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Almost €8m in agri food research and innovation for development of the Irish bioeconomy has been announced by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon.
The funding is for three new research projects arising from the Department’s competitive call for research to establish new knowledge for development of the Irish bioeconomy.
Minister Heydon said: “Investment to support the development of new bio-based products is needed to help meet the targets set for reduced usage of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the recently published EU Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies.”
The projects
One project aims to identify the potential role of crops and marine resources as alternative sources of proteins which may have the potential to diversify Ireland’s agro-ecological system and deliver nutrient-dense products.
Another project will explore the possibility of utilising algal- and fungal-derived bio-pesticides and bio-stimulants as alternatives to chemical fertilisers and pesticides products in crop production.
The third project to be funded will look at ways to enhance the economic return from wood processing by facilitating a switch to higher-value wood products, reducing waste and creating a pipeline of advanced wood-based chemicals and materials.
All-island backing
Minister Heydon continued: “As in previous research calls, a particularly positive aspect of these research awards is the all-island dimension with the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland contributing €328,000 in funding to QUB.”
A total of seven Irish research-performing organisations will benefit from the awards announced on Tuesday, including Teagasc.
The funding will provide higher education opportunities for 26 postgraduate students in the form of PhDs and masters degrees, as well as contract positions for postdoctoral and other researchers.
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