Have your say in shaping DAERA’s Innovation Strategy

Enhancing support and encouraging innovation across the environment, agri-food, forestry, fisheries sectors and rural communities is the key aim of a draft Innovation Strategy, launched for consultation today.

NI Innovation Strategy consultation now open closes 5 March 2020.

The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is seeking your views on how the Department can stimulate and support innovation by businesses and organisations operating in the sectors for which DAERA has responsibility.

Publishing the consultation, DAERA Chief Scientific Adviser, Dr Alistair Carson said: “There is a compelling rationale for DAERA to establish and encourage innovation. Society is facing many challenges including feeding a growing world population and addressing climate change. Innovation is needed to find solutions to these issues”.

“Additionally, there is evidence that businesses that innovate, grow nearly twice as quickly in both employment and turnover as non-innovators, driving economic growth and solutions to environmental challenges. DAERA wants to better support and encourage innovation across the environment, agri-food, forestry and fisheries sectors and rural communities to achieve economic, environmental and social benefits”

"We would like to hear the views of businesses and organisations from across these sectors, as well as from anyone who has a view on how the Department should support and encourage innovation.”

Download the consultation document from the DAERA website at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/daera-innovation-strategy-2020-2025

Anyone wishing to comment must do so by Thursday 5th March 2020.

Notes to editors: 

1.  DAERA has responsibility for the environment, farming, certain aspects of food, fisheries, forestry and sustainability policy and regulation and the development of the rural sector in Northern Ireland.
2. DAERA is currently implementing a Science Transformation Programme. This programme aims to ensure that the science DAERA secures and uses is innovative, collaborative and transformative and will support a healthy and sustainable economy, environment and rural community. As part of the Science Transformation Programme, a draft high level Science Strategy Framework has been developed. This guides how DAERA can optimise its use of science. This Innovation Strategy derives from the draft Science Strategy Framework and is integral to its implementation.
3. The Innovation Strategy sets out the Strategic Context for the production of a DAERA Innovation Strategy, describes what innovation is and explores the barriers to innovation. It also identifies three goals and associated objectives to stimulate and support innovation and prioritises the overarching themes of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Transformative Bioeconomy.
4. The DAERA Innovation Strategy proposals have been informed by engagement with key stakeholders representing all areas for which DAERA has responsibility as well as government departments, universities, academics and innovation facilitators.
5. The ‘DAERA Innovation Strategy: Stakeholder Consultation’ documents can be accessed on the DAERA website.
   
   Science, Evidence and Innovation Policy Division 
   Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs 
   Room 643
   Dundonald House 
   Upper Newtownards Road 
   Ballymiscaw 
   Belfast 
   BT4 3SB 
   
   By E-mail: STPMO@daera-ni.gov.uk
   Telephone: 028 9037 8389
    
6. The closing date for responses is Thursday 5th March 2020.

7. The department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work. Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will also be stored on the department’s internal records management system. The department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained. The department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website.

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9. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office on 028 9052 4619 or email: DAERA Press Office (mailto:pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk).  Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.

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