Dr. Lance O'Brien:

We have relations with a range of research organisations around Europe. It occurs within the context of European framework programmes, the current one being Horizon 2020, the framework programme for research and innovation, through which we are part of a large number of collaborations on research programmes. Professor Boyle has mentioned some of the organisations with which we work, including the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. I also refer to extending the work done within Europe internationally because research is an international activity. Findings of research carried out in Ireland are applicable elsewhere. They may have to be modified slightly, but fundamentally they are applicable elsewhere. We are talking to the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, CIRAD, in France; the University of Wageningen in the Netherlandsl Luonnonvarakeskus, LUKE, in Finland, and Scotland’s Rural College, SRUC, which is very similar to us about extending the relationships we have with them in a European context. I hope we can work with them in the future in international settings also. Our big relationship internationally is with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, CGIAR, which is based in Montpelier in France but which also has relationships with research centres in many other countries, particularly in Africa where it is the major global research organisation. We have strong relations and work with it on a number of projects.

We have also have close relations with national research and extension organisations, some of which have been mentioned. That is our main focus. We work with them in capacity building through long-term PhD programmes or short-term through visits and working with staff here in Ireland. A number of staff from such organisations have spent time in Teagasc learning particular techniques of research or extension. Our hope is that from the relationships built we will be able to engage in collaborative research programmes in the future. We hope capacity building will enable our partners to apply for international research funding and work with international organisations such as Teagasc.