Momentum Educate and Innovate (MEI) was delighted to welcome project partners from across Europe to Ireland for the third SMART4Food Transnational Partners Meeting (TPM), held on February 26th and 27th at The Food Hub in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim.
Denise Callan MEI opened the meeting with a warm welcome for all attended then introduced Fergal McPartland of the Food Hub, who shared the unique story of The Food Hub and its roots in community-led regeneration. He explained how the closure of a major food processing employer over twenty years ago led to a community buyout and the creation of a thriving multi-tenant food production facility. Today, The Food Hub stands as a shining example of rural innovation. It supports local producers and entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector, bringing high-quality employment back to the region.
The formal programme was then led by Ivana Kardum Goleš from the project’s lead partner, Veleučilište u Šibeniku (Šibenik University of Applied Sciences). Ivana provided updates on project management activities, key deliverables, and upcoming milestones as the consortium moves towards finalising outputs and results.
Throughout the two-day meeting, each Work Package lead shared progress updates, and partners engaged in detailed planning for the finalisation of the SMART4Food learning materials. Particular attention was given to ensuring that all materials, which will soon to be available on the project website, will be engaging, practical, and accessible for learners, educators, and policymakers across the EU.
This TPM was delivered in a hybrid format, with three partners attending onsite in Drumshanbo and three participating online. For those present in person, MEI curated a series of local visits to showcase the richness of the region’s agriculture and food culture and rural enterprise.
Highlights included:
- A guided tour of The Shed Distillery, located within The Food Hub, where partners discovered the area’s heritage of whiskey making and its strong links with local farming communities.
- A scenic “walk on water” along the Acres Lake Floating Boardwalk and a stroll on the Shannon Blueway, an opportunity to experience the unique natural beauty that surrounds Drumshanbo.
- A visit to Honestly Farm Kitchen in Carrick-on-Shannon, an organic, farmer-led restaurant that provides a local route to market for multiple producers. This business also features as a Case Study within the SMART4Food learning content, making the visit especially meaningful for project partners.
MEI was proud to host this important meeting and to share both our facilities and our local food ecosystem with the SMART4Food consortium. We look forward to continuing this valuable collaboration as we move toward the final stages of the project and support the development of innovative, sustainable learning tools for Europe’s food sector.
If you would like to learn more about SMART4Food, please visit the SMART4Food website.
