InterTradeIreland have awarded the funding to kickstart a first of its kind project called BioDirect – The All-Island Biobased Product Innovation Challenge: Connecting Bioeconomy Innovators with Industry Customers.
The Project will be led by Circular Bioeconomy Cluster at Munster Technological Unversity and the Irish Nutrient Sustainability Platform at Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with ATIM Cluster and Ulster University.
BIODIRECT will be the first All-Island will be the first All-Island project focused on the adoption of innovative bio-products specifically targeted towards company challenges across the island of Ireland across four sectors, Packaging, Construction, Textiles and Agriculture.
With an increasing emphasis on the transition to net zero emissions and circular economy there is a demand for bio-based technologies, products and materials that are using renewable, organic and sustainable feedstock. Our aim is to speed up the innovation cycle by connection bio-based innovations and technologies with industry customers through a curated challenged based process and increase the adoption of these solutions in the Irish market.
the expected results of the project will be greater market awareness of bio-based product availability for key sectors in Ireland, cross border collaboration between companies and identified areas of high commercial potential for further research and development.
The project aligns with the recently published Bioeconomy Action Plan prepared by the Department of Environment, climate & Communications and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which highlights: Analyse the status and possibilities of bioeconomy and biobased materials as a strategic capability particularly in relation to all-island economic development, and as a climate transition pathway for all relevant industrial ecosystems. (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a1bb6-bioeconomy-policy/#irelands-bioeconomy-action-plan-2023-2023)
BIODIRECT is funded by InterTradeIreland Synergy Programme which aims to scale cross-border collaboration, using cluster and network development supports to increase the impact of programmes with economic benefit to Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Get involved: If you are a company seeking environmentally friendly bio-based products and materials to use in your processes and produces and you operate in one of the four sectors Packaging, Construction, Textiles, and Agriculture.
