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The Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine, Michael Creed TD today announced the appointment of a High Level Innovation team as part of the Food Wise 2025 strategy, at the 15th meeting of the Food Wise High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC) which discussed the topics of innovation, farm safety, the seafood sector and Brexit which is a standing agenda item.

High Level Innovation Team
The Food Wise strategy includes a recommendation that a high level team be established to review current agri-food sector innovation capacity and the use of this capacity by industry.

I am delighted to announce today the composition of this team: Paul Finnerty, Frank Roche and Mella Frewen, who are all experts in their own fields”, Minister Creed said. ”This high level innovation team, supported by a secretariat from Enterprise Ireland and my own Department, will drive insight for the food industry on the benefits of investing in innovation. I hope that the team will also provide advice on the future vision for innovation, a key theme of Food Wise, across the sector.

The Health & Safety Authority reported to the meeting on their activities in the area of Farm Safety promotion and policy development. Representatives from the seafood sector also engaged with the High Level Implementation Committee on the sector’s potential for future sustainable growth, albeit with potentially significant exposure to Brexit impacts.


Notes for editors:

Food Wise 2025 Action 187: Establish a high level core team to review current agri-food sector innovation capacity, the utilisation of this capacity and to better market the Irish agri-food sector’s innovation capabilities.
Team composition:
1. Paul Finnerty (CEO The Yield Lab Ireland Accelerator)
2. Frank Roche (Professor Emeritus, Entrepreneurship, UCD) &
3. Mella Frewen (Director General, FoodDrink Europe).
Bios:

Paul Finnerty, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, The Yield Lab Ireland Accelerator
Mr Finnerty is the co-founder and managing partner of the Yield Lab Europe Accelerator which launched in early 2017 and is based in Dublin.

Mella Frewen, Director General Food Drink Europe
Director General of FoodDrinkEurope since July 2007, representing Europe’s Food & Drinks sector.

Dr Frank Roche, UCD, Chairman of Dublin Business Innovation Centre
Dr Roche currently holds the Berber Family Chair of Entrepreneurship at the UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business and is the Director of Entrepreneurial Strategy for UCD.