EEB Conference, Croke Park – 10th April 2013

Innovation Session

Richard Howell, Senior Inspector Research Division,

Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Outline of Presentation

• Context & Background• Supports for innovation in the agri-food and

wider bio-economy sectors in Ireland• EIP: Agricultural Productivity & Sustainability

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What is Innovation?

– new, improved or successfully applied products, processes or services, for instance products with adapted quality, new production methods, opening to new markets and new forms of organization

– innovation is more than dissemination of research: it occurs as a result of the creativity and interplay between actors for combining new and/or existing (tacit) knowledge

– In the end, it is only when a new creation really becomes more or less mainstream that it is called an “innovation”.

In short: ideas put into practice with success

Developments at National Level

Sustainable food production & processing;Food for HealthMarine Renewable EnergyProcessing Technologies & Novel MaterialsManufacturing Competitiveness

Commitment to R, D & I;Exploiting key areas in the bioeconomy;Investing in skills & infrastructure;Supporting start-up companies;Building competitive advantage;Developing a Green Economy Strategy

Irish Activity in context of Bioeconomy

Launched in November 2012-

Commitment within to develop

Bioeconomy Strategy

Economic Growth – Food Harvest 2020

The Innovation Support Landscape

DAFM Competitive Research ProgrammesFIRM •Primary funding mechanism for institutional food research •Create knowledge base in generic technologies to support a consumer-focused industry•Innovation, product development, safety

Stimulus •Focus on modern animal / plant biosciences, agri- environment & non-food land use, agri-economics & finance.•Support sustainably competitive agric. practices & policies

CoFoRD•Support forest policy, sustainable forest management , use of forest products and provision of public goods /ecosystem services.

All ‘public good’ in nature

Agri-Food Industry Strategic Research Agendas

Outputs / Impacts of DAFM Funded Research

•Publications•PhDs; MSc; Contract Researchers, Postdoctoral scientists,•Conferences•Centre of Excellence

Academic•New technology, product, or process •Invention disclosure/Patent/Licences/Spinouts –work with EI•Trained graduates for Industry / State Agencies e.g. AFFGDP•Sound basis for Extension to inform farming practice•Consultancy / Contract research / Workshops

Commercial

•Leverage funding from other sources e.g. FP•Inter-Institute collaboration lead to specialised units able to

participate in Industry-led research & SFI / EI Centres (e.g. APC, FHI) & in EU/global initiatives (JPI’s, GRA, etc.)

•Contribute to Evidence-based policy development

Other

Feasibility study Mapping of marine resources, IP Audit,

Consumer attitudes and market analysis, Regulatory affairs, Literature Searches, Identification of knowledge

gaps

Sourcing & Processing of raw materials Algae, Products/By-

products of processing, Aquaculture

Bio-active screening & validation

Model systems, Gene expression, Cell

CulturesAnimal models

Scale-up & deliveryPilot scale isolation & extraction, Formulation

StabilisationBioavailability

Production of model foodsShelf life studies

Sensory assessment

Bio-active discovery & generation

Extraction, CharacterisationPurification, Mining (Chemical

and enzymatic hydrolysis) , Algal production

optimisation

Toxicity & Dietary intervention

Nutramara: marinefunctional foods research

VISION: To create an internationally

recognised capability for the discovery and

validation of marine based bioactive

components and for the sustainable exploitation of their use in functional

foods

MissionTo support science-based innovation

in the Agri-food sector and the wider bio-economy that will

underpin profitability, competitiveness and sustainability.

> 40,000 farmer clients> 1,800 FTEs in full time education and 500 FTE in continuing educationDedicated Food Industry Development Department and pilot plants

EI Support for Innovation/R&D

EU, FP7 and ESA – access funding and research partners across Europe

Applied Research Enhancement Centres – collaborate in clusters of companies and access equipment and technology

Innovation Partnerships – up to €250,000 available for collaborativeprojects between companies and research teams in Higher Education

The R&D Fund – grants for inhouse R&D projects, small and large, andcollaboration bonuses for company-to-company collaboration

Innovation Vouchers - €5,000 for small companies to get innovative solutions to technical and business challenges

Technology Centres – industry-led research in emerging technology sectors

Helping companies of all sizes to engage in Research and Innovation

What is FHI ?

One centre aimed at

developing, manufacturing, marketing and

selling functional food products to improve people’s

health and wellness

Partnership between: Public Research Organizations Irish food industry

Funded by Enterprise Ireland and Industry

partners Total budget € 22,5 mio

Industry-led research agenda: Infant nutrition, metabolic health,

infection/immunity and healthy ageing

Stipulated dairy based Strong market position of industry

partners

Ireland’s Excellent Biorefining Potential results from highest growth rates of agricultural biomass per hectare of any EU country

Opportunities in Ireland

Irish Technology Centre For Biorefining & Bioenergy

Membership – Industry led programme comprised of Industry Members, Research Members and Public Service Bodies/AgenciesObjective - Leverage skills, resources and co-operation of Industry members, Academic institutions and Government Agencies working together to deliver economic benefits from respective themes

SCAR &

AGRI EIP

SCAR- Standing Committee on Agricultural Research• Advises COM & MS on coordination of research across the

ERA relating to the Bioeconomy including forestry and marine. Works through Plenary + SCAR WG + dedicated Collaborative WG’s.

• CWG on Agr. Knowledge & Innovation Systems (AKIS): – Science driven (H2020) V Innovation driven (CAP)

research– Innovation is bottom-up, social process needing

interaction of many partners (not just research, advisors, education, etc – Primarily up to business but also warrants Govt

investment - Spill-overs & mitigate problems

EIP - General PrinciplesThe EIP will provide challenge-driven solutions based on:

– interlinking innovation-related measures and initiatives to achieve synergies and enhance effectiveness

– facilitating communication among stakeholders and creating workable links between science and practice

– providing EU value added through networking and enhancing complementarity

– using a lean governance structure, based on existing mechanisms

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Closing The Innovation Gap

Research

Farming Practice

Interaction

Advisors

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The interactive innovation model• The innovation model under the agricultural EIP goes far beyond

speeding up transfer from laboratory to practice through diffusion of new scientific knowledge ("linear innovation model").

• The EIP adheres to the "interactive innovation model" which focuses on forming partnerships - using bottom-up approaches and linking farmers, advisors, researchers, businesses, and other actors in Operational Groups.

• This knowledge “exchange” will generate new insights and ideas and mould existing tacit knowledge into focused solutions. Such an

approach will stimulate innovation from all sides and will help to target the research agenda.

Means to support operational groups (OGs)1. Rural Development Programmes:

– Cooperation (establishing operational groups)– Knowledge transfer, including demonstration projects – Advisory services, including training of advisors– Investment in physical assets– Business development– Quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2. European Union Research Policy (Horizon 2020)– Applied research enhancing the knowledge base– Clusters of applied innovation actions and multi-actor projects

– Support innovation brokers and innovation centres– On farm experimentation

Functions of EIP Network Facility – Interlinking innovation-related actions of Rural Development Policy

and the EU Research and Innovation Framework

– Collection of relevant information (data bases, project lists, etc.)

– Ensuring an effective flow of information and providing advice on opportunities provided by EU policies (helpdesk function)

– Exchange on innovation topics, best practice, and accompanying research (focus groups, seminars, workshops, field days)

– Systematic feedback to scientific community on practice needs

– Exchange with Technology Platforms (ETPs), Research Area Networks (ERA-NETs), Joint Programming Initiatives, etc.

– Interface with SCAR)

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Innovation Themes• Primary production: technical solutions to increasing productivity

and economic viability

• Resource management: ecosystem services, soil functionality, water management, and genetic resources (“public goods”)

• Bioeconomy: innovative technology for the bio-based economy recycling; new products; reduction of post harvest loss

• Supply chain: integrated supply chain solutions; new services; logistics, and management systems

• Quality and consumers: food quality, food safety, and healthy lifestyles (consumer information and consumer choice)

Rural Development Policy:

• Knowledge transfer• Cooperation• Pilot projects • Demonstration• Advisory services• Investment

Research & Innovation Framework:

• Research projects• Multi-actor projects• Pilot project clusters• Innovation brokers• On-farm experiments

Operational Groups Operational

Groups

Operational Groups Operational

Groups

Operational Groups

MemberStates

Programmes

ETPs, ERA-Nets, JPIs,

etc.

EIP Network

Rural Development

Committee

Rural Development

NetworkSteering Group

Steering Board (SIP & Sherpas)European Innovation Partnership

‚Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability ‘

Standing Committee

on Agricultural Research (SCAR)

Farmers . Advisers . Enterprises . Scientists. NGOs

Horizon 2020ProgrammeCommittee