Irish Bioeconomy Foundation

What Irish Bioeconomy Foundation does

Irish Bioeconomy Foundation CLG (IBF) is a private Irish organization headquartered on the 455-hectare National Bioeconomy Campus at the former Lisheen Mine in Co. Tipperary, with a secondary legal entity address in Dublin. Founded around 2017-2018, IBF operates as a membership-based intermediary serving Ireland's agri-forestry, marine, and energy-materials industries by offering three integrated pre-competitive support services: Bioprocess Design & Scale-Up (anchored by a planned 1,700 sq. metre modular pilot plant), Access to Financing (confidential fundraising support leveraging EU and international networks), and Promotion & Outreach. Its member ecosystem spans enterprise anchors such as Glanbia, Alltech, and ClonBio, alongside research institutions (AMBER, DPTC, BiOrbic, Shannon ABC) and regional clusters, with a BioMap database identifying nearly 600 Irish bioeconomy stakeholders. IBF holds a European Commission DG GROW designation as one of six European Model Demonstrator Regions for sustainable chemistry and bioeconomy investments, providing it with preferential positioning in EU funding calls.

IBF's revenue model combines annual membership subscriptions, ancillary book sales (e.g., 'What is the Circular Bioeconomy?' at €15 per copy), and pilot plant rental, but the organization's activities are largely sustained by coordinating or partnering on EU-funded projects under the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) and its successor, the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking. IBF has coordinated or participated in at least nine such projects, including BioeconomyVentures (coordinator, 2021), MPowerBIO, ICT-BIOCHAIN, BIObec, RuralBioUp, BOOST4BIOEAST, PRIMED, Bio4Human, and COPILOT. Enterprise Ireland has provided disclosed funding of approximately $5.16 million (2018) alongside REDZ and REDF scheme grants. The organization's leadership team of seven individuals is led by CEO Stephen Napier (since April 2020) and European Ambassador Filippo Giancarlo Martinelli. Operations are concentrated in Ireland with growing European footprint through EU project participation, including newer initiatives in Central Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

Name

Irish Bioeconomy Foundation

Legal name

Irish Bioeconomy Foundation CLG

Website

https://bioeconomyfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Irish Bioeconomy Foundation is an Irish membership-based organization operating the National Bioeconomy Campus at Lisheen, providing bioprocess design, financing access, and outreach services to agri-forestry, marine, and energy-material industry members while coordinating EU-funded bioeconomy projects across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bioeconomy Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Bioprocess scale-up services
• Pilot plant facilities
• Bioeconomy consulting
• Biomass valorization support
• Circular bioeconomy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Thurles

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: Annual membership providing access to integrated pre-competitive support services including bioprocess design & scale-up, access to financing, and promotion & outreach. Members also access the 2020 services and network.
2. Book Sales: Sale of 'What is the Circular Bioeconomy?' book by Mario Bonaccorso at €15.00 per copy. Prices listed in Euros inclusive of VAT.
3. Pilot Plant Rental: Rental of bioprocess pilot plant facilities covering 1,700 sq. metres with modular self-contained processing areas for client confidentiality.
4. Fundraising Support Services: Confidential fundraising support leveraging IBF's international networks and relationships. Support for approaching private equity, debt sources, and public grant sourcing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF) is a membership-based organization providing integrated pre-competitive support services to Ireland's bioeconomy sector, headquartered on the 455-hectare National Bioeconomy Campus at Lisheen, Co. Tipperary. Its three core service lines are Bioprocess Design & Scale-Up (anchored by a 1,700 sq. metre pilot plant), Access to Financing (confidential fundraising support), and Promotion & Outreach. It also operates digital platforms (BioMap, Digital Innovation Hub), coordinates multiple EU-funded bioeconomy projects, and sells educational publications including the book 'What is the Circular Bioeconomy?'.

Product overview

Irish Bioeconomy Foundation offers an integrated ecosystem of services, digital platforms, and EU project coordination supporting Ireland's bioeconomy development. The core offering centers on three pre-competitive support services: Bioprocess Design & Scale-Up (featuring a 1,700 sq. metre pilot plant on the National Bioeconomy Campus), Access to Financing, and Promotion & Outreach. Supporting these are digital platforms including BioMap (mapping nearly 600 Irish bioeconomy companies), and a Digital Innovation Hub. The organization also coordinates multiple EU-funded projects including BioeconomyVentures (start-up platform), MPowerBIO, ICT-BIOCHAIN, RuralBioUp, BOOST4BIOEAST, PRIMED, Bio4Human, COPILOT, and BIObec (bioeconomy education). Additional offerings include publications like the Bioeconomy Ireland Report and the book 'What is the Circular Bioeconomy?'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bioprocess Design & Scale-Up Pre-competitive support service providing pilot plant rental (1,700 sq. metres floor area with modular self-contained processing areas for client confidentiality) and technical advice including Life Cycle Analysis, Development of New Product Concept, Market Analysis, and Industry Insights, for bioeconomy companies needing bioprocess scale-up.
• Access to Financing Confidential fundraising support leveraging IBF's international networks and relationships, exploring public and private financing avenues for startups, SMEs, project owners and entrepreneurs in the bioeconomy sector, helping members cross the 'financial valley of death'.
• Promotion & Outreach Support in positioning and promoting member products, processes and brands within the Irish and EU bioeconomy arena, including forging partnerships, developing outreach strategies, and creating social media content, leveraging IBF's strong network of bioeconomy organisations.
• What is the Circular Bioeconomy? (Book) Book by Mario Bonaccorso presenting interviews with global bioeconomy leaders on sustainable development and climate neutrality, priced at €15.00 per copy (VAT inclusive), sold through IBF's own e-commerce shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capacity to valorise over 25,000 tonnes per annum of whey permeate through partner project AgriChemWhey
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and flagship.

• Shannon ABCcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Enterprise Ireland funded technology gateway with remit for prospecting bio-resources for national and international partner industries for added-value products, hosted in LIT and MTU (formerly ITT).
• AMBER (Advanced Materials and Bio-Engineering Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner€58m Research Centre co-funded by Science Foundation Ireland and industry, focused on Advanced Materials and Bio-Engineering Research.
• DPTC (Dairy Processing Technology Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry-academic collaborative research centre hosted by University of Limerick with research agenda driven by long-term growth opportunities for the dairy sector, funded by Enterprise Ireland and Dairy Industry Partners.
• BiOrbiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIreland's national bioeconomy research centre co-funded by Science Foundation Ireland and industry, focused on frontier research for development of the bioeconomy and creation of vibrant sustainable communities.
• Circular Bioeconomy South-West ClustersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelops and promotes the circular bioeconomy across Kerry and Cork, working with industry, SMEs, researchers, and government. Thematic focus areas are Waste-to-Value and Marine.
• Pairc na MarasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine activities facility where productive sector enterprises, public bodies, state development agencies and research community work together to add value to products and maximise marine sector development potential.
• Bioconnect Innovation Centre (Monaghan)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by Monaghan, the centre helps create new products from single raw materials and researches implementation of new science into existing products.
• AgriChemWheycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-of-a-kind industrial-scale biorefinery project with integrated symbiotic industrial and agricultural value chains, valorising over 25,000 tonnes per annum of excess Whey Permeate to lactic acid, polylactic acid, minerals, and bio-based fertilisers.
• CIRCULÉIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIreland's National Platform for Circular Manufacturing with mission to demystify, derisk and deliver circular business model innovation. Collaborated with IBF on Circular Bioeconomy 2020 Comprehensive Synthesis Report.
• InterTradeIrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on All Island BioMap to assist SMEs on the Island of Ireland explore new cross-border markets, develop new products, processes and services, and exploit synergies.
• BIObec ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project developing holistic framework for multi-level Biobased Education Centres to meet current and emerging needs of the bioeconomy. IBF participates as partner.
• MPowerBIO ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBI-JU funded project seeking feedback from clusters, SMEs and investors on challenges facing investments. Will create online platform with digital tools for investment readiness assessment.
• ICT-BIOCHAIN ConsortiumsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBBI-JU funded project examining opportunities for ICT, IoT and Industry 4.0 to improve efficiency of biomass value chains. South East Ireland and Andalusia serve as test bed locations.
• BioeconomyVentures ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBF-coordinated BBI-JU funded project building reference platform for bio-based start-ups and spin-offs seeking access to finance. Features BioeconomyVentures Ambassadors Programme and one-stop-shop platform.
• COPILOT ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking project updating, expanding and making Pilots4U database future-proof. Will grow, train and nurture stakeholder communities through Scale-Up & Growth and Exchange & Connect Programmes.
• Bio4Human ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject identifying bio-based solutions for waste management applicable to humanitarian sector. Evaluating socio-economic and governance aspects in South Sudan and DRC.
• PRIMED ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject co-creating innovative Circular Business Models in bioeconomy with multi-actor approach, integrating primary producers into novel bioeconomy value chains. Aims to boost primary production and create green jobs.
• BOOST4BIOEAST ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject advancing bioeconomy landscape in Central Eastern European and Baltic countries through BIOEAST HUBs, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration.
• RuralBioUp ConsortiumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject strengthening cooperation among regional key actors to establish inclusive ecosystem for mainstreaming bio-based business models in rural areas. Uses One-Stop-Shop digital tool and Regional Hubs.
• Bioconsortium.eucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBF is a full member of the Bioconsortium, leveraging value from previous investments and connecting with broader European bioeconomy ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SusChem (European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry): European Technology Platform coordinating public-private collaboration on sustainable chemistry and biotechnology R&D priorities. Comparable as a pan-European bioeconomy/sustainable chemistry coordinating body, but operating at broader industry-policy level than IBF.
• Circular Bio-based Europe (formerly BIC): The European Bio-based Industries Consortium that partners with the EU to deliver the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE-JU). A direct counterpart as the program-level consortium IBF participates in, providing industry leadership, project calls, and policy advocacy at EU scale.
• Wageningen Food & Biobased Research: Netherlands-based contract research organisation conducting applied research on biomass valorisation, bio-based products, and circular economy. Comparable as a Northern European bioeconomy R&D institution, though larger scale and academic-focused relative to IBF's cluster coordination role.

Direct peers

• CLIB - Cluster Industrielle Biotechnologie: Open industrial biotechnology cluster connecting large corporates, SMEs, and academia across Europe. Comparable to IBF in offering networking, funding access, and project coordination for industrial biotech and bioeconomy stakeholders.
• BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH: Germany's state bioeconomy/biotech agency, providing cluster management, member services, and pilot infrastructure access to industry and academia. Closely mirrors IBF's model of government-aligned cluster coordination and membership support for bioeconomy companies.
• Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC): Scotland's industrial biotech innovation centre connecting academia and industry to accelerate commercialisation. Comparable in mission, structure, and offering of pilot-scale facilities, member services, and project funding support.
• BioVale: UK bioeconomy cluster supporting the development of bio-based value chains through networking, project coordination, and member services. Closely aligned with IBF's cluster-led GTM and Irish/UK regional bioeconomy focus.
• Centre for Process Innovation (CPI): UK technology innovation centre operating pilot-scale facilities and providing scale-up support across multiple sectors including bio-based industries. Comparable in offering pilot plant rental, scale-up services, and innovation hub capabilities.
• NNFCC (National Non-Food Crops Centre): UK bioeconomy consultancy providing strategic advice, technical consulting, and policy insight across bio-based industries. Comparable to IBF's consulting, financing access, and promotion/outreach service lines in the bioeconomy sector.
• Catalisti (Flanders Bioeconomy Cluster): Flemish spearhead cluster for the chemical and plastics industry transitioning to a bio-based economy. Directly comparable as a regional bioeconomy cluster providing member services, project coordination, and financing support to industry and researchers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IrishBioeconomy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-bioeconomy-foundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxxJgfJ9XjMQgfmShsAk7_w

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irish Bioeconomy Foundation