Episode notes
Listen as we discuss bioeconomy initiatives in Ireland and the role of cooperatives with John Brosnan, Bioeconomy Executive, Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS). Ireland has a rich history of cooperatives, with ICOS representing 130 commercial co-ops contributing €14 billion in turnover. The bioeconomy offers opportunities for co-ops to address climate challenges and create new value streams from biological resources.
John gives an overview of the bioeconomy and covers collaborative models including co-ownership structures to mitigate risk and pool resources and cooperation beyond the co-op sector with private companies and government. He talks about some of the challenges and considerations such as access to capital for large-scale facilities; the importance of careful planning to optimise logistics and avoid stranded assets; ...
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