This week’s guest on the Negócios com Impacto videocast, a joint initiative with Rádio Renascença, is Bernardo Carvalho, one of the founders of Oceano Fresco, a Portuguese company pioneering sustainable seafood production.
A Management graduate from CATÓLICA-LISBON in 1998, Bernardo Carvalho built an international career in consulting, finance, biotechnology, and agrogenetics. It was during his time in Switzerland that he developed a passion for innovative and sustainable ways to feed the planet, a challenge that ultimately led to the creation of Oceano Fresco.
Headquartered in Nazaré and employing around 50 people, the company farms high-value bivalves such as oysters and clams in open-sea environments off Portugal’s southern Algarve coast. These organisms require no artificial feed, antibiotics, or energy-intensive systems, acting instead as true environmental allies: they naturally filter water and sequester carbon. According to Bernardo Carvalho, “they’re almost like superheroes”. Current production includes 30 million clams and 1 million oysters, grown through long, regenerative cycles.
The company is certified as an organic producer and places a strong emphasis on scientific talent, integrating PhDs and highly qualified technical professionals into its operations. “You need highly trained scientists, but also people who can translate science into management. What we’re doing is difficult, and it takes special people to make it happen”, he explains.
Although the company has been operating for a decade, the early years were dedicated to intensive research, concept testing, and building infrastructure. Commercial sales began only recently, with pilot shipments to France and plans underway to introduce the products to the domestic market through premium restaurants and fishmongers.
Throughout the episode, Bernardo Carvalho shares the journey of Oceano Fresco, from its inception to the start of commercial operations, highlights the challenges of entrepreneurship in a heavily regulated sector, and reflects on the role of CATÓLICA-LISBON in shaping his leadership skills.
The eighth episode of Negócios com Impacto is now available to listen to and watch on Spotify and YouTube, via CATÓLICA-LISBON.