customers at a time when demands for documentation, traceability and secure operations continue to increase.
