Thirty years of dried food

In 1989, he made his first attempts to freeze-dry his wife's stews so he could take them with him on trips. The result was a gentle freeze-drying method that preserved the ingredients' flavour and texture.

We, then known as the Industrial Fund, became involved early on and contributed to the project. Through a government research and development contract (now called Innovation Contracts), the Norwegian Army Supply Command became a partner in a year-long collaboration to develop new field rations to replace the tinned food then known as 'dead man in a tin'.

Since then, we have supported Drytech as it has grown and expanded into new markets. The company is now in its third phase of growth since it was founded, and we have supported every phase with expertise, capital and networks, both in Norway and internationally.

Having the Norwegian Armed Forces as a demanding customer also opened the door to selling field rations to the armed forces of several other countries. Drytech has also succeeded in the consumer market with its widely recognised 'Real Turmat' brand.

'It has been a long-standing partnership. Innovation Norway has supported us through many stages and has been an invaluable resource,' says Trond Hansen, Rolf Hansen's son and the current CEO of Drytech.

In 2019, the company moved into a newly built factory designed for the future. Drytech is now embarking on a major transformation project to make the company even more sustainable, focusing on areas such as food waste and resource use. We are supporting this project too.

‘We have provided funding for the project and introduced Drytech to advanced manufacturing communities in both Raufoss and Kongsberg that are at the forefront of digitalisation. Our support has played an important part in the company’s success. We have opened doors, used our network to explore markets and identify key customers, and connected Drytech with the right centres of expertise,’ says Drytech’s CEO.