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A new partnership is aiming to help Irish seafood processors find solutions to technological and operational barriers to growth.
Ireland's seafood development agency Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has announced it is working in partnership with leading research and technology organisation Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) in a bid to boost the Irish seafood processing sector.
IMR will be contributing its expertise in digitisation, sustianable manufacturing, automation and robotics, in a bid to help seafood processors "overcome challenges which may be hindering their growth", BIM said in a press release.
“The Irish seafood processing sector faces unique operational and technological issues such as maximising use of data to reduce downtime and maximise operational capabilities," said Pat O’Leary, Business Development Manager at BIM.
“As the seafood industry becomes increasingly automated, IMR will assist with demystifying, derisking and delivering emerging technologies and new knowledge. This will enable industry to succeed at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing," O'Leary added.
IMR is due to begin a pilot project during February, assessing a seafood processing company's digitilsation capabilities, in order "to provide guidance and insights on the development of their technology roadmap," BIM said.
The Irish seafood development agency has been engaged in other projects in support of Ireland's seafood processing sector in recent months. In October 2024, BIM announced a new strategic partnership with food incubation and innovation centre BIA Innovator Campus. Most recently, BIM organized a delegation of Irish seafood businesses visiting Finland to explore processing solutions to upcycle fish by-products.
