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Macroom man shares stage with George Clooney

December 12th, 2015 8:06 AM

By Southern Star Team

Mark Simmers (CEO Celtic Renewables) with Prof Martin Tangney (president Celtic Renewables) at the awards ceremony.

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A biopuel company founded by Cork scientist and entrepreneur Professor Martin Tangney was recognised as the Emerging Business of the Year at this year’s Scottish Business Awards where guest speaker was George Clooney.  

A BIOFUEL company founded by Cork scientist and entrepreneur Professor Martin Tangney was recognised as the Emerging Business of the Year at this year’s Scottish Business Awards where guest speaker was George Clooney.

Macroom man Tangney was among Scotland’s most outstanding companies and entrepreneurs honoured at the star-studded awards ceremony, which featured the Oscar winner.

Tangney’s company was awarded the accolade for an exceptional year in which they produced the world’s first samples of an advanced biofuel – biobutanol – from the production residues of the Scottish malt whisky industry. As a result, the company was named the most innovative biotech start-up in Europe at the Parliament in Brussels.

Professor Tangney, a UCC graduate who is originally from Macroom, was the recent recipient of a grant of £11m from the Westminster Department for Transport which he will use to co-finance the construction of a commercial scale demonstration facility at the Grangemouth oil refinery site in central Scotland.

Over 2,000 delegates attended what is believed to have set a record as the UK’s largest ever business dinner, which was held at the EICC in Edinburgh.  

The awards were hosted by TV comedian Rob Brydon and the guests were treated to more than an hour of storytelling from Hollywood legend and actor George Clooney, who was interviewed on stage by celebrity broadcaster (and new First Gear presenter) Chris Evans.

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