Hafró formally moved to Hafnarfjörður

We welcome the staff and visitors of the Institute of Marine Research to Hafnarfjörður!

The Institute of Marine Research has moved to Hafnarfjörður. An agreement for the new premises was signed in February 2018 and the first sod was cut in March of the same year. This past weekend, the premises at Fornubúðir 5 was formally opened with a symbolic ceremony, attended by the President of Iceland, the Minister of Fisheries, the Director-General, director, staff of the institution and other guests bid farewell to Hafró's former home at Skúlagata 4 and sailed on the research vessels, Árni Friðriksson and Bjarni Sæmundsson, from Faxagarður to their new home port in Hafnarfjörður.

The sun welcomed the group in Hafnarfjörður.

The Hafnarfjörður town council, house builders, a group of locals and other guests gave a cheerful welcome to the two research ships and their guests on the afternoon last Friday. The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, cut the ribbon as the ships arrived at the quay at Fornubúðir 5. At a reception ceremony on the quay, the following gave short speeches: which were characterised by history, technology and science, and the opportunities presented by a new building in a new location; the President of Iceland, Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries, Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, Sigurður Guðjónsson, Director of Hafró, and Jón Rúnar Halldórsson of the holding company Fornubúðir ehf.

See more photos on the City of Hafnarfjörður's Facebook page.

^{Mayor Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir here welcomes Sigurður Guðjónsson, Director of the Institute of Marine Research, and all his staff to Hafnarfjörður. She presented him with flowers and a gift from the town.} 

With Hafró's move to Hafnarfjörður, all of the institution's operations are now under one roof in new, environmentally friendly premises at a new location, opening up great potential and opportunities for further growth and development. Ideas have already been put forward to establish a knowledge centre for the sea and the polar regions, and start-up and knowledge-based companies in the fisheries sector have expressed a keen interest in being based alongside the institute with collaboration in mind.

An opportunity in keeping with the times

Significant and positive development is anticipated for the Flensburg Harbour and Ø-Særa area, as shown by the master plan and the strategic vision it provides for the overall appearance of the harbour area. In recent months and years, interest in various activities and services in the area has grown significantly, and entrepreneurs, artists and designers have set up workshops and facilities both at Fornubúðir and in the creative environment of the Hafnarfjörður Icehouse. It is anticipated that this creative and interesting development will continue. 

See the information page on Flensburg Harbour and the Fjord Area