The programme
Natural Fibres Ireland focuses on the practical work required to move from scattered fibre activity to repeatable value chains: mapping, processing, product development, demonstration, skills and market creation.
Six workstreams
Build a living picture of who grows, collects, processes, tests, manufactures, specifies and buys natural-fibre materials in Ireland.
Identify the minimum viable infrastructure needed to convert raw fibre crops and biomass into consistent intermediate products.
Work with laboratories and manufacturers to turn fibre fractions into materials designed around real performance requirements.
Move promising concepts out of the lab and into demonstrators where performance, manufacturability and customer acceptance can be tested.
Build practical capability among farmers, technicians, designers, processors and manufacturers so knowledge can move with the material.
Work on the conditions that allow viable products to scale beyond research projects and one-off demonstrations.
Near-term priorities
The first phase should establish credibility by delivering useful sector infrastructure rather than trying to build every part of the industry at once.
Identify feedstocks, growers, processors, machinery, research capability and manufacturers.
Test small-scale routes for turning selected fibres into usable, graded material fractions.
Develop a small number of serious products with industry partners and measurable performance.
A platform, not a silo
The initiative is designed to collaborate with existing farmer bodies, universities, technology centres, local authorities, state agencies, manufacturers, designers and European networks rather than duplicate their roles.
Where a partner already has expertise, the aim is to connect it into a stronger value chain. Where there is a genuine gap—especially in processing, coordination or demonstration—we help make the case for filling it.
Bring a challenge
The strongest projects begin with a defined customer need, measurable requirements and a realistic route into manufacturing.
