South Korea graduates first class of 'blue food tech' specialists

South Korea is set to produce its first cohort of "blue food tech" specialists — professionals trained to apply advanced technology to seafood product development and processing — as 14 working industry professionals prepare to receive master's degrees from the country's first dedicated program.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it will hold a master's degree ceremony for the 14 first-generation graduates of the blue food tech contract department at Gyeongsang National University on Tuesday.

The blue food tech contract department is a company-tailored master's program designed to train specialists in emerging seafood industries by integrating cutting-edge technology, with enrollment open to people already working in the seafood sector. The ministry established the program at Gyeongsang National University in September 2024 — the first of its kind in the country — and has since covered tuition and operating costs.

The first-generation graduates completed four semesters over two years, earning 24 credits and writing theses on seafood-related topics. Their research covered areas directly tied to industry needs, including new product development using marine ingredients, analysis of seafood health benefits, and assessments of sanitation outcomes under different processing methods.

Students also tackled real-world challenges faced by participating companies, identifying operational pain points and working toward solutions through expert consulting and joint research. The effort yielded results with practical industry applications, including pet food products made from seafood byproducts and new products developed using domestic marine ingredients such as oysters and conger eel.

The ministry plans to expand the training pipeline by opening a new blue food tech contract department at Seoul National University in September.

Choe Hyeon-ho, director general for fisheries policy at the ministry, said the government would continue providing policy support to develop industry-focused specialists capable of driving higher added value in the seafood sector.