About Us
A first-of-a-kind cluster in Ireland
With a focus on marine, agriculture and waste-to-value thematic areas, our goal is to develop and promote the circular bioeconomy. The cluster brings together industry, enterprises, government and research centres to deliver unique and co-created initiatives to benefit member companies.
The cluster supports members with research and development, project development, project partner identification, talent and skills development, market connections, and funding.
The importance of the Circular Bioeconomy
Many of the products and services we use today such as food and energy are produced using unsustainable fossil resources that harm our climate, nature and society. Our world is searching for alternative approaches that provide a fair and prosperous future for us all.
The bioeconomy offers society a path to apply knowledge, science, technology and innovation to how we use and consume resources from our soils, fields, forests and seas that respects nature and increases social equality by reducing our use of fossil resources and developing green practices, products and local jobs in places where we wish to live.
The bioeconomy will support us to value nature and be less wasteful as a society. It will allow us to produce sustainable fertilisers for our fields and nutritious food for our healthy and active lives. It will also offer us sustainable packaging for the goods we buy and innovative materials to both build our homes and support our industries to re-use its waste and reduce its energy use.
Why do we need a Cluster?
A cluster unlocks and accelerate business opportunities and new value chains across sectors including those of strategic important to the South-West namely marine, agriculture and industry.
An active cluster with industry, SMEs, educational institutes, government and finance stakeholders working together towards similar goals through targeted programmes will speed up the innovation cycle, foster talent and support enterprise growth.
Cluster Team
Michael Noctor
Cluster Manager
As the Education & Outreach Manager at the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster, I work at the intersection of knowledge and practice, helping to connect ideas with action across Ireland’s growing bio-based economy.
My focus is on building strong partnerships, supporting collaborative project development, and communicating the value of circular bioeconomy solutions at local, national, and international levels. I work closely with Cluster members to share proven approaches, support innovation, and engage communities in the shift to more sustainable systems.
This work is grounded in key strategies such as the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Ireland’s Bioeconomy Action Plan, the South-West Regional Enterprise Plan, and Enterprise Ireland’s Strategy 2025 to 2029. These frameworks provide a shared direction and a clear mandate for cross-sector collaboration.
By leveraging MTU’s expertise and extensive innovation networks, I aim to support the integration of bio-based solutions into local development plans while also raising the profile of the Cluster’s work within national policy and international forums.
I believe that meaningful collaboration is central to driving change, and I’m committed to making the transition to a circular bioeconomy practical, visible, and inclusive.
Stephen Barry Hannon
Senior Researcher & Project Manager
Stephen is a Senior Researcher and Project Manager at the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South West based at Kerry Campus, Munster Technological University.
Stephen leads on the Target Circular and BioDirect projects. In Target Circular, he has developed tools that aid SME’s in developing sustainable models and enabling them to make better decisions and he works on bioeconomy value chain analysis of key sectors in Ireland. Stephen is the project manager of the All-island project BioDirect, which enables cross border and cross industry collaboration. The project is focused on four sectors of the All Island economy including Construction, Textiles, Agriculture, and Packaging. Before joining the cluster he led multi-stakeholder projects in marketing, communications, and event and business systems projects working in the charity, hospitality, manufacturing, and education sectors.
Advisory Group
Dr. Helena McMahon, Director of IKC3 & Co-Founder of CircBio Research Group, Munster Technological University
Cal Flynn, Research and Development, Kerry Group
Michael O’Neill, CEO, Pure Ocean Algae
Enda Buckley, Director of Sustainability, Carbery Group
Garrett Dillon, General Manager, Dillon Waste