The two initiatives announced today are complementary, particularly when it comes to testing the new technologies generated in the DPTC. The companies will need to trial the technologies at a pilot scale to test their potential robustness at commercial scale. The upgraded and expanded MTL pilot plant facility provide the right environment for some of the outputs of DPTC to be tested at a commercial scale and help the transfer of these innovations to industry.
Welcoming the launch of the DPTC, Dan MacSweeney, Chief Executive of Carbery Group and Chairman of the Irish Dairy Industries Association said “The Dairy Processing Technology Centre will be a critical agent in realising the opportunity presented by the abolition of the milk quotas by providing a dedicated public-private partnership investment in a world class dairy processing research and capability centre. The Irish dairy industry recognises the importance of investing in sophisticated, collaborative research and innovation and this is reflected by the involvement of 8 of our primary processors. Cumulatively, the companies who are partners in the DPTC process 85% of Ireland’s milk pool, produce €2.5 billion of Ireland’s annual dairy exports and provide over 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. It is also reflected in the significant industry contribution of €9 million to the total cost of the initiative—we are serious about making this technology centre work for the Irish dairy industry. We also welcome the complimentary investment in MTL, almost €4million of which is being provided by industry” said Mr. MacSweeney.
According to Professor Mary Shire, VP Research at University of Limerick where the DPTC is hosted, “the DPTC is a collaboration which brings together a spectrum of companies working collaboratively with academics drawn from a wide variety of disciplines. The challenges faced by the Dairy industry require an interdisciplinary approach if they are to be solved. The University of Limerick has experience of successfully leading multi partner interdisciplinary research centres and is delighted to be hosting the DPTC.”
Enterprise Ireland funded the DPTC according to Dr. Keith O’Neill, Director of Lifesciences and Food Commercialisation, Enterprise Ireland because “with the anticipated increase of 50% to 2020 in the Irish milk pool, dairy processors need to be supported to deal with the challenges presented including technological capabilities and human resources capacities to develop a product mix that can increase dairy exports while maximising the efficiencies of processing operations. Enterprise Ireland’s focus is on increasing exports to create economic growth and the dairy sector, having been underinvested in recent years, will use the knowledge, technologies and skills developed through the DPTC to take on competitors worldwide in the coming years”.
“The future is very bright for the Irish dairy industry” concluded Dr. O’Neill.
The Dairy Processing Technology Centre consortium involves eight companies; Arrabawn Co-op, Aurivo, Carbery, Dairygold, Glanbia, Kerry, Lakeland Dairies and Tipperary Co-Op and nine Research Providing Organisations; University of Limerick (host) and Teagasc, UCC, UCD, TCBB at NUIG, DCU, TCD, DIT, ITT & CIT.
The Moorepark Technology Ltd shareholding companies are; Arrabawn Co-op, Aurivo, Carbery, Dairygold, Glanbia, the Irish Dairy Board, Kerry, North Cork Co-Op and Tipperary Co-Op.
The Technology Centres programme is Ireland’s largest initiative to support market-focused, applied research, development and innovation. The DPTC is the latest of 15 Technology Centres funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. The aim of the Technology Centre programme which is managed jointly by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland is to achieve competitive advantage for industry in Ireland by accessing the innovative capacity of the Irish research community. More than 330 companies already benefit in such areas as ICT; energy; services and business processes; manufacturing and materials; sustainable food and health and medical technologies.
Moorepark Technology Ltd (MTL) is an existing subsidiary company of Teagasc that provides dairy processing pilot plant facilities to industry for new product development and scale up. It is 51% owned by Teagasc and 49% owned by industry. It is a hardware infrastructure facility with dairy and food processing pilot plant kit and facilities. The MTL expansion is investing in kit and equipment (stainless steel/hardware). Industry can access the pilot plant on commercial rates to test new products and processes within the limits of the infrastructure available.