Minister of State Martin Heydon Launches Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022

Minister of State with special responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon T.D., today launched ‘Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022’, which is taking place between October 17 and 23.

The launch takes place today at a Bioeconomy Research Symposium held in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Backweston Campus in Celbridge, Co. Kildare.

The Bioeconomy Research Symposium highlighted the investment of €25 million by the Department in bioeconomy research since 2018. This included studies around modular timber building, diversification of protein resources and new biomass streams, development of wood-based composites, producing new biopesticides and biofertilisers, and designing a bioeconomy regional strategy.

Minister Heydon said:

“We are now moving beyond an initial development phase to a mobilisation phase when it comes to the bioeconomy.

“My Departments bioeconomy research investment has supported the advancement of the knowledge and innovation base to develop the Irish Bioeconomy. Looking to the future, our aim is to develop a Bioeconomy Action Plan for the period 2023-2025. This will focus on enabling the design and development of transformation pathways to develop the bioeconomy as a green, sustainable, and circular business model, underpinned by science, technology, cooperation, and innovation.

“The greater utilisation of biological resources ticks the boxes when it comes to economic, environmental, and societal sustainability. It can create new sources of income for the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and broader agri-food sector.”

The theme for Bioeconomy Ireland Week is ‘All Voices Together’, where a broad range of activities and events will showcase how the natural environment can be utilised in a sustainable and circular way to help achieve a prosperous society for primary producers, industry, researchers, children and other citizens.

Notes for Editor:

Bioeconomy Ireland Week

Bioeconomy Ireland Week is coordinated by the Irish Bioeconomy Network led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Communications and includes the BiOrbic Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre, the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation, Teagasc, the Marine Institute, Udaras na Gaeltachta, Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South-West, Shannon ABC, and the CircBio Research Group, MTU as partners.
Bioeconomy Ireland Week is an annual event to raise awareness of the bioeconomy. The activity is part of the policy actions undertaken to implement the National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy. This year there is a mix of in-person and online events ranging from pig gut health to gender diversity in the bioeconomy, which are outlined on the website www.irishbioeconomy.ie.
In addition to events several local libraries across Ireland will help to raise awareness and promote the bioeconomy by handing out customised bookmarks, exhibiting bioeconomy books for kids and even some hosting talks from local actors working in the bioeconomy.
The local pub has also got on board to help promote the bioeconomy where customers can scan a QR code on a customised drinks coaster which will bring them to the Irishbioeconomy.ie website, where they can learn about the bioeconomy while they enjoy their favourite tiple.

Events for Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022 include, for example:

Monday 17th

Launch of Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2022 at the Bioeconomy Research Symposium, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co Kildare

Tuesday 18th

Irish Seaweed with Dr Paul MacArtain, Dundalk Institute of Technology
BioBeo and the Bioeconomy. Dr Máire Nic an Bhaird, Maynooth University

Wednesday 19th

Scotland & Ireland Bioeconomy Innovation Collaboration: High Value Bio-based Ingredients

Thursday 20th

Scenario modelling and monitoring to develop a sustainable bioeconomy in Ireland and Europe
Diversity in Bioeconomy

Friday 21st

BioWill – Creating a biorefinery for Willow Trees

Saturday 22nd

Rubbish Ramble, Ballymun Health Care Facility Dublin

Other daily online activities include

Teagasc daily Bioeconomy Maps
Local libraries helping raise awareness of Ireland Bioeconomy

Description of the Bioeconomy

The bioeconomy, with its systemic policy perspective, plays an important developmental role in achieving climate neutrality and environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Bioeconomy encompasses all sectors and associated services and investments that produce, use, process, distribute or consume biological resources, including ecosystem services.
The national policy statement on the bioeconomy complements sectoral policies and enables the design of transition pathways according to local, rural, coastal and regional specific challenges and opportunities.

National & EU Bioeconomy Policy

The National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy was published by the Department of the Taoiseach in 2018 - gov.ie - National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy (www.gov.ie).
The updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy from 2018 “A sustainable Bioeconomy for Europe: Strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment” provides the policy framework for the deployment of a circular and sustainable bioeconomy in Europe.
In November 2019, the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on the 2018 EU Bioeconomy Strategy, calling upon the EC to deliver a Bioeconomy Strategy Progress Report by 2022. In response to this, the European Commission developed the Progress Report “European Bioeconomy Policy: Stocktaking and future developments”- European bioeconomy policy - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu).