Investing in Blue Foods 2026

Thriving global innovation can boost Africa’s blue foods future (Part 1) FIGURE 5 Technology Business model Product Innovation archetype:Innovation topicsBlue foods value chain Inputs Production Processing 1. Alternative & sustainable inputs Developing novel protein sources that reduce dependence on wild fish stocks or land-intensive inputs. Including high-protein insect and microbial feed ingredients (e.g. BSFL,1 methane-fermented protein) and emerging blue protein production systems (e.g. lab-grown fish).1. Precision feeding & nutrient delivery Systems and tools that optimize when, how much and how efficiently feed is delivered to reduce waste and improve FCR4 (e.g. IoT acoustic feeders, AI-vision sensors).1. Manufacturing efficiency & automation technologies Solutions that enhance speed and labour efficiency and manage species variability (e.g. water-jet cutters, robotic filleting, auto-packing arms, modular tray systems). 2. Improved seed & genetic material Enhancing fish performance through improved broodstock, selective breeding and genetically resilient strains (e.g. CRISPR2-modified salmon with resistance to ISA3 virus).2. Water quality & environmental conditioning Approaches to actively manage hatchery or grow-out water conditions, including microbial environments, oxygen and Ph (e.g. probiotics, aeration systems, water parameter stabilizers).2. Grading & quality consistency tools Systems that ensure consistent, objective product grading and detect defects to reduce rejections and protect brand trust (e.g. AI-based visual inspection systems). 3 Seed security & access systems Ensuring reliable, year-round access to elite broodstock or fry (e.g. cryopreservation, gene banks or distributed hatchery models).3. Farm infrastructure & system design Engineering, siting and design of production environment to improve control, scalability and ecological footprint (e.g. offshore cages, modular tanks).3. Energy-efficient cooking & preservation Advanced curing, drying and cooking techniques that retain quality while reducing energy, water use and processing time (e.g. sous-vide, sensor- controlled kilns). 4. Improved health inputs Designing feeds, additives and input handling systems that improve disease resistance and minimize pathogen transmission (e.g. oral vaccines, probiotics, sterilized input systems).4. On-farm monitoring & biomass control Tools and systems to track fish growth, size and harvest timing — enabling better feed planning, reduced stress and higher yield accuracy (e.g. machine vision grading, real-time biomass estimation). 5. Labour-saving & automation technologies Solutions that reduce manual labour in feeding, grading and handling — improving productivity and reducing injury/stress to fish (e.g. automated graders, robot packing arms). Notes: 1. BSFL = black soldier fly larvae. 2. CRISPR = clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. 3. ISA = infectious salmon anaemia 4. FCR = food conversion ratio. 5. Some innovation topics cut across multiple archetypes. Source: BCG analysis. Investing in Blue Foods: Innovation and Partnerships for Impact 16