Speakers at IMR Connect Day on 1 October: Geraldine Brennan (IMR), Mark O'Sullivan (IQUTECH), Aswin Ramasubramanian (IMR), Richard Brennan (Evolve), and Joe Coleman (Combilift). At the recent IMR Connect Day, manufacturers, industry leaders and technology experts explored a practical question: how can businesses recover more value from the products and equipment they already manufacture, use and maintain? Through the panel discussion Circular Manufacturing in Practice: From C

Members and staff attending the Q3 Network Meeting at the IMR Rathcoole office on 23 Sep 2026. Collaboration is at the heart of building a more circular and sustainable future. At last week’s CIRCULÉIRE Network Meeting, members from across the network came together to reflect on progress, share experiences, and help shape priorities for the years ahead. The event provided a valuable opportunity for members to hear updates from IMR, DCEE and the CIRCULÉIRE programme, while als

Geraldine Brennan, Director of Circular Economy Innovation at IMR, and Alan Dillon TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Circular Economy. Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD, has today announced the launch of the 2026 Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS), with total funding increasing from €650,000 to €1.5 million. The 2026 funding round will op

As of 31st July 2026, new EU Right to Repair rules apply in Ireland, introducing requirements designed to make it easier for consumers to repair certain products rather than replace them. For businesses, particularly manufacturers, the new rules are worth paying attention to. However, the Right to Repair Directive does not currently apply to every product. Its manufacturer repair obligations are linked to specific product categories for which EU legislation establishes repair

Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and Minister of State for the Circular Economy Alan Dillon TD visited Re-Box on 3 September 2026, accompanied by members of the Irish Manufacturing Research team. Dublin, 3 September 2026. Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and Minister of State for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD, particip

Eva Maria Bille (European Environmental Bureau), Tad Kirakowski (VOICE Ireland), Claire Downey (The Rediscovery Centre), Martina Hennessy (DCEE), and Valentina Tarasco (IMR/CIRCULÉIRE) at Environment Ireland 2026, 3 September 2026, Croke Park, Dublin. CIRCULÉIRE was delighted to sponsor the Environment Ireland® Conference. From a circularity perspective, discussions reinforced a clear message: the transition to a circular economy is no longer simply desirable it is essential

IMR welcomes submissions from ventures operating on the island of Ireland and delivering a circular solution in the region. Adam Hankin (Gemell), first finalist; Lisa O'Riordan (HaPPE Earth), winner; and Lavanya Bhandari (EcoRoots), second finalist, at the first All-Island Circular Venture Awards, 27 November 2025. Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), as the secretariat of CIRCULÉIRE, is delighted to announce the All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2026, an initiative designed

On 12th August 2026, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Regulation 2025/40, will begin to apply across the European Union, introducing a new harmonised framework for packaging placed on the EU market. While much of the discussion around the PPWR has focused on its long-term ambitions —such as recyclable packaging, recycled content targets and reusable packaging— it is important to note that not all those requirements become applicable from 12th August 2026.

Are you interested in building ambitious, high-potential consortia to help shape Ireland's circular future? We are delighted to announce that the CIRCULÉIRE Innovation Fund 2026 Call for Applications is now open! The 2026 Innovation Fund will make €750,000 available to contribute to CIRCULÉIRE member-led consortia projects to be completed in 2027. We want to thank the Department of Climate, Energy & Environment, DCEE, for making this vital funding stream available and Iri

For the last few years, most conversations about circular economy policy have started with the same question: What's coming next? What’s the next strategy, piece of legislation, consultation or target? In 2026, the smarter question may be ‘What is moving into implementation?’ Both Ireland and the European Union have produced an enormous amount of circular economy policy for the past few years. Strategies have been launched. Action plans have been published. Consultations have

CIRCULÉIRE Q2 Network Meeting – Attendees and speakers at IMR Mullingar, 11 June 2026. On 11th June, we held the CIRCULÉIRE Q2 Network Meeting, entitled Circular Economy Innovation in Action, a day designed with the power of the network as its central theme, bringing together members' expertise, experience, and ambition to accelerate circular action. The event included three interactive sections —IMR’s CEI Tour, the Circular Action Pledge, and Catalysing Collaboration — to in

Jenny Hughes (Irish Medtech), Ed Byrne (Galco), Sean Dowd (Boston Scientific), Damhnait Gleeson (SEAI), and Paul McCormack-Cooney (Irish Manufacturing Research) participated in the Sustainability & Energy Efficiency session at the Manufacturing the Future 2026 Conference (16 April, Galmont Hotel, Galway). The Macro Picture: Resilient, But Tested Ireland's economic performance over recent decades has been exceptional. Manufacturing output has grown broadly across pharma, medte

CIRCULÉIRE Case Studies. Ireland's second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028 has been launched, and it marks a significant step forward for circularity in this country. At CIRCULÉIRE, we have been closely following its development and actively contributed by submitting our members' feedback through public consultation. We are pleased to share both a summary of what it contains and some excellent news: many of the recommendations our members helped shape

Illustrative image — Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026–2028: Accelerating Action. Ireland's second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028. Accelerating Action has arrived — and it is the most ambitious and concrete national commitment to circularity the country has seen. Launched in February 2026 by Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) Darragh O'Brien and Minister of State Alan Dillon, the Whole of Government Circular Econo

CIRCULÉIRE Q1 Network Meeting – Members at Aryzta, 26 March 2026. On Thursday Irish Manufacturing Research hosted our Q1 CIRCULÉIRE network meeting 'Circular Bioeconomy & Packaging in Action’ at Aryzta in Dublin. With over 40 cross sectoral members attending to get the latest updates from DCEE, stats from the EPA and insights from members including a tour around the Aryzta bakery - it was a very informative session. Niall McLoughlin , Principal Officer, CE Strategic Pol

The national “Circular Economy & Net Zero” campaign launched yesterday in the Irish Independent and online at businessnews.ie . Referring to ‘driving innovation through Ireland’s New Circular Roadmap’, Minister of State Alan Dillon, TD called the circular economy ‘an economic necessity that strengthens Ireland’s competitiveness, supports high quality jobs and builds communities that thrive’. Focused on tackling the global e-waste challenge IMR’s article featured our in

Do you have deep technical expertise in the Irish and EU pharmaceutical sector, with a strong understanding of areas like green chemistry, solvent management, and GxP? Can you translate this knowledge into practical, actionable insights for a business audience? If you are a skilled technical writer passionate about advancing the circular economy, IMR the secretariat and coordinator of CIRCULÉIRE wants to hear from you. IMR is requesting applications from a suitably qualifi

Xavier Dubuisson, CEO of Retrokit, and Dave Garforth, Program Director at Responsible Plastics Management (RPM), and Dr. Geraldine Brennan (Director of Circular Economy Innovation at IMR/CIRCULÉIRE). On 21 st January, Director of Circular Economy Innovation, Dr Geraldine Brennan, represented IMR and CIRCULÉIRE in the Circularity in Construction Panel at HPBA’s Net Zero Construction Symposium, alongside Xavier Dubuisson, CEO of Retrokit and Dave Garforth, Program Director at

Youtube Video: All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2025 Highlights, 27th November 2025. For our closing round-up of the 2025 All-Island Circular Venture Awards, we present our highlights video showcasing all the elements of a successful event - speeches from Minister of State with responsibility for Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD and Micheal Cassidy IMR CTO; all the shortlisted companies, expert judges, ESB’s fantastic venue, circular award fabrication, the audience, award

Q4 Network Meeting participants engaging during the Producer-Led Innovation Session. On Wednesday 3 rd December we hosted our final CIRCULÉIRE member networking session of 2025: Producer Responsibility as a Driver of Circular Innovation Across High-Impact Sectors. Co-hosted in partnership with WEEE Ireland , this collaborative session explored how producer responsibility (through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes or voluntary initiatives) can drive circular val