AFBI Institute encourages H2020 funding

A research institute in Northern Ireland has been commended by a local MEP for encouraging applications for Horizon 2020 funding.

Martina Anderson, Sinn Féin MEP for the province, made the comments at the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Belfast. She described the AFBI as providing key ‘scientific services’ to a ‘growing range’ of public and private companies.

Speaking at an open meeting at the facilities in the Northern Ireland capital, Anderson said: “There is now a growing recognition of the crucial importance of the agri-food industry to the north’s economy. AFBI has continued to provide essential scientific support to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and the agri-food industry as they address the challenges of food security, animal and plant health, water quality, the environment, renewable energy, marine and freshwater fisheries and the economic downturn.”

The biotechnology industry is set to benefit from significant investment under Horizon 2020.