– It started with one idea and one camera. Now we count fish across four continents

General Manager Sven Jørund Kolstø (left) and Team Leader Mechanical Design Einar Wangberg during a visit to one of their many customers at a fish farm in Norway. Photo: OptoScale

By Einar Hugnes ·
Updated: 24 June 2025

OptoScale AS helps the aquaculture industry to ensure better conditions for fish and the environment. Einar Wangberg from Stjørdal was the very first employee hired in 2016. Since then, he has been part of a development in the company that exceeds what they thought possible. The company is growing rapidly and was recently sold to the American company “Insight”.

The magazine has visited the head office at Leangen in Trondheim. There we were welcomed by team leader for mechanical design, Einar Wangberg. He had gathered three others around him, who have in common that they live in Stjørdal: Jostein Aanstad (from Snillfjord), Vidar Wikmark (from Stjørdal) and Denis Atonin (from Russia).

Four OptoScale employees who all live in Stjørdal, (from left) Jostein Aanstad, Vidar Wikmark, Denis Atonin and Einar Wangberg. Photo: Einar Hugnes

– Right now, we are a company with 64 employees from 15 nations, and we still need more. If you ask me in a few weeks, we’ll probably have hired a few more. Many of our employees work here at the head office. It’s a combination building with both office space and our own workshop. The company also has an office at Solsiden where some of the people who work with our customers are based. In addition, we have had to set up our own offices in both Chile and Tasmania in Australia, largely because of the time difference,” says Wangberg.

Recruitment via NTNU

Much of the recruitment of new employees takes place through close collaboration with NTNU, particularly the line for aquaculture. The company is perceived as a popular player for students, who often have both internships and projects related to what OptoScale does.

Team leader for mechanical design Einar Wangberg at his workplace at OptoScale. Photo: Einar Hugnes

 

They find other new employees via “Finn.no” when they advertise positions. – For most people, we’re probably a company that goes a bit under the radar. I often have to explain what we do,” says Einar Wangberg.

Technical equipment to help the aquaculture industry

OptoScale mainly helps salmon farmers – both large ones like SalMar and Lerøy and many smaller players in Norway and internationally.

They are now on several continents – including Scotland, Shetland, Canada, Chile and Tasmania, where fish farming is a major industry.

Jostein Aanstad calibrates one of the cameras. Naturally, this takes place in a pool. Photo: Einar Hugnes

– Our starting point was to contribute with technical equipment for weight measurement. We developed our own cameras that give the farmer better insight into salmon welfare. Our strength lies in the software and the data the cameras collect from the cages,” explains Wangberg.

HR Manager Kari Nordahl in conversation with Einar Wangberg. 30% of employees are women. Photo: Einar Hugnes

The cameras make everyday life easier for fish farmers. They provide an overview of salmon lice, weight and wound development – all central to fish welfare. The cameras are manufactured and delivered by Inission at Løkken Verk.

Mark Gibb from Scotland is a new employee at OptoScale. Here he is working with camera maintenance and repair. Photo: Einar Hugnes

– We get a lot of good feedback! The equipment is easy to use and the data is uploaded to the cloud. Via our portal, customers get full insight. The customers who care the most also get the most out of the technology,” says Wangberg.

Comparison with agriculture

Einar Wangberg and his wife Linn Tove took over their home farm Tiller Søndre in Skatval 15 years ago, where they live with their sons Oskar, Jakob and Viktor. He often compares farming with agriculture to illustrate the size of the industry.

– “We have a communal lunch. It’s Rosalba from Italy who prepares it,” says Einar Wangberg. Photo: Einar Hugnes

– We have 10,000 salmon cages in Norway alone. The growth in one farm can be equivalent to 3,000 cows or 9,000 pigs. This imposes an enormous responsibility for welfare and the environment – and this is where we can contribute with technology and expertise.

New solutions

– We want to grow further and develop new solutions. It’s all about feeding – not too much and not too little. New camera technology can do the job even better in the future. That’s where we want to be involved and drive development,” says Wangberg.

Denis Antonin, originally from Russia, now living in Stjørdal, visiting fish farms with a camera supplied by OptoScale. Photo: OptoScale

Read the original article from Bladet here