Matis

Matis - Iceland (http://www.matis.is) was established January 2008 with the merger of the Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories, Matra, and food analytical laboratories of the Environmental agency in Iceland. Matis has three divisions: Food Product and Process Development; Food Safety and Biotechnology and novel products. Matis is located in 7 areas all around Iceland, each with the focus on innovation in the area and cooperation with local entrepreneurs, industry, universities and the public. Matis has 20 scientists with PhD degrees and 7 of those have a position at universities both in Iceland and abroad. Matis has 7 Ph.D. students working in projects in cooperation with universities both in Iceland and in Europe. The employees who will contribute to the Nutrition in Innovation cluster are Sjofn Sigurgisladottir, Gudjon Thorkelsson, Hörður G. Kristinsson, Gudmundur H. Gunnarsson, Sveinn Ásgeirsson, Emilia Martinsdottir and Kristin Anna Thorarinsdottir.

Incentive and contribution to the cluster:Matis participates in the cluster to receive and give expertise for the work of food science and technology for better food and dietary habits. This will support Matis in fulfilling its role to maintain the competitiveness of the Icelandic food industry and –products, enhance public health through research and dissemination of knowledge, provide risk assessment regarding safety of food and feed, promote sustainable utilization of resources through research, innovation and consultancy. The facilities available to be used in the project “Nutrition in Innovation” include:

-     ISGEM - a database with nutritional composition of foods.

-       foods incubation centre in the town of Horn (with facilities, equipment and technical expertise for developing and initiating production and distribution both for local producers and others entrepreneurs in Iceland), pilot scale facilities in Very, Sauðárkrókur (for upgrading of food by-products to food ingredients and components in functional foods).

-       Laboratories for chemical and microbiological analyses.

-       State of the art facilities for sensory analysis of foods.

-       Research equipment and methods for studying physical properties (texture analyzers, rheology, Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, DSC), chemical properties (ICPC, GC; HPLC; electrophoresis) and genetic makeup/properties (Real time PCR) of raw materials and food products.

Key personnel:  Sjofn Sigurgisladottir Ph.D., Food Processing (e-mail: sjofn@matis.is), Managing Director of Mates with extensive experience in managing RTD projects.

Gudjon Thorkelsson, M.Sc. Senior Food Scientist (e-mail: gudjon.thorkelsson@matis.is).Head of division of Food Products and Process Development, with years of experience in both meat and fish research in Iceland.