ARCTIC CIRCLE

HB Grandi is one of the sponsors of the Arctic Circle Assembly. Arctic Circle is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organisations, corporations, universities, environmental associations and others interested in the development of the Nordic region and its consequences for the future of the globe. As such, Arctic Circle is the largest platform of its type in the world. The Chairman of Arctic Circle is Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former President of Iceland.

CLIMATE GOALS DECLARATION

HB Grandi signed, together with 103 other Icelandic companies and public bodies, a declaration on climate issue goals on 16 November 2015 in Höfði. The declaration was delivered in connection with the UN Climate Conference held in Paris in December 2015. The City of Reykjavík and Festa, the Icelandic Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, have managed the declaration from the companies. The goals of the climate project are to:

• Reduce the release of greenhouse gases.
• Reduce the formation of waste.
• Measure performance and regularly publish information on the above aspects.

LANDSBJÖRG, THE ICELANDIC ASSOCIATION FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE – ICE-SAR

HB Grandi is a supporter of the search and rescue teams in Iceland. ICE-SAR is the national association for search and rescue in Iceland and one of the largest volunteer associations in Iceland. The operation aims to prevent accidents and save lives and valuables. HB Grandi supports robust search and rescue work at sea and on land, as our seamen rely on the teams if something happens.

THE FISHERIES INDUSTRY SAFETY GROUP

The Fisheries Industry Safety Group operates within Fisheries Iceland (Samtök fyrirtækja í sjávarútvegi, SFS) with the goal of reducing the number of accidents in the sector. The group was formally established in April 2016. HB Grandi had a representative in the group in 2018. The representatives are from the largest fisheries companies in Iceland and are all involved in working on safety issues. The first task undertaken by the group was to write a Safety Manual for fish processing plants, which is now accessible on the websites of SFS and the Herring Sector Research Fund (Rannsóknarsjóður síldarútvegsins), which supported the project. The Safety Manual is a reference manual for management in fisheries companies and is intended to ensure the use of active occupational safety measures within the companies.

WOMEN LEADERS GLOBAL FORUM

HB Grandi is one of the sponsors of Women Leaders Global Forum which was held in Harpa 26–28 November. Over 400 women leaders from 80 countries attended the Forum.

To celebrate the Global Forum, HB Grandi invited a group of attendees to lunch in the Marshall Building together with women from the Association of Women in the Fisheries Industry.

HB GRANDI FAMILY FESTIVAL ON SEAMEN’S DAY

HB Grandi holds an annual family festival at the operating site of the company in Reykjavík on Seamen’s Day. An entertainment programme is provided for all the family, with fantastic entertainers as well as refreshments.

CHARITABLE CAUSES

HB Grandi supports causes in its home bases which consist of Reykjavík, Akranes and Vopnafjörður. The grants are split into several categories but are all related to the community to which they are allocated in some manner. HB Grandi has supported the Society for Assistance to Mothers (Mæðrastyrksnefnd) in Akranes for a number of years as well as the same Society’s Educational Fund. In addition, HB Grandi supported Ljósið and the fundraising campaign Allir Krakkar where Stígamót raised funds for preventative work relating to sexual violence and gender-based harassment in autumn 2018. The company, moreover, has supported the Icelandic Association of the Deaf (Félag heyrnarlausra) for a number of years.

THE MARSHALL BUILDING (MARSHALLHÚSIÐ)

HB Grandi is the owner of the Marshall Building, which is located on the premises of the company in Reykjavík. The Marshall Building is a new venue for the arts, standing by the Old Harbour in Reykjavík. The building was built in 1948 as a fish meal factory. It currently houses the Living Art Museum, Kling og Bang, the Studio of Ólafur Elíasson and workshop and the restaurant La Primavera Ristorante. The idea for the new and changed role for the Marshall Building can be traced to the architects of Kurtogpi, Ásmundur Hrafn Sturluson and Steinþór Kári Kárason. The firm was responsible for all the architectural work regarding the changes. The project was formally launched on 19 February 2016 when the agreement was signed and work began. The Marshall Building, a spectacular centre for the arts, was formally opened on 18 March 2017.

VÍKIN – ICELAND’S MARITIME MUSEUM

The maritime museum in Reykjavík was formally established in 2004 and opened its first exhibition in June 2006. Its role is to collect and present maritime history and artefacts relating to the sea and seamanship, particularly those that have a bearing on the history of Reykjavík. The museum is located at Grandagarður, in the premises that formerly housed Bæjarútgerð Reykjavíkur (BÚR), one of the predecessors of HB Grandi.

HB Grandi is one of the main sponsors of the Maritime Museum in Reykjavík. A partnership agreement was signed in 2014 and is effective for five years or to the end of 2018. Víkin, therefore, has continued with the developments that began in the museum in 2005.

ÞÚFA

In 2013, HB Grandi, in collaboration with the Federation of Icelandic Artists and the Associated Icelandic Ports (Faxaflóahafnir), held a competition for new artwork to decorate the area surrounding Ísbjörninn, the new cold storage facility that the company built in the same year. The winner was Þúfa, a piece by artist Ólöf Nordal. Those who walk up to the top enjoy one of the most impressive views of Reykjavík available. Þúfa was inaugurated at a ceremony on 21 December 2013 and has already become a well-known landmark in Reykjavík.

DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE WETFISH TRAWLER ÁSBJÖRN

A documentary was filmed in 2017 about the wetfish trawler Ásbjörn, which is now replaced by Engey. Ásbjörn was built in 1978 and has proved to be an excellent vessel. Despite being among the smallest vessels in HB Grandi’s fleet, Ásbjörn was more often than not among the vessels that brought home the largest catches and was, in fact, the vessel to bring home the largest catch in Iceland thirteen times, most recently in 2014. Ásbjörn unloaded round 227 thousand tonnes in 1,542 unloads, with the catch value being around ISK 40bn at present value.

THE SEAFOOD CONFERENCE ICELAND

HB Grandi has been one of the main sponsors of the Seafood Conference Iceland in recent years. The goal is to gather in a single place a cross-section of the industry in order to further promote progress and other efforts. The conference is where people meet and network, strengthening connections and collaboration in the industry. The conference covers many important topics in the fishing industry, in the hope that it may inspire its guests to try out new ideas and do good work.

POLITICAL PARTIES

During the year, HB Grandi supported the political parties that have members in the parliament and who applied for grants.

THE ÁSA GUÐMUNDSDÓTTIR WRIGHT AWARD FUND

Awards from the Ása Guðmundsdóttir Wright Award Fund are granted to an Icelandic scientist who has achieved exceptional success in his speciality in science or in the academic world and has shared his knowledge for the benefit of Icelandic society. The founder of the Fund was Ms Ása Guðmundsdóttir Wright, who gave the Icelandic Science Association (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) a donation on its fiftieth anniversary on 1 December 1968. HB Grandi is a supporter of the Fund and enables the Fund to annually allocate one of the biggest awards that go to scientists in Iceland.