Director Appointed to New Meat Technology Centre
Teagasc has appointed Dr. John Colreavy as Director of the Meat Technology Centre. The Meat Technology Centre (MTC) is a new Enterprise Ireland, industry-led initiative that will build a strategic research and innovation base in beef and sheepmeat processing in Ireland. The Centre will be a ‘one-stop shop’ for meat processing research and technology, serving as a hub to co-ordinate all beef and sheepmeat processing research needs.
The MTC has emerged from a five-year research vision from IBEC’s Meat Industry Ireland industry group presented to Enterprise Ireland. The MTC is hosted by Teagasc at its Ashtown Food Research Facility in Dublin, with Declan Troy, Assistant Director of Research at Teagasc as the academic sponsor. Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), University College Cork (UCC) and the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) are also involved as research providers. The companies behind the initiative are ABP Ireland, Ashbourne Meat Processors, Dawn Meats Group, Dunbia (Ireland), Hilton Foods Ireland, Irish Country Meats, Kepak Group, Liffey Meats, and Slaney Foods International.
John Colreavy has MSc and PhD qualifications from the University of Surrey and UMIST (Manchester) in the UK. His experience spans almost three decades engaged in the commercialisation of research within the private sector having worked with ICI Paints Research, British Steel Technical and Courtauld’s International. This was followed by a decade as founding Director of DIT’s CREST Centre (surface coatings) and a further decade with Enterprise Ireland, initially as an SRO. Since returning to Enterprise Ireland in June 2012 as a Senior Development Advisor, he was responsible for significant commercial investments in the meat sector, resulting in company investments of €44.3 million and the creation of an additional 635 jobs. He has authored over 500 certified technical consultancy reports in the UK and Ireland.
Congratulating John on his appointment Dr Frank O Mara, Director of Research in Teagasc said: “John brings a wealth of experience to this role which will help create a ‘Technically smart, competitive and consumer oriented meat processing’ industry, He will drive the MTC research programme, innovating for consistent meat quality excellence and innovating for value in Irish meat processing.”
Michael Cantwell, Divisional Manager Food in Enterprise Ireland added: “This Enterprise Ireland funded Meat Technology Centre is a fantastic initiative for the Meat Industry. We are delighted at the pro-active involvement and support from Ireland’s leading meat processors and look forward to ground breaking developments over the coming years that will benefit the entire Meat industry, I would like to congratulate John on his appointment and wish him and all the team every success in the coming year.”