Stakeholders in the Irish Grown Wool sector have announced the establishment of a ‘Wool Hub for Research & Innovation’ intended to provide research, development, and innovation support to  farmers, sole traders, SME’s, enterprises, and all those operating in the wool sector who wish to make the best use of this natural Irish grown indigenous resource. The Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South West will host and coordinate the Wool Hub activities.

The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine; Review of Market Opportunities for Irish Grown Wool Based Products 2022 report states that across the world, natural fibres are receiving attention for their sustainability and unique natural properties. Sheep’s wool is no exception and is one of the natural and renewable resources widely used in a range of applications due to its unique composition that makes it applicable to many markets including horticulture, packaging, insulation, textiles, cosmetics, filled products and composites.

Wool is currently seen as an undervalued by-product of lamb meat production in Ireland, and currently costs more to shear a sheep than would be received in revenue for the fleece. When additional costs, such as scouring (cleaning) the fleece are factored in, it makes for an uneconomic business model. Opportunities exist to develop products from sheep’s wool, however research and technical expertise are required to fully support these development pathways. A dedicated panel of experts have merged to create the ‘Wool R&I Hub’ that will signpost:

• Collaborative RDI partnerships
• Access to mentoring services
• Knowledge transfer activities
• Funding opportunities

The purpose of the Wool Hub is to bridge the gap between idea and execution, through new product research and innovation, enhancing the perceived value of Irish wool and ensuring a fairer return to primary producers and across the entire value chain.

There is a unique opportunity for Ireland to accelerate research & innovation to develop this undervalued indigenous material. The sector has been recognised by government as a growth area and strengthened further with the establishment of an all-island Irish Grown Wool Council to champion the Irish grown wool brand domestically and internationally. The Wool Hub is a fantastic parallel initiative, and the current members are already identifying funding options to address a range of sectoral challenges. Expertise areas that the panel bring to the table include; design, innovation, processing technologies, biotechnology and textile innovation, and the Wool Hub is keen to add to this skill set and as such we are inviting additional collaborators to join us.