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BIA Innovator Campus

Food Incubation and Innovation Hub for West of Ireland Food Production in Athenry, Co. Galway view our video! https://youtu.be/hQY_l2fuibU
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09/09/2026

We want to congratulate Rosaleen and the team at Crust Gluten Free for being selected as one of 14 items to be listed on the Lidl Kickstart programme for 2026.

Celebrating 10 years, the Lidl Kickstart programme, in conjunction with Bord Bia, is a supplier initiative with the aim of giving small Irish food and drink suppliers the opportunity to promote their products and grow their business through Lidl stores across the country.

We at BIA Innovator Campus are proud to have Crust Gluten Free as part of our community and wish them the very best of luck as their gluten-free mixes hit the shelves of Lidl stores across Ireland.

Visit lidl.ie/c/kickstart/s10020775 to find out more about Crust Gluten Free and the other businesses selected for the Lidl Kickstart Programme 2026.

07/09/2026

Two hands-on food safety training programmes, delivered by Dr Fiona Masterson of The Learning Reservoir and offered in collaboration with Rural Food Skillnet, are still accepting registrations at BIA Innovator Campus.

Both courses combine professional education with hands-on practice in BIA's food-grade production facilities and are intended for food business operators, supervisors, HACCP team members, and quality personnel.

HACCP Level 3: Implementation & Advanced Food Safety Management runs on 13th & 14th October; the fee for trainees eligible for Rural Food Skillnet funding is €450

Food Safety Internal Auditor Training runs on 20th & 21st October; the fee for trainees eligible for Rural Food Skillnet funding is €430.

🔗For more information and to register, visit https://ruralfoodskillnet.com/training/

03/09/2026

We’re heading to the Dublin Food Show next week!

BIA Innovator Campus will be exhibiting at the Ireland Food Show Dublin on Tuesday, 8 September at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport, from 10am–3.30pm.

Our Food Technologist Mary Toomey will be on the stand to meet businesses and discuss the supports and technical expertise available through BIA Innovator Campus.

We’ll also be highlighting VINTA (Vocational Innovation for Nurturing Talent & Advancement of Women in the Alcohol Industry), our Erasmus+ project focused on supporting greater participation, skills development and career progression for women across the brewing, distilling and winemaking sectors.

If you’re attending the show, come along and say hello to the BIA team we’d be delighted to meet you.

📍 Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport
📅 Tuesday, 8 September 2026
🕙 10am–3.30pm

01/09/2026

Help shape the next phase of slow tourism in Galway 🌿

BIA Innovator Campus and Galway County Council are hosting the 6th Slowdown Regional Stakeholder Group Meeting on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, from 10:30am–12:30pm.

The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with the option to attend in person at BIA Innovator Campus, Athenry, or online via Microsoft Teams.

A key focus will be The Galway Hiking Place Pilot Action, a one-year slow and walking tourism pilot working with 10 existing walking routes in East Galway.

We are particularly keen to hear from walking groups, community organisations, tourism businesses, heritage groups and local stakeholders in East Galway who can help inform route-selection considerations, local connections and opportunities to link walking with heritage, food, culture and community activity.

The meeting will also include updates on Galway’s food tourism policy improvement work, interregional learning from the Slowdown project, and a local contribution from Athenry Experience.

📍 In person: BIA Innovator Campus, Athenry
💻 Online: Microsoft Teams
📅 Wednesday, 30 September 2026
🕥 10:30am–12:30pm

Register to attend: https://wkf.ms/4ylqQX9

SlowDown is a project within the Interreg Europe programme, co-financed by the European Union.

25/08/2026

📣 Registration is now open for two practical food safety training programmes at BIA Innovator Campus, delivered in partnership with Rural Food Skillnet and led by Dr. Fiona Masterson of The Learning Reservoir.

Designed for food business operators, supervisors, HACCP team members and quality personnel, both courses combine expert instruction with practical exercises in BIA’s food-grade production facilities.

📍 BIA Innovator Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway

HACCP Level 3: Implementation & Advanced Food Safety Management (2 days)
📅 13th & 14th October
💶 Fee for trainees eligible for Rural Food Skillnet funding: €450
Develop the practical skills to implement, verify and maintain effective HACCP systems, apply hazard analysis and CCP monitoring, and support food safety compliance.

Food Safety Internal Auditor Training (2 days)
📅 20th & 21st October
💶 Fee for trainees eligible for Rural Food Skillnet funding: €430
Learn how to plan and conduct internal food safety audits, evaluate HACCP systems and PRPs, identify non-conformances, and prepare clear, professional audit reports.

✅ Practical, hands-on training
✅ Real food production environment
✅ Certificate of Completion on successful completion

🔗 For more information and to register: https://ruralfoodskillnet.com/training/

19/08/2026

Congratulations to the team at Solar Home on an incredible 20 years in business! ☀️👏

BIA Innovator Campus was delighted to host Solar Home for this special event, bringing the team together to celebrate this fantastic milestone, reflect on their journey to date and look ahead to the future.

Twenty years is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the experience, dedication and relationships the Solar Home team has built along the way.

Wishing Shane and the entire team continued success for many more years to come! 🎉

BIA Team!

13/08/2026

Still haven’t registered for the Plant Power Online Course Launch webinar? There’s still time to join online!

Discover how this EU-funded initiative is helping Europe’s food sector adopt plant-based innovation and sustainable practices.

✅ Explore free tools and resources to support your business or teaching
✅ Get an inside look at the Plant Power online course and its six practical modules
✅ Connect with others in the plant-based food and education community

Whether you are an SME, educator, or student, this is an opportunity to gain insights, access high-quality resources, and strengthen your approach to plant-based innovation.

Delivered in partnership with Momentum Educate + Innovate

📆 Thursday, 20 August 2026
⏰11am to 12:30pm
📍Online (Teams)
🎟️ Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/plant-power-online-course-launch-tickets-1994659369870?aff=oddtdtcreator

Don’t miss out—register today!

10/08/2026

Food is more than sustenance; it’s a pathway to inclusion and learning🍲📚

The Food Includes project is harnessing the universal language of food to create flexible learning opportunities for adults.

✅ Training 70+ adult educators across Europe
✅ Reaching 100+ learners through food-based learning
✅ Building confidence, skills, and community through shared culinary experiences

From local food markets to food festivals, we’re proving that learning can be delicious, inclusive, and transformative.

👉 Learn more: https://foodincludes.eu

30/07/2026

🌿 Pilot Action Approved: The Galway Hiking Place

We are delighted to announce that The Galway Hiking Place: A Pilot for Slow Tourism Development has been approved under the Interreg Europe SLOWDOWN project.

In partnership with Galway County Council, and supported by Sibiu County Council as donor partner, the pilot will test a slow tourism model in East Galway.

The pilot will focus on existing walking routes, digital participation tools, a QR-based Hiker’s Passport, coordinated walking experiences, and community engagement.

The preparation phase is now starting, including route selection, stakeholder engagement and launch planning.

We look forward to working with our partners to support sustainable, community-based tourism in rural Galway.

SlowDown is a project within the Interreg Europe programme, co-financed by the European Union.

23/07/2026

Join us for the launch of the Plant Power Online Course, designed to support food SMEs and VET educators with practical, ready-to-use plant-based tools.

Discover how this EU-funded initiative is helping Europe’s food sector adopt plant-based innovation and sustainable practices.

✅ Explore free tools and resources to support your business or teaching
✅ Get an inside look at the Plant Power online course and its six practical modules
✅ Connect with others in the plant-based food and education community

Whether you are an SME, educator, or student, this is an opportunity to gain insights, access high-quality resources, and strengthen your approach to plant-based innovation.

Delivered in partnership with Momentum Educate + Innovate

📆 Thursday, 20 August 2026
⏰11am to 12:30pm
📍Online (Teams)
🎟️ Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/plant-power-online-course-launch-tickets-1994659369870?aff=oddtdtcreator

Address

Ballygarraun West
Athenry
H65DD86

Telephone

+353874176290

Website

http://biainnovatorcampus.ie/

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