Nine Irish agri innovators have been named as finalists in this year's Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards, and will participate in a live competition at the National Ploughing Championships today.
A dosing gun designed to reduce medicine usage, a smart weighing scales which utilises AI and image analysis to analyse animal performance and growth, and solutions focused on reducing methane emissions are just some of the innovations in this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena.
There are three overall awards in this year’s competition, and a total of nine Irish-owned agritech companies will be tasked with delivering a live pitch in front of a panel of judges this afternoon.
Three companies have been named as finalists in each of the three categories, and this year’s 'Start-Up Innovator of the Year’ award comes with a €10,000 prize.
The ‘Innovation Arena Champion 2024’ prize will be awarded to an established company with a focus on scaling and innovation, while the new ‘Green Impact Award 2024’ will honour a company whose innovation is focused on sustaining the development of food and farming for future generations to come.
The Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena, hosted in partnership with the National Ploughing Association, gives 50 Irish-owned agritech companies, researchers and academia the opportunity to showcase their products and solutions to thousands of visitors at one of Europe’s largest outdoor events.
This year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena has a focus on ‘Innovations for Future Generations’, and is showcasing innovators with pioneering solutions which will deliver efficiencies in animal science and technology, agri-engineering, digital technologies, animal health and nutrition, sustainability and climate action, and farm health and safety.
The Irish agritech sector employs more than 4,700 people here, and Enterprise Ireland supports approximately 130 companies who are working in a number of areas, including developing smart farming solutions, farm equipment, livestock handling and housing, crop cultivation and protection, and animal health and nutrition.
These Irish-owned companies generated sales of almost €1.6 billion in 2023, with exports accounting for €1 billion.
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Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting Irish entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale globally, and a hugely important element of the Innovation Arena is the attendance of international buyers.
This year, as part of its programme of activity at the National Ploughing Championships, 80 international agritech buyers from 20 global markets will visit Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena to meet and engage with the companies exhibiting.
Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: "Innovation and the need to be agile has never been more important for the agricultural sector and the Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships can support agritech companies to grow, scale and develop. I would like to commend this year’s participants in this landmark exhibition platform and thank them for their contribution towards futureproofing this sector for generations to come."
"Irish agri innovators, including those exhibiting in this year’s Innovation Arena, are truly shaping the sector globally. It is their innovations and solutions which are driving efficiencies, and helping to address global challenges by meeting growing demands for food, safeguarding our planet for future generations and ensuring farm families have good livings," Leo Clancy, the CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said.
"We believe that Irish-owned enterprises can, over time, be the prime driver of the Irish economy, and Irish agritech companies and farm families will have an important role to play in that shared ambition. I would like to thank our partners in the NPA, and all of the participants in this year’s Innovation Arena, and wish them a fruitful experience over the coming days."
Congratulating all the finalists and exhibitors in this year’s Innovation Arena, Anna May McHugh, Managing Director, NPA, said: "The Innovation Arena continues to be a popular attraction on site every year, with visitors, buyers and members of the public all keen to learn and see the cutting-edge solutions for Irish agritech companies".
"The NPA is delighted to host the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena again at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, and I want to congratulate all of today’s winners and wish them all the best for the future on this great achievement."
The finalists who will pitch for the ‘Start-Up Innovator of the Year Award’ this afternoon are BovinePlus by Reap Interactive, Cotter Agritech, and RT Sales Ltd.
Grassland Agro, EASYFIX, and Brandon Bioscience are the three finalists for the ‘Green Impact Award’, while Dairymaster, Samco Agricultural Manufacturing Ltd and Mastek are the three companies shortlisted for the ‘Innovation Arena Champion Award’.
In addition to the three awards, a number of companies who entered this year’s competition will also be presented with a ‘Certificate of Achievement for Innovation’, having received a minimum qualifying score.
The winners will be announced by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke at an awards ceremony this afternoon following the live pitching event.
