Partnership to aid Ireland in H2020 bid
A new memorandum of understanding has been signed between Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and Teagasc, the country’s agriculture and food development authority. It’s hoped the collaboration will allow Ireland to better compete for future Horizon 2020 funding.
The pact, known as ‘The Future of Agri-Food’, will see agricultural, food and engineering scientists work together on topics including genomics, robotics, nanotechnology and ICT. The Irish agri-food industry employs an estimated 150,000 jobs and it’s hoped the collaboration will help encourage innovation in the sector as well as the bioeconomy.
Welcoming the partnership, Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney TD, told the Irish Examiner: “Continued innovation in the area of agri-food is essential to maintain Ireland’s status as a leader in primary production and secondary processing of agri-food worldwide. The commitment of Teagasc and SFI to support science-based innovation in this sector will prove invaluable to the future of the agri-food economy in Ireland.”
Also commenting on the announcement, Mark Ferguson, director general of the SFI, added: “This agreement builds and strengthens scientific and engineering research in the area of agri-food, an area of great strategic value to Ireland’s long-term competitiveness. This agreement will prepare the Irish scientific community to compete, lead, and win in relevant EU Horizon 2020 funding programmes and other relevant international funding.”
Horizon 2020 will bring together all existing EU research and innovation funding provided under FP7, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
