Dairygold to double research and development staff with €15.6m centre
Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Micheál Martin, who announced the decision in Mitchelstown yesterday, said the new centre, supported by Enterprise Ireland, will be operational by the end of 2007.
It will lead to the creation of high quality employment for 15 graduates in food sciences, three of them to PhD level, with the remaining 12 to Masters and BSc levels.
This will double Dairygold R&D staff complement from 15 currently to 30. Ultimately, the centre will have capacity for a total of 50 personnel. It is expected that this will be reached post 2007.
“Through Enterprise Ireland linking with third-level institutes and industry, we aim to ensure that the maximum potential is derived from applied research - both in terms of new business establishment and technology transfer,” Mr Martin said the collaboration between Dairygold, Teagasc and UCC to bring food products with additional health benefits to the market points the way forward for future innovation efforts in the sector.
The investment was welcomed by Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan, who said she has consistently espoused the need for a robust R&D capability within the food industry.
“I believe Ireland should be at the cutting edge of this type of research so that we can lead the food agenda to enhance the health and well-being of our customers at home and abroad,” she said.
Dairygold chief executive Jerry Henchy said the co-op’s Consumer Foods and Milk Processing Ireland divisions have identified innovation as fundamental to successfully growing their businesses going forward and as an area where significant investment is required.
The new centre will incorporate a highly specialised pilot plant facility.
This will be designed and equipped specifically to complement the large pilot scale facility currently in place at Moorepark Technology Ltd (MTL) in Fermoy.
Dairygold chairman John Walsh thanked Ministers Coughlan and Martin, Enterprise Ireland, Teagasc and UCC for their support without which, he said, yesterday’s announcement would not have been possible.
