IRELAND – Ireland is investing €14m ($16.3m) in a dairy research program aimed at driving future industry growth and sustainability through advances in processing and sustainable manufacturing.
The dairy research program is being conducted at the Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC) which is hosted by the University of Limerick.
The DPTC, which is hosted by the University of Limerick, brings together Teagasc and leading researchers from the university sector to work with Ireland’s largest dairy processors.
The €14m ($16.3m) channeled to the DPTC through Enterprise Ireland investment will see, over the next five years, the DPTC focus on key challenges for the sector, including the production of high-value quality products that are cost-effective and sustainable.
With support from its industry partners and competitively won research projects, the DPTC expects to invest approximately €34m ($39.5m) in research and innovation over the next five years.
Enterprise Ireland CEO, Leo Clancy, said the establishment of the Dairy Processing Technology Centre anticipated the significant market disruption that would occur with the removal of milk quotas in 2015.
“Anticipating disruption is now an essential part of business planning, and the DPTC was ahead of its time. Since then it has proved how effective collaboration between industry leaders and our research community can be and I am delighted that Enterprise Ireland will provide €14m to back its next phase of research,” Clancy said
Ireland has been pushing the needle when it comes to innovation and today boats of eight technology centers operating across Ireland, focused on critical areas such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and food.
DPTC director Dr Anne Marie Henihan said, “We, at the DPTC, are looking forward to delivering on the full potential of this investment and building on the successes and achievements of Phase one of the center.”
She added: “We will be relentless in our drive to provide world class innovative research that provides game-changing advances for the future of Irish dairy processing.”
Mylkcubator kicks off its first edition with four startups
Meanwhile, global incubator specialized in the advancement of innovation projects for the dairy sector, Mylkcubator has launched its first edition with four startups selected from across the world.
Startups in the inaugural edition include Real Deal Milk (Spain), Zero Cow Factory (India), De Novo Dairy (South Africa), and M2Factors (US).
Real Deal Milk develops milk proteins through precision fermentation while Zero Cow produces A2 milk protein) using microbial bioengineering & precision fermentation.
De Novo Dairy joins the incubator with its precision fermentation technology that produces animal-free dairy proteins subsidiary.
M2Factors, a subsidiary of 108 Labs Inc is, on other hand, involved in accelerating cell-cultured dairy by crashing the cost of production.
The startups will be exposed to some of the most cutting-edge facilities provided by partnering research hubs, ‘professionalizing’ and boosting the development process of the projects.
In addition, funds investing in startups working on technologies for developing protein alternatives in the agri-food sector, such as Blue Horizon, Lever VC, Unovis or Ninepointfive, will also monitor Mylkcubator’s technological developments to advise the startups and look for future collaboration opportunities to maximize the potential of their project.
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