Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022 Launch and Bioeconomy Research Symposium

On Monday the 17th of October 2022, 118 delegates from across Ireland’s bioeconomy; Departments, agencies, higher education institutions, industry, and civil society, gathered at the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine’s (DAFM) Backweston Campus in Celbridge, Co. Kildare for the launch of Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022. The launch was followed by a Bioeconomy Research Symposium that highlighted the investment of 25 million euro by the Department research aiding the development of Irelands bioeconomy.

On the day Martin Heydon, Minister of State with special responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development delivered the opening address, formally launching Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022. This is a week-long event held annually each October to highlight and raise awareness of Ireland's rapidly growing bioeconomy. A mixture of in-person and online activities and events were organised and coordinated by the Irish Bioeconomy Network, around this year’s theme ‘All Voices Together’. These activities and events involved a broad range of stakeholders from across Ireland’s bioeconomy demonstrating and sharing how individually and collectively the natural environment can be conserved and utilized in a sustainable and circular way, to help achieve a fair and prosperous society. For the full list of events and to find out more information on Bioeconomy Ireland week visit http://www.irishbioeconomy.ie/

Following the launch address the Bioeconomy Research Symposium opened with a panel discussion moderated by journalist and broadcaster Ms Helen Carroll. Panellists included Dr Karl Walsh DAFM’s Research Head of Division and co-chair of the Bioeconomy Policy Implementation Group; Mr John Malone Chair of the Bioeconomy Forum; Dr Helena McMahon, Chief Product Officer of Nutramara and Munster Technological University; and Prof. Nick Holden form the School of Biosystems and Food Engineering UCD. The panel all discussed the direction of travel that policy, research & innovation, industry, and academia is on, and needs to take towards progressing Ireland’s bioeconomy as a natural enabler to address climate challenges, socio-economic opportunities, and policy goals complementing sectoral policy developments.

Delegates then heard from our funded research projects in the areas of sustainable carbon cycles, bioresource valorisation, biobased product alternatives and monitoring and guiding bioeconomy development, where researchers outlined how their projects are helping to advance Ireland’s bioeconomy. Presentations were delivered from researchers of six projects:

• Dr Patrick McGetrick, NUIG, Principal Coordinator of the MODCONS Project

• Dr Sinead Fitzsimons, Teagasc Project Manager of the U-Protein project

• Prof Mick Morris, TCD, Principal Coordinator of the NxtGenWood project

• Dr Saoirse Tracy, UCD, collaborator on the BioCrop project

• James Gaffey, MTU Principal Coordinator of the INFORMBIO project

• Prof Enda Murphy, UCD, Principal Coordinator of the Co-BIOECON project

All presenters then addressed Q&A in final panel discussion. Researchers from twenty-four projects presented to audiences at the symposium’s dedicated poster session.

The recording of the opening introduction is now available to watch back on our YouTube channel.

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