Teagasc and ACTA sign Memorandum of Understanding
Teagasc and ACTA (l’Association de Coordination Technique Agricole) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) following a decade of fruitful cooperation between the two organisations in the area of agricultural innovation. ACTA is the network leader of 19 French agricultural technical institutes, major players in agricultural innovation for sustainable and responsible agriculture.
The MoU was signed at Teagasc’s Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre at Moorepark, County Cork, and builds on successful collaboration in both research and knowledge transfer activities across a broad range of priority areas.
Pictured at the occasion of signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Teagasc and ACTA are, from left: Dr Órlaith Ní Choncubhair, Senior Research Officer, Teagasc; Professor Pat Dillon, Director of Research at Teagasc, Adrien Guichaoua, Director of European and Regional Affairs at ACTA and Dr. Raymond Kelly, Head of Research Support at Teagasc
As the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agri-food industry and rural communities, Teagasc has strong complementarities and common interests with ACTA, whose institutes represent the applied research level in the French agricultural research and innovation system. The ACTA network has been deeply engaged in European Horizon research and innovation programmes for more than 10 years in order to increase European partnership, strengthen scientific cooperation and co-produce operational solutions for the benefit of French and European farmers. Teagasc staff have led, and participated in, numerous EU-funded projects together with international collaborators, ranking among the top performers in the agri-food stream of European funding since 2014. With more than 25 Horizon projects in common across the past 10 years, the ACTA Network and Teagasc aim to consolidate their positions as major partners and European players in the field of agricultural research and innovation.
Speaking at the signing, Professor Pat Dillon, Director of Research at Teagasc said: “This MoU illustrates the strong partnership that exists between Teagasc and ACTA. It builds on a portfolio of successful EU-funded collaborative projects developing innovations, tools, networks and solutions for the European agricultural sector. We look forward to further opportunities for collaborative activities of common interest and mutual benefit with ACTA”.
In welcoming the new agreement with Teagasc, Adrien Guichaoua, Director of European and Regional Affairs at ACTA said: “I’m delighted to sign this partnership agreement with Teagasc on behalf of the network of French Agricultural Technical Institutes. The synergies and complementarities between the two organisations already resulted in many successful projects and have the potential to produce even more promising scientific results and operational solutions for the benefit of European farmers”.
For more on ACTA, visit their website