Meat Technology Ireland launched
Meat Technology Ireland, a strategic research and innovation base in beef and sheep meat processing in Ireland, has been launched by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O Connor and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.
Meat Technology Ireland (MTI) is a new industry-led initiative with significant funding from Enterprise Ireland that will create a ‘one-stop shop’ for meat processing research and technology.
Speaking at the launch, Mary Mitchell O Connor TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, said: “Innovation 2020, the Government’s strategy for research and development, science and technology, recognises the importance of innovation for the agri-food sector. Establishing Meat Technology Ireland, through Enterprise Ireland is one of the key initiatives under the Action Plan for Jobs, and will help to build a competitive advantage in the food sector, through investment in research and innovation capability. Its importance is to introduce companies to the expertise in research institutions with the aim of generating innovative technologies leading to job creation.”
CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Julie Sinnamon said; “Enterprise Ireland’s strategy is to support Irish businesses to build scale and expand their reach into international markets and we are delighted to back the establishment of Meat Technology Ireland which will directly support innovation in the agri-food sector and ultimately contribute to export growth. The need for greater levels of innovation among Irish companies as part of their response to Brexit is crucial and the launch of Meat Technology Ireland today is well timed, pooling the innovative talents of all the stakeholders involved to compete internationally offering best in class and further leveraging our strong international reputation in the provision of quality meat products.”
Meat Technology Ireland is an €8.1 million five-year research and innovation programme, developed by industry and co-funded by Enterprise Ireland and a consortium of nine beef and sheepmeat processing companies. The MTI is hosted by Teagasc at its Ashtown Food Research Facility in Dublin with Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Dublin City University (DCU), University College Cork (UCC) and the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) involved as research providers. The companies behind the initiative are ABP Ireland, Ashbourne Meat Processors, Dawn Meats Group, Dunbia (Ireland), Hilton Foods Ireland, Irish Country Meats, Kepak Group, Liffey Meats, and Slaney Foods International.
