On the 19th October 2018, the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD introduced the Bioeconomy Ireland Day. This saw him formally open the new 22 MEUR BEACON Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre at the National Bioeconomy Campus in Lisheen, Co. Tipperary which is the site of the AgriChemWhey pilot facilities, and will also be the site of the flagship biorefinery.
On the day Minister Creed said, “The bioeconomy will play a crucial role in supporting future economic development and employment, as well as providing a path towards reducing carbon emissions and our dependence on fossil resources. Making better use of our bio-based resources presents real opportunities. It means that our farmers, fishers and foresters will in the future not only be partners with food companies, but also potentially with chemical, textile and construction industries. The agri-food sector has strong innovation potential to support Ireland’s transition to a more integrated sustainable, circular, low carbon economy, with economic, social and environmental benefits for rural Ireland.”