Seaguard wins Student Camp 2026

Seaguard takes first place in this year’s Student Camp at Nor-Fishing with a safety solution designed to make everyday working life safer for fishermen at sea.

This year’s Student Camp was held at Nor-Fishing on Thursday. Over the course of the week, four student teams have worked on different challenges from the fisheries and seafood industry, supported by mentors from the sector.

The winning team, Seaguard, consists of Emily Blom-Andersen from UiB, Vegard Lereim Storli from NTNU, Kawsica Rashasingham from NMBU and Ingrid Aunehaugen Frøvig from UiB.

Preventing accidents at sea before they happen

Seaguard chose the case “The Fisher of the Future”, focusing on safety on board fishing vessels.

The team took existing solutions as their starting point and developed them further. The “Seaguard” solution consists of a camera, an AI control unit and a wristband worn by the fisher.

The system is designed to detect risk situations before an accident occurs. When artificial intelligence registers a dangerous situation, the wristband vibrates to alert the wearer.

— We wanted to find a solution that can actually help prevent accidents, rather than react once an accident has already happened, says Vegard.

The aim is to prevent falls overboard, accidents and other injuries before they occur.

— It’s been really exciting to work across disciplines. We’ve all brought different perspectives, and that’s been a big part of our team’s strength, Ingrid adds.

Several days of work

The students were given their cases on Monday evening and divided into four teams. Each team was assigned a mentor and spent the week developing their solutions, talking to relevant exhibitors at the exhibition. On Thursday morning, the teams presented their work in front of an audience during the opening of Student Day.

The jury had a difficult job selecting a winner.

— All the teams have done really well. These have been strong, demanding cases that have challenged both the students and us. The solutions that didn’t win deserve some leads after this too, was the jury’s feedback during the award ceremony.

The jury consisted of representatives from Innovation Norway, Pelagia AS and Sjømatbedriftene. The audience also had a say through a vote held during the pitches.

In the end, it was Seaguard who could celebrate the win.

— It feels incredibly good to win. We’ve put a lot of work in over the course of the week, so it’s extra rewarding to get recognition for our solution, says Emily.

Turning the idea into reality

The win means a great deal to the Seaguard team, who hope to take the solution further after Student Camp. In the longer term, the goal is for it to become part of safety efforts in the fishing industry.

— We really appreciate this win, and we hope we get the chance to keep working on the solution. Longer term, we hope it can be developed further and implemented across the industry within the next five to ten years, the students say.

An important meeting place for students and industry

Alexandra Neyts from NTNU has been involved in organising Student Camp at Nor-Fishing since 2015. She highlights the value of bringing together students from different academic backgrounds to work on real challenges from the industry.

— For the students, it isn’t just about working on a relevant problem. They get to collaborate with students from other disciplines, which isn’t something you always get through your degree, she says.

The students also get the chance to walk around the exhibition, meet exhibitors, ask questions and get to know the industry.

— They gain a lot of insight into the sector in a very short space of time. On top of that, the mentors have done a fantastic job giving them feedback and guidance along the way, says Neyts.