22-07-2025

Optifish Hackathon in Wageningen, Netherlands

On the 7th of June, Wageningen University & Research hosted a week-long hackathon organized by the Optifish project in collaboration with the Everyfish project, two Horizon EU initiatives in which Anchor Lab is a partner. The event brought together an international team of scientists and students to advance the development of innovative AI solutions aimed at making fisheries more sustainable and automated.

Anchor Lab was represented at the hackathon by our student worker Poul, who is doing an Engineering degree with a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Data at the Technical University of Denmark. He works alongside our development team to create AI models that automate data collection across various fishing activities.

Participants were grouped into teams, each focusing on specific topics related to AI model development for the automation of fisheries processes. Poul’s team worked on tracking fish on conveyor belts, testing new methods to improve existing models. The week-long event concluded with the teams presenting their collaborative work to partners from the Optifish and Everyfish projects.

Reflecting on the experience, Poul said: "Personally, I gained a lot of knowledge, and I feel like we worked on something that could potentially improve existing technologies."

As the Optifish project enters its second year and the Everyfish project approaches its final phase, it is exciting to see innovative solutions emerging from both. Anchor Lab is proud to contribute to these forward-thinking initiatives that advance technology in support of more effective and sustainable fisheries.

Stay tuned for further updates as these projects continue to evolve.