The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., announces ‘Bioeconomy Ireland Week’.

Bioeconomy Ireland Week will place a spotlight on Ireland’s Bioeconomy through a series of events and activities led by the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine and the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment. The events are in collaboration with Bioeconomy leaders including BiOrbic SFI Bioeconomy Research Centre, Irish Bioeconomy Foundation and the BioConnect Regional Cluster based in Monaghan. Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2019 will take place across Ireland between Friday 11 October – Friday 18 October 2019.

The bioeconomy uses renewable biological resources sourced sustainably from land and sea such as crops, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, micro-organisms and animals and converts these resources and their processing by-products into value added biobased products including proteins, feed, fertilizers, plastics and energy. The bioeconomy has the potential to create new sustainable opportunities for farmers and lead to the creation of high quality green jobs in rural and coastal areas.

The Minister said,

“Following on from last year’s very successful Bioeconomy Ireland Day held at the National Bioeconomy Campus in Lisheen, Co. Tipperary, it is important to maintain momentum in highlighting the positive contributions the Bioeconomy is making to society and industry, and in realising the many opportunities it offers to our primary producers, as well as the agri-food, marine, forestry, waste management, energy, pharma and bio-technology sectors.”

The main events taking place over the course of Bioeconomy Ireland Week include:

• Launch of the BioConnect Innovation Centre (11th October, Monaghan), established to create a biotechnology centre of excellence through the provision of research and laboratory services and a regional cluster to accelerate development of Bioeconomy opportunities. Among other topics, the event will also explore the Sustainability and Future of Proteins in the context of the Bioeconomy.
• Launch of the National Bioeconomy Forum (14th October, Dublin) to liaise with relevant industry bodies and other stakeholders in the bioeconomy to provide advice and guidance on the policy framework needed for future development of the Irish Bioeconomy.
• ‘Gut health: it’s a pig deal’ (15th October, Dublin). BiOrbic SFI Bioeconomy Research Centre, in partnership with Agri Aware’s Family Farm at Dublin Zoo, will launch a workshop to engage primary school students with the world of pigs, what goes on inside their gut and amazing natural ingredients found in mushrooms and seaweed that help the good bacteria grow.
• ICT-BIOCHAIN Digitising the Bioeconomy Demonstration Day (16th October, Limerick) hosted by the Institute of Technology Tralee and the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation, with demonstration of ICT and technology solutions for the bio-based sector in business operating environments.
• UCD Sustainable Development Goals Seminar (16th October, Dublin). UCD Earth Institute, and BiOrbic will host a panel discussion focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12, ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’.
• Technological Higher Education Association and BiOrbic (17th October, Dublin) event focusing on collaboration to advance Ireland’s bioeconomy.
• #FacesoftheFuture social media campaign, across the Bioeconomy Ireland Week, highlighting the ground-breaking work of research students to develop Ireland’s Bioeconomy.