To launch Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2025 (BIW2025), CAP Network Ireland, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is hosting a conference on ‘Agri-Bioeconomy Value Chains & Business Models in Ireland’.
The conference will highlight the range of actors and their roles in the developing agri-bioeconomy value chain in Ireland. Addressing the wider agri-food community, the conference will showcase how the bioeconomy, as identified in the ‘Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025′, can support local, sustainable development. The discussion aims to demonstrate how the bioeconomy presents opportunities for rural communities by boosting employment and new business opportunities in rural areas, supporting climate action by reducing carbon emissions, promoting a circular economy, and reducing waste, while also providing high-value diversification opportunities to transform agri-food systems.
On selecting the theme for this year’s conference, James Claffey, Project Manager at CAP Network Ireland added ‘the bioeconomy is an exciting and growing area of green innovation and business development that is directly aligned with the goals of CAP 2023-2027 providing opportunities to support viable farm incomes, enhance the competitiveness and modernisation of the sector, and improve the socio-economic vitality of rural areas, while also contributing to climate action and environmental protection’.
The conference will begin with a welcome address and official opening of Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2025 by Martin Heydon, Minister at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, followed by the launch of the second edition of CAP Network Ireland’s ‘Bioeconomy in Action’ booklet.
To start the discussion Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise at Technological University of the Shannon will present an introduction to biomass, current and emerging opportunities for bioeconomy business models in Ireland which will be followed by a discussion with a panel of experts, including John Brosnan (Bioeconomy Executive at the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) and Kenneth Joyce (Head of Strategic Business Development at Coillte).
After a short break there will be a fireside chat with Jack Norman (Co-founder of Zirkulu), Michelle Collins (Director of R&D at Tirlán), and Lalitha Gottumukkala (Director and Chief Innovation Officer at Celignis) to hear about their experience of building an agri-bioeconomy business.
The final panel will be introduced by Marina Donahue of Enterprise Ireland delving into the topic of financing the bioeconomy and the financial supports that are currently available to bioeconomy businesses. This panel will feature Diana Patrascu (Head of the Sustainable Finance Unit at the European Investment Fund) and Michael Brandkamp (Managing Partner at the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund) to explore the topic further.
Darragh McCullough, journalist and broadcaster, will act as MC for the event, keeping the speakers on their toes and the audience engaged throughout the day.
In addition to this event, Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2025, which kicks off on the 13th of October, will feature a range of events across the country to highlight and raise awareness of Ireland’s rapidly growing bioeconomy. The celebration is a collaboration of events and awareness-raising initiatives involving industry, local communities, producers, researchers, students and schools throughout Ireland. This year’s theme is ‘Inspiring local communities for a sustainable, competitive Ireland’, where a broad range of stakeholders from across Ireland’s bioeconomy will demonstrate and share how individually and collectively the natural environment can be utilized in a sustainable and circular way to help achieve a fair and prosperous society. For more information about BIW2025 and to see the full range of events, visit the bioeconomy page on our website or www.irishbioeconomy.ie
Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2025 is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, in association with UCD BiOrbic, Teagasc, Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Munster Technological University, Circular Bioeconomy Cluster, Irish Bioeconomy Foundation, Southern Regional Assembly, Climate KIC, Rediscovery Centre, BioConnect, CAP Network Ireland and the East and Midlands Regional Assembly.
To learn more about the Irish bioeconomy, click here.
