The effectiveness of the policy and support environment for local food production competitiveness, innovation and growth
Prof Barry Quinn, Ms Lynsey McKitterick, Dr Adele Dunn and Prof Rodney McAdam (Ulster) This presentation focuses on the effectiveness of policy for SME (small and medium enterprises) innovation in the food chain. Specifically it provides evidence-based recommendations for policy-makers arising from research into the effectiveness of the policy and support environment in fostering innovation, competitiveness and growth among small and micro-sized food producers. A competitive local food production sector contributes to the fabric of the rural economy and leads to greater transparency and traceability in the supply chain. The findings and recommendations for policy arise from the EU funded INTERREG
The Need for Energy Storage in Northern Ireland as a mechanism for Efficient Electrical Network Use
Prof NJ Hewitt & Dr P Griffiths (Ulster) Wind energy is the large scale renewable energy electricity provider of choice with a marriage of a mature cost effective technology and an excellent wind resource in Northern Ireland. However, given the variability of wind energy, its availability does not always coincide with our electricity needs. Furthermore the wind resource tends to be in the west of Northern Ireland, while the major demands are in the east. Finally, the electricity network has been designed for power stations in the north and east of Northern Ireland, with the network radiating outwards, with the