Carlow company MicroGenbiotech has signed a deal in China to explore opportunities in Contaminated Land Remediation in China and overseas markets which includes the Middle-East and other western countries.
MicroGenbiotech expects to increase its Irish workforce to 17 over the next three years with jobs in R & D, marketing, and customer support. MicroGenbiotech has reached agreement with Shanxi Province Agriculture Academy of Science on using Biotechnology to treat mining site contamination as well as using biofertiliser to increase farmland yield.
In tandem, Chinese company Minegreen is making an investment in MicroGenbiotech. The investment amount was not disclosed.
Speaking from Beijing, enterprise minister Richard Bruton said: “MicroGenbiotech is a highly innovative young Irish company and an excellent case study of how creating a strong start-up environment can help companies grow and develop, right through to becoming a commercial reality. The proposed joint venture with CECEP DADI, together with the opportunity for further collaboration with Chinese research institutions and companies, will ultimately result in more highly skilled jobs in research and development at MicroGen’s head office in Ireland. It is an inspiring story for Irish startups”.
Dr Xuemei Germaine, CEO of MicroGenbiotech, said: “The new partnerships will help us to gain access to many large remediation projects in the coming years and increase our visibility in this market”.
In Association with
MicroGenbiotech’s chairman is Thomas Ruddy, who has over 40 years’ experience owning and managing companies specialising in water and wastewater treatment systems.
MicroGenbiotech was established in 2012 and is a spin out from the Institute of Technology Carlow. The company has developed cost-effective and sustainable biotechnologies and products to remediate contaminated soil. In July 2014, MicroGenbiotech established a pilot project at the Shandong Shengli Oil Field China to treat crude oil contaminated soil. The project has now been completed and met the required regulatory levels in July 2015.
