Skretting has opened its Aquaculture Innovation (AI) Guayas Research Station in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The company’s USD 6 million R&D investment aims to advance more sustainable and innovative feeds for the shrimp farming industry.

Skretting AI Guayas Research Station will study all stages of shrimp production, from larvae to harvest-size animals. The research will include health and welfare topics, as well as growth and feed efficiency. Another area of interest will be the digestibility of new and existing feed ingredients and balanced diets.

With fully equipped laboratories, a battery of tanks that mimic commercial production environments, and experimental units to perform critical trials on white-leg shrimp, the new station will allow Skretting to expand its knowledge of shrimp nutrition and health and turn it into practical industry solutions in one of the most important shrimp-producing regions in the world. Furthermore, the new station’s team will have the support of Skretting’s scientific network of experts and research units.

“I am delighted that Skretting Al Guayas Research Station is now open for business. This world-class facility underlines our commitment to Ecuador and the wider global shrimp market. Not only will allow us to work much closer with the local producers, but also by establishing a pipeline for the delivery of new solutions that improve farming performance and efficiency, it will ensure that shrimp producers everywhere can increasingly contribute to global food and nutritional security,” said Alex Obach, innovation director at Skretting.