The opening of the National Food Innovation Hub at Teagasc Moorepark
The National Food Innovation Hub at Teagasc Moorepark was officially opened by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Friday 17th September. It provides secure, confidential, office & lab spaces for food companies to establish a research base, collaborations and more. Watch the opening video here
Pictured above at the launch of the National Food Innovation Hub in Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork were: An Taoiseach Michéal Martin; Liam Herlihy, Teagasc Chairman and Professor Gerry Boyle, Teagasc Director. Photo by O'Gorman Photography.
The Hub, an €8.8 million investment by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is a newly constructed facility adjoining the Teagasc Food Research Centre at Moorepark. It provides secure, confidential, office and lab spaces for food companies to establish a research base, collaborate with Teagasc food scientists and access the world class pilot plant facilities at Moorepark Technology Ltd.
Watch the National Food Innovation Hub opening video here below
The National Food Innovation Hub
The National Food Innovation Hub is the latest addition to Teagasc’s research and innovation facilities for the food industry, alongside Moorepark Technology Ltd and the National Prepared Consumer Food Centre, and will be followed by the BIA Innovator Campus, currently under construction at Teagasc Athenry and in which Teagasc is a founding partner. These four facilities, alongside the research and training activities of the Teagasc Food Research Programme, will provide food companies of all sizes and sectors, the infrastructure and expertise required to grow and expand their business.
Moorepark Technology (MTL)
Moorepark Technology (MTL) is a pilot plant facility, available to rent by food companies for product and process development, training and small scale start-up manufacture. MTL is a joint venture between Teagasc and industry investors which has itself recently completed a €10 million expansion, with investment in infrastructure, equipment, facilities and technology.
The National Prepared Consumer Food Centre
The National Prepared Consumer Food Centre at Teagasc Ashtown provides state of the art pilot scale processing equipment and expertise for the prepared consumer foods sector. The centre provides access to modern analytical and sensory laboratories to characterise foods in terms of nutritional, compositional, microbial and sensory profiles allowing complete product and process development. The NPCFC is currently undergoing an expansion, with investment from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, into a new packing suite and processing technologies.
The BIA Innovator Campus
The BIA Innovator Campus is under construction at the Teagasc Mellows Campus in Athenry. The campus will provide infrastructure and support for food and beverage incubation, scaling and innovation at one location. It will include co-working kitchens providing the capacity needed for food businesses at all stages of product development, including specific units for the dairy, meat and seafood sectors.
Also read Taoiseach opens new National Food Innovation Hub at Teagasc Moorepark