BIM Innovation Studio attracts ambitious aquatech projects
Ambitious businesses involved in seaweed farming, nature inclusive design and hydrocolloid innovation are among the companies taking part in the BIM Innovation Studio in Cork City this month.
This year’s program is made up of nine participant companies who are a mixture of startup, scale-up and mature businesses seeking both to explore new markets and grow their companies even further. Each team will take part in the two-week workshop being held at the River Lee Hotel from 30 September to 11 October.
The free, intensive programme for aquatech innovators is delivered in partnership with Hatch Blue and supported by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027.
Damien Toner, BIM Aquatech Business Manager, said the Innovation Studio programme sets aquatech projects up to achieve commercial success.
“We’re looking forward to supporting a new cohort of young aquatech companies at the BIM Innovation Studio, helping them turn their cutting-edge concepts and ideas into start-ups,” Mr Toner said.
“Aquatech companies play an invaluable role in developing technologies that drive sustainable seafood farming and can be applied to the breeding, raising and harvesting of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants.
“The BIM Innovation Studio is now in its seventh year with some 50 projects attracting a total investment of around €15 million, creating more than 200 hi-tech jobs.”
Wayne Murphy, Co-Founder and Partner, Hatch Blue, said the Innovation Studio was an unmissable opportunity for aquatech projects looking to develop their businesses.
“Through this groundbreaking Innovation Studio, Hatch Blue and BIM have helped both early and later-stage aquatech companies gain significant insight into the global market opportunity and drive further the growth and development of their concepts, technologies and businesses.” Mr Murphy said.
“Participants will have the opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading aquaculture experts throughout the programme who truly understand the challenges of scaling a technology business in the blue economy. Each company will require different types of inputs depending on their stage but getting investor and market ready are certainly key targeted outputs to help support and drive their sustainable and hopefully profitable futures.
“This year, we’re looking forward to working with these ambitious aquatech innovators and entrepreneurs from Ireland and Europe.”
The BIM Innovation Studio supports the ambitious goals set out in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Food Vision 2030 Strategy, including to promote Ireland as a knowledge base for aquaculture technology and research and attract external investment into the sector.
Among the projects participating in the 2024 BIM Innovation Studio are:
CyberColloids – Cork
CyberColloids is an independent, business driven, research and product development group specialising in hydrocolloids, fibres and texture ingredients and focusing on food, nutrition and industrial applications. It offers a complete contract research and business solutions service from raw material sourcing and basic research, through process and product development, scale up and final application testing. It is engaged in research across the seaweed supply/value chain, developing novel processing methodologies, new ingredients and innovative applications at a global scale.
Simply Blue – Cork
Óir Na Farraige is a Simply Blue Group venture aimed at delivering seaweed aquaculture at scale. It will generate biodiversity net-gain while providing sustainable returns to shareholders through seaweed farming. Since 2024, it has pioneered the deployment of seaweed within operational offshore wind farm at North Sea Farm 1 in the Netherlands – the world’s leading offshore wind and seaweed co-location project. Using innovative technology, it is seeking to develop a nearshore seaweed farm in Galway Bay as a next step to large scale offshore seaweed farms.
Restore Innovation – Sligo
The mission of Restore Innovation is to support offshore developers in early-stage planning for nature inclusive design at an individual site. The company has developed a pioneering system to help the ORE (offshore renewable energy) sector integrate nature-inclusive designs in their planning processes, helping them deliver on commitments to environmental protection and restoration.
