Minister hails new €15m Innovation Centre in county Kilkenny
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue hailed Glanbia’s Ireland’s new €15 million Innovation Centre in Ballyragget during a visit to the facility.
The R&D Centre allows the local food giant to showcase its expertise on a national and international level.
The state-of-the-art Glanbia Ireland Innovation Centre is integrated into one of its key dairy processing sites in Ballyragget. The facility, supported by Enterprise Ireland, enhances Glanbia Ireland’s long-standing relationships with some of the world’s leading brands, its customers and consumers.
The facilities at the 2,000 square metre hub includes a plant-based lab capable of milling grains to different sizes for various applications as well as a sensory suite, applications and development lab, a modern visitor engagement experience, analytical laboratories and one of Ireland’s most sophisticated pilot-scale pray dryers.
Visiting the new facility, Minister McConalogue, said: “An investment such as this by Glanbia Ireland adds significant value to milk and grain. Innovation here is assisting Irish agriculture adapt to the numerous challenges facing farm family suppliers and agriculture in general. As we face into a decade of change for our great sector, the cornerstone of our development will be cutting edge research, development and innovation.”
Alexa Toomey, Head of Dairy, Drinks & Food FDI at Enterprise Ireland said: “Enterprise Ireland is delighted to support this important investment by Glanbia which will drive the company’s value-add agenda. Innovation and research will be the driving force behind Ireland’s continued prominence in global markets and Glanbia’s new Innovation Centre will ensure the company is at the cutting edge of a very competitive market. This is very positive news for the region and the farmers and businesses who have a longstanding relationship with Glanbia.”
Glanbia Ireland CEO, Jim Bergin, said the investment marks an important milestone in Glanbia Ireland’s strategic and sustainability journey. “Our Innovation Centre is home to a team of experts who are passionately researching the worlds of dairy and plant. They include scientists, nutritionists, sensory gurus, development chefs and process technology experts.
“This team is committed to designing and developing quality products as well as solutions and ingredients with nutritional and functional attributes for a wide range of applications.
“Our new Innovation Centre will allow for faster new product development and prototyping at a higher standard. It will significantly improve our ability for engagement and co-development of products with our customers who we can now welcome in to design prototypes with us and taste product.”
The ministerial visit comes as Co-op shareholders are urged to register ahead of a Special General Meeting, SGM, on Friday, December 17.
Co-op is proposing to take full ownership of Glanbia Ireland by purchasing Glanbia plc’s 40% stake and to deliver a €168 million spin-out of plc shares to its farmer members.
PHOTO : Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, demonstrates his cream piping skills as he visits Glanbia Ireland’s new €15 million Innovation Centre in Ballyragget.
