UCC and Teagasc form research alliance

A MAJOR step towards creating a single research programme to supportinnovation and development in the country’s €25 billion-turnover food and drink industry was taken yesterday.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith formally launched the University College Cork (UCC) and Teagasc Strategic Alliance in Food Research. UCC and Teagasc have internationally acclaimed reputations for research and a long established history of working together.

The new alliance brings those links to a new level through sharing resources, infrastructure and facilities. It will focus research on the themes of food and health, food science and technology and food and the consumer.

The resources of both organisations will be deployed to build a common food research and innovation programme.

More than 250 researchers, post-doctorates and post-graduates are currently working across a wide variety of disciplines in food science, food technology, nutrition, food for health and food business.

Ireland’s agri-food sector comprises 800 companies employing more than 45,000 people and producing over a third of the country’s net export earnings from the primary and manufacturing sectors.

When farmers and ancillary jobs are added, it is estimated that 230,000 people are dependent on the industry.

Mr Smith, speaking at the launch in UCC, said collaboration between industry and academia is actively encouraged by the Government.

“Now more than ever it is vitally important that every opportunity isexploited to its fullest potential to create long-term sustainability in the sector,” he said.