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RESEARCH centre focused on improving the competitiveness of the north's agri-food sector on an international stage is to be set up at Queen's University Belfast.
The £6.7 million Northern Ireland Agri-Food Quest Competence Centre promises to bring together the re-search capabilities of Ulster University, Queen's University Belfast and the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). Financing for the centre is made up of £5m of research and development assistance from Invest NI and a £1.7m investment from industry partners.
Enterprise minister Jonathan Bell said the centre - one of four focused on different sectors - was "designed to rapidly transform great research into commercial success".
"The centre will provide a platform for companies which want to pursue research projects in areas such as packaging, shelf-life, waste minimisation and food security. Not only will it support the development of our local food industry to compete strongly in export markets, it will also build on the agri-food knowledge and skills that already exist in Northern Ireland," he said.
Dr David Dobbin, chairman of the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association said: "This development will improve the competitiveness of Northern Ireland's biggest Industry."
Professor Chris Elliott from Queen's added: "The establishment of this industry-academia research partnership is essential to help local companies keep up with the fierce competition they face on the world's global markets. The Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University is very proud to host this centre and will work alongside our industry partners to drive innovation across the Agri-food sectors."