18 November 2024
Team spotlight: Meat expectations
Meat Technology Ireland (MTI) is a national centre for research and innovation in meat processing, based at Teagasc Ashtown. Uniquely positioned, it brings together research organisations and industry partners to develop solutions to some of the biggest contemporary challenges facing the meat sector in Ireland, and the world.
Hosted at Teagasc Ashtown, Meat Technology Ireland (MTI) brings together world-leading research with industry collaboration to drive significant innovation in the meat processing sector. Photo credit: John Ohle
Hosted by Teagasc, Meat Technology Ireland (MTI) is a unique, industry-led centre for research. To learn more, TResearch spoke to several of its core team members: Susan O’Donoghue, Financial Controller; Ruth Hamill, Lead Principal Investigator (PI) for Digitalisation; Sarah Cahalane, Intellectual Property (IP) Officer; and Charlene Connolly, Programme Manager.
Can you explain your role and objectives within MTI?
Susan O’Donoghue: As the Financial Controller, I provide support through financial management guidance and reporting for all of the centre’s grant-funded research projects. My role began early on, assisting the centre’s Director, John Colreavy, with preparing project proposals: calculating individual project budgets, and ensuring all pay rates and budget proposals adhere to Teagasc and Enterprise Ireland funding rules.
Ruth Hamill: During MTI phase 1, I was involved in the meat quality and meat characterisation research pillars. Currently I am the lead PI for phase 2’s digitalisation research theme, which aims to identify, develop and assess novel applications for digital technologies in meat processing. This will provide the industry with a knowledge base to inform and support adoption of appropriate technologies to enhance efficiency, quality and sustainability.
Charlene Connolly: As MTI’s Research and Innovation Programme Manager, my role is oriented around project management. This means ensuring that MTI collaborates closely with the industry and other Research-Performing Organisations (RPOs) to deliver successful, impactful research and innovation that will benefit the wider sector and provide a stepping stone for the next research phase. I also project manage all 19 MTI research projects.
Sarah Cahalane: I am an industry engagement specialist, serving as an IP Officer for MTI, on behalf of Teagasc’s Technology Transfer office, Engage@Teagasc. Teagasc is the lead RPO for MTI, and Engage has played a key role in running and coordinating the collaboration since phase 1 began. MTI’s research programme generates results that may lead to significant novel IP; I identify and oversee potential commercialisation opportunities of this.
How do you achieve these objectives? And how are findings presented?
Ruth: As MTI is an industry-led programme, the meat processing companies involved in the research are key stakeholders. We regularly update the industry leads and other relevant colleagues across these companies; our research allows them to explore and assess technologies relevant to their needs. Following due consideration of IP, we also present aspects of our research at conferences to inform the scientific community of developments.
The outcomes so far have potential to add value and improve efficiencies; several are currently being assessed under licence within companies and form a key part of the MTI phase 2 genetics programme to allow reduction in age at slaughter without compromising on yield.
Charlene: MTI conducts research projects in genetics, digitalisation, meat quality, packaging and shelf life, meat and health and circular economy. Research findings are discussed through an MTI research programme management group, which meets monthly, giving both RPOs and industry partners scope to discuss the project results and agree on plans to commercialise or publish the results.
Susan: I work closely with MTI’s director; together we continuously monitor the project finances to ensure we stay within budget. All expenditure is reported every six months to Enterprise Ireland, our industry partners and the board, in the format of spend for the previous six months, spend to date and compared to budget.
Once a proposal has been approved by Enterprise Ireland and the funding awarded, my role continues with the ongoing financial management of projects, which includes continuous forecasting to ensure any inflationary exposure over the lifetime of the project is monitored and – if necessary – rectified with budget alterations. This ensures that the budget remains within the budget envelope and ensures value for money is achieved.
Sarah: I regularly present to the IP committee on all IP-related queries and topics. These include: the terms of MTI’s consortium agreement; IP management for potential collaborators; and background IP, which covers both novel results from MTI research and pre-existing IP that MTI researchers need to use to meet objectives. My advice helps the IP committee develop recommendations for MTI’s central steering committee.
What key techniques and tools do you use in this work?
Sarah: In Ireland, we’re fortunate enough to have a national protocol for IP, alongside guidance documents developed by Knowledge Transfer Ireland. This provides a consistent framework for all Irish tech transfer professionals to follow. I draw regularly on my own expertise and insights, having spent 14 years as a tech transfer professional within Teagasc, and regularly take part in workshops in tech and knowledge transfer.
Susan: Continuous monitoring of spend, maintaining accurate and up-to-date reports and constant communication with all relevant parties.
We also monitor wider economic factors – such as pay increases in the public sector – to ensure that our budgets can withstand external pressures and shifts.
Part of my role also involves the submission of six-monthly claims to Enterprise Ireland to ensure drawdown of the funds approved to finance the continuing research. This involves requesting the information from all research partners, analysis of the spend with the director and compiling and submitting the claim to the funder, as well as following up on any requests from the funder. The key part of my role is to analyse each return for accuracy and ensure that they comply with Enterprise Ireland’s financial policy.
Ruth: We have been funded by Teagasc and Enterprise Ireland to procure a range of imaging equipment, including a CT scanner for 3D meat characterisation; novel sensors that have applications in meat and carcass quality characterisation; and computer vision technology.
Furthermore, the most advanced ribeye grading technology, based on 3D vision and AI, is being applied in MTI research. We have also developed a novel spectral imaging system that is under patent application.
Charlene: Having the industry so involved with MTI and every step of our decision-making process ensures that our results are focused, relevant and impactful for our sector and the challenges it faces.
Can you explain your work’s relevance in the context of Irish agri-food?
Ruth: We are testing and developing new technologies that will benefit the wider industry, especially in areas like worker welfare and meat and carcass quality. We are also training the next generation of researchers in digitalisation.
Charlene: The meat sector in Ireland remains one of the most important indigenous industries in the national economy, supporting more than 120,000 farmers and generating total sales of over €4.5 billion, with 2021 exports of approximately €3.2 billion.
Sarah: My work within MTI ensures that all novel results are appropriately assessed and an appropriate access strategy is determined and implemented. Novel results without commercial potential are published and freely available to all; results with commercial potential are made available for licensing to the industry parties that co-fund MTI. Licensing results can generate commercial benefits for both the industry and the market. Ultimately, the outcomes from MTI IP management can result in significant economic, social and environmental impacts.
What results have you seen? Have there been any broader industry changes related to your work
Ruth: We have a unique working environment in which to appraise new, state-of-the-art technologies in automation and digitalisation. Our research outputs are being licensed across the sector, bringing added value back to our research.
Charlene: The MTI consortium is trailblazing in how it has seen industry partners coming together and contributing data to tackle the sector-wide challenges we all face. This level of co-opetition at national scale in itself signals a broader change in the industry.
Advances in automation and digital technologies have the capacity to improve process efficiency and protect worker welfare. Photo credit: John Ohle
Can you describe your team’s contribution to Teagasc?
Charlene: Teagasc has put in place all the necessary infrastructure for MTI to operate to a high standard, including providing access for MTI to highly skilled and experienced PIs in the organisation.
In return, MTI provides opportunity for Teagasc researchers to excel in world-class research through its unique level of industry collaboration, for example, through opportunities to explore large industry datasets and undertake factory trials to solve solutions at a scale not normally accessible to researchers.
Sarah: The learning gained through supporting MTI – and managing the IP emerging from it – has proven invaluable. Our work here helps inform exploitation pathways for emerging IP and digital innovation across the Teagasc research programmes and other Teagasc-led research centres, such as VistaMilk.
Innovative, industry-backed research in genetics and digitalisation are driving clear improvement in the quality of Irish beef and sheep meat. Photo credit: Andrew Downes
What are the team’s values and principles?
Ruth: We support ‘Teagasc Together’ values, because the teams within MTI come from several departments and programmes and are bringing the individual skills and expertise to the common challenge. MTI is developing international collaboration links; alongside our patent applications and industry impact, this supports Teagasc goals and business plans.
Sarah: Teagasc’s values are Fostering Respect, Striving for Excellence and Acting with Integrity. These are the guiding principles for me and my fellow team members. I believe they are a significant part of the reason our team works so well together and is so successful at supporting MTI achieving its objectives.
Charlene: As well as adhering to Teagasc’s values, MTI is operationally managed according to the ISO 9001:2015 standard for quality management. MTI undertakes an annual audit to ensure ISO standard adherence. This process ensures clarification regarding MTI stakeholder roles and responsibilities, tracking and monitoring of the programme, risk identification and continuous improvement.
What are you proudest of as a member of the team?
Susan: The work is varied and challenging, and I enjoy working alongside such a variety of roles within different organisations. Although I don’t have a research background, I believe that my back-office role is important to the project and helps MTI achieve its overall objectives.
Sarah: I am proudest of the trust and confidence placed in me – by both RPOs and industry collaborators – to oversee and address the IP aspects of MTI’s remit.
Charlene: The Irish meat sector is facing tough challenges, and I’m proud to be part of a consortium that is positively and meaningfully delivering research and innovation to tackle these challenges.
I also appreciate the unique opportunity to work with a range of Teagasc colleagues and departments, highly regarded PIs and industry partners, all of whom are outstanding and ambitious in their engagement and contributions.
Meet the team
Sarah, IP Officer
“I’m proud to support MTI in identifying and developing significant IP.”
Susan, Financial Controller
“I support MTI through financial guidance on all its research projects.”
Ruth, Lead PI
“Our research allows industry to assess relevant, novel technologies.”
Charlene, Programme Manager
“MTI provides researchers with an opportunity for world-class industry collaboration.”
Acknowledgements
MTI is funded by Enterprise Ireland under the Technology Centre programme in a collaboration with beef processors Ashbourne Meat Processors, Liffey Meats, Dawn Meats, ABP Food Group and Kepak.