Students compete in Vitinn, fisheries challenge, aiming for a trip to Barcelona

The opening ceremony of Vitinn took place on February 11 at Reykjavík University. Vitinn is an idea competition organized by Reykjavík University and Fisheries Iceland (SFS), focusing on developing and implementing solutions for companies in the seafood industry.

Speakers at the event included Dr. Ólafur Eysteinn Sigurjónsson, Dean of the School of Technology at RU; Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir, Managing Director of SFS; Haraldur Haraldsson, Sales and Marketing Director at Icelandair Cargo; Karl Hjármarsson, Marketing and Communications Director at Iceland Seafood; and Valdimar Sigurðsson, Professor at the Department of Business and Economics at RU.

Rakel Gunnarsdóttir, Events Project Manager at RU, moderated the ceremony. Concluding the formal programme, participants were given the opportunity to ask questions about the challenge and Iceland Seafood.

Providing students with a strong platform

This year marks record participation in Vitinn, with 10 teams and 37 competitors taking part. Teams consist either of students from multiple departments or from the same department, and it is particularly exciting to see how participation spans across the university. Vitinn provides students with a strong platform to expand their professional networks both within industry and among fellow students.

Hrafntinna Viktoría Karlsdóttir, Project Manager for Industry Relations at RU, says the teams are now working hard to develop their solutions, and it will be exciting to see the results. Tomorrow, Saturday, the teams will have ten minutes each to present their projects to the judging panel. Following the presentations, the panel will select the winner of Vitinn 2026. An award will also be given for the most original idea.

Marketing Icelandic Salmon

This year, Iceland Seafood has presented the Vitinn challenge, and Valdimar Sigurðsson designed the project that the teams will tackle. He reviewed the main aspects of the assignment, which focuses on marketing Icelandic salmon as a premium and specialized product in the Spanish market.

The winners of Vitinn will receive a trip to Barcelona with representatives from RU, where a diverse and exciting program awaits them. During the trip, students will have a unique opportunity to follow the product through the entire value chain—from the export of fish from Iceland to distribution in Barcelona, then to stores and restaurants, where the product ultimately reaches consumers’ plates. The program includes visits to Iceland Seafood partners, suppliers, retailers, and restaurants, giving students insight into the entire value chain in a real-world environment.

Vitinn has been held annually since 2015 and is open to all RU students across departments, in undergraduate and/or graduate studies.