Building is under way on Athenry’s multi-million euro BIA Innovator food science campus.
I visited the site this week and I was delighted to see that construction has begun.
The BIA Innovator is a huge project for Athenry which is expected to create 360 jobs and 2,400 training places in 40 new businesses within its first three years of operation.
It is a major employment initiative, which has been supported with a €3.6 million grant from my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development, under the Rural Regeneration Fund.
The BIA Innovator will make Athenry a global leader for food innovation and is part of a master plan to develop the town as a major centre for food and tourism.
I have been working closely with all the stakeholders throughout the process to make sure the project is completed as quickly as possible.
Construction on the 24,000 sq ft centre is being carried out by Galway-based Glenman Corporation Ltd. The build is expected to take 12 months.