Killybegs Marine Cluster Team

Karl Bonner is the Cluster Manager and direct point of contact for Ireland’s only dedicated Blue Economy Marine Cluster. Karl brings a blend of domain knowledge within the international seafood industry and best practise through his educational background. Before transitioning from the private sector to this public sector role, Karl worked as registered consultant with Intertrade Ireland, completing several Trade Accelerator Vouchers (TAV) and Elevate programme with businesses in a cross-border capacity. Karl is experienced in start-ups having successfully completed Enterprise Ireland National Entrepreneurship programme, New Frontiers and developed a seafood-based pet food business. Karl is a strategist having successfully crafted and implemented an ambitious 3-year International Growth Plan with his previous employer. Karl also led several capital expenditure projects supported by BIM and introduced a holistic LEAN Transformation project which ran over an 18-month period funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Karl holds a Masters in Sales Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in International Selling, and a Business Studies Degree from Edinburgh Napier University. Karl and the Killybegs Marine Cluster have formed a professional Steering Group comprising Industry, Government and Academia which will lead the way to unlocking the full potential of the Blue Economy on the West coast of Ireland.