Galway’s Bia Innovator Campus announces opening date & calls for expressions of interest

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bia innovator campus galway daily news athenry

Bia Innovator Campus (CLG) has announced that it is on course to open in summer 2021, and is seeking expressions of interest from the food community to be registered before 27 November 2020.

The Campus aims to address the region’s growing need for workspace infrastructure and innovation services among food producers.

More than 40 food companies will be welcomed to the CLG from January 2021, ahead of its official opening in the summer.

Producers will also have the opportunity to connect with advisory teams and educators under the themes of production, collaboration, education and innovation, creating 360 jobs for the region.

The state-of-the-art Campus is co-located at Teagasc in Athenry and represents an investment of €7 million and years of determined effort by the voluntary Board of BIA Innovator Campus CLG.

“With challenge comes opportunity and COVID-19 has put the spotlight on our food sector and the critical supply chains from farm to fork,” said Peter Feeney, Chairperson of the Bia Innovator Board.

“If anything, the demand for local, high-quality food produce has increased. BIA Innovator Campus is ready to provide the infrastructure, the programmes and the community to help a new generation of food entrepreneurs with the potential to grow but lack the space to do so.

“When we shared our vision for this project in 2017, the reaction from the food sector was very encouraging. They told us they needed food-grade space to produce and grow their businesses.

“They needed food-specific technical support and business guidance in a more accessible way. Already, over 50 expressions of interest have been received.”

Expressions of interest can be submitted until November 27th and are open to those who wish to find out more about BIA Innovator Campus along with producers in need of business support and those in the food community with food tourism ideas.