DAFM Awards More Than €800,000 for Bioeconomy Research
Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has announced research awards worth more than €800,000 under the international strand of its research programme. The funding will support two projects involving researchers from University College Dublin and Atlantic Technological University.
The announcement was made by Martin Heydon, the minister for agriculture, food and the marine, and Noel Grealish, the minister of state with special responsibility for research. It coincided with Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2026.
One of the funded projects, ACE-BIO, has received €315,244. It will examine how underused by-products from dairy processing and grasses can be converted into a high-value bio-based chemical. The resulting material is intended for use in industrial applications as an alternative to chemicals derived from fossil fuels.
The second project, MaMaCas, has been awarded €496,220. It will investigate methods for converting marine waste from fisheries into products with applications including aquaculture.
Mr Heydon said the grants would support implementation of Ireland’s National Bioeconomy Strategy 2026–2030. He said the projects would advance research into higher-value uses for agricultural and marine resources and strengthen international research collaboration.
Mr Grealish said the awards were being announced as Ireland hosted the Global Bioeconomy Summit in Dublin and held Bioeconomy Ireland Week 2026. He said the projects focused on using bioresources more effectively and developing sustainable responses to environmental challenges. He also cited international collaboration in the development and use of biomass.
