Kilkenny’s Tom Tynan playing key role in developing Ireland’s marine resources

Johnstown native Tom Tynan, who spent seven years working in the European Commission, most recently as a member of the Commission’s Cabinet for Trade, has taken up new roles in the marine sector.

Mr Tynan will bring his vast experience to the sector, which forms an important part of Ireland’s economy. He has been appointed a non-Executive Director of Shannon Foynes Port Company, the second largest port in Ireland.

Since leaving the EU Commission he has also taken on a non-Executive Directorship with the Marine Institute, Ireland’s national agency for marine research, technology, development and innovation.  Tom is also a director of Agri-Food Bioscience Institute (Northern Ireland), the Northern Ireland Government's main research and science provider in the agri-food and marine sectors.

A former special advisor to the Irish Minister of Agriculture, Food & Forestry and a former member of the European Commission’s Agriculture and Rural development cabinet, Tom’s knowledge of the trade and agri-food industry is extensive.  Maritime affairs / fisheries as well as research and innovation were among his functional responsibilities in the EU commission. 

This, together with wide ranging experience across commercial, strategy, operations and advisory roles will benefit the Institute and company boards to which he has been appointed.

“Horizon Europe is the most ambitious EU Research and Innovation framework programme to date, with a budget of €95.5 billion for the period 2021 to 2027," Tom Tynan.

"Within that framework programme there are huge opportunities for Ireland in terms of our soil and our ocean, both of whom are huge carbon sinks. Horizon Europe offers focused research and innovation policies on soil and ocean health to ensure the full contribution of agriculture and marine to climate change adaptation and the challenging goals of the European Green Deal.”

"The ports sector has a pivotal role to play in Ireland’s energy transition. They are essential partners in delivering government objectives on decarbonisation, supporting the growth of renewable energy generation in Ireland and achieving the government’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050, and a reduction of 51% by 2030. To help meet the EU goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission in November 2020 published the EU strategy on offshore renewable energy."

Shannon Foynes Port is situated on the deepest watercourse in Ireland and one of the deepest estuaries in the world. Renewable energy sources are naturally available in the estuary in terms of wind, ocean and tidal energy. The Irish west coast has one of the best wind resources in the world.

"Our ports also benefit from EU initiatives like the Trans-European Transport Network and the Connecting Europe Facility which is a key funding instrument to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level," said Mr Tynan.

“Ireland is one of only three island nations in the EU. Ireland has a sea area that is approx seven times its landmass with one of the best offshore renewable energy resources globally. The marine is a fantastic natural resource for sustainable development that will benefit present and future generations.

"There is significant untapped potential to grow the sector further and I look forward to bringing my skills to the boards of the Marine Institute and Shannon Foynes Port company and to the Agri-Food Bioscience Institute in Northern Ireland. The £45 million soil nutrient health scheme in Northern Ireland is one of the most comprehensive regional soil nutrient sampling schemes to be undertaken anywhere in the world.

"It will enable Northern Ireland farmers to optimise crop nutrient applications, assess on-farm carbon stocks and build farm resilience. It will also provide a baseline assessment of farm carbon stocks in soils and hedgerows and contribute to the transition to Net Zero farming in Northern Ireland. I believe strategic cross border partnerships can benefit the agriculture and marine sector across the island of Ireland and I look forward to helping to realise this potential.”

Mr Tynan is a graduate of University College Dublin and UCD Smurfit Graduate School of Business and previously worked with Avonmore Coop, the Irish Farmers Association, IAWS plc and Teagasc.