SIMONE featured during Bioeconomy Week Ireland

To mark Bioeconomy Ireland Week, Munster Technological University’s (MTU) Sustainable Infrastructure Research & Innovation Group (SIRIG) and Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CircBio) joined forces with Teagasc Clonakilty Agricultural College to host workshops. These focused on bringing together farmers, researchers, and bioeconomy stakeholders to discuss smart farming and the bioeconomy, to explore how this will be shaping tomorrow’s agriculture.

The impactful moments highlighted three EU funded research initiatives: the SIMONE project, funded by Interreg North-West Europe focuses on enhancing crop resilience through smart agricultural technologies; the Horizon Europe Funded MainstreamBio project, which promotes small-scale bio-based solutions across seven EU regions, including Ireland and the ReNu2Cycle project, also under Interreg North-West Europe which aims to close the loop on nutrient recycling.

 

Led by MTU’s Dr. Niamh Power and Robert Ludgate, the workshops explored the invaluable feedback from participating stakeholders, with their hands-on insights and experiences shaping discussions around the practicalities of both biobased fertiliser adoption and future biobased solutions within Irish agriculture. Engaging directly with the agricultural community was a top priority, as these interactions helped not only the SIMONE project, but gaining valuable insights for the MainstreamBio and ReNu2Cycle projects also.

Special recognition needs to be given to Teagasc Clonakilty Agricultural College, whose role as host and supporter was instrumental in facilitating this exchange of knowledge and innovation. Their commitment to fostering practical, research-based solutions within the agricultural sector provided an ideal setting for stakeholders to engage meaningfully with emerging bioeconomy initiatives, exemplifying the strength and impact of collaboration. A standout moment featured farmer and MTU partner Dinny Galvin, who shared his experience with anaerobic digestion technology. Dinny’s story illustrated how embracing sustainable farming technologies and practices can provide practical, cost-effective solutions for nutrient recycling while benefiting the environment and local communities.

The efforts of the MTU team - including Robert Ludgate, Niamh Power, Dragica Grozdanic & Joseph Croke - who were instrumental in making the workshops a success, lay the groundwork for a series of upcoming activities within the SIMONE project.