Nine Irish agritech companies named as finalists in Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena competition at the National Ploughing Championships 2024

• Three awards, with €10,000 prize for ‘Start-Up Innovator of the Year’

• 80 international buyers from 20 global markets will meet with companies at Innovation Arena

• Agritech sector employs 4,700 in Ireland, with almost €1bn in exports 

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 is an annual must-see exhibition platform, hosted in partnership with the National Ploughing Association (NPA), giving 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 €1.6bn in 2023, with exports accounting for €1bn.  

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 our 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.

Speaking ahead of today’s competition, Peter Burke TD, 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.”

Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, said: “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. 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 BovinePlusby 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.

A full list of all the companies participating in this year’s Innovation Arena can be found here. The Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena, hosting 50 agritech exhibitors, is located at Block 3, Row 23, Stand 557 at the National Ploughing Championships.

ENDS

Notes to editor

Images of the winners will be issued to picture desks this afternoon by Coalesce Photography.

For further information, contact;

Emma Jane Hade and Nicola Corboy, Corporate Communications, Enterprise Ireland

press@enterprise-ireland.com / 087 775 81

Overview of today’s finalists:

Finalists for Start-Up Innovator of the Year Award

BovinePlus by Reap Interactive 

Reap Interactive has developed BovinePlus, which aims to revolutionise farming by tracking each animal individually, eliminating reliance on herd averages. This cutting-edge technology utilises AI and image analysis to provide real-time data on weight, health, and water intake, optimising profitability by pinpointing issues such as underperforming animals and enhancing feed efficiency. Early health issue detection and verified data trails boost both animal welfare and operational transparency. BovinePlus can offer farmers unparalleled insights, boosting profitability and efficiencies, and supporting sustainable livestock management.

Cotter Agritech 

Cotter Agritech was founded by brothers Jack and Nick Cotter in 2019. Based in Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, the company’s portfolio includes the multi-award-winning Cotter Crate Sheep and Lamb Handler. They also develop software to optimise parasite control in livestock, which is one of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural industry. Their latest innovation is Automed, an automatic dosing gun which integrates with the company’s existing SmartWorm automatic parasite detection software to deliver precision medication administration for livestock. Together, these products deliver >70% reduction in medicine usage vs. traditional methods.

RT Sales Ltd 

RT Sales Ltd is a family-owned business with over 20 years of experience in hedge cutting contracting, and has now moved to design and manufacture their own hedge cutters, the RT ProArm range, which features their patented mounting system. This mounting system optimises safety by stabilising rear mounted grass mowers, and eliminating the need for axle brackets on a tractor, saving time switching tractors. 

Finalists for the Innovation Arena Champion Award 

Dairymaster 

Dairymaster is an international leader in dairy equipment manufacturing and has a wide innovative product range of milking parlour systems, equipment and management software for milk cooling, feeding, and slurry handling, as well as health and fertility monitoring all backed up by modern farm management software.  Dairymaster has introduced DairyVue 360 for a Herringbone parlour, a digital farm management platform which aims to make dairy farming more profitable, enjoyable and sustainable. This system analyses all aspects of herd performance in the milking parlour, giving the farmer real insights for decision support on farm.

Samco Agricultural Manufacturing Ltd 

Samco is a solution-based company focused on the machinery, technology and mulch film sectors. The company is now focused on utilising their experience for early potatoes in Italy, and has developed a new application system and mulch film designed around establishing earlier planting and growth of the crop. The potato plant establishes an earlier growth pattern due to the microclimate generated by the film covering the surface above the plant, and this will ultimately enable earlier harvesting and entry to the market where growers will have a greater price premium.

Mastek 

Mastek is a leading manufacturer of high-quality low emission slurry equipment and applicators (dribble bars, trailing shoes and umbilical systems). Its latest innovation is the unique Flexi Shoe applicator- a sustainably focused solution which aims to provide lower emission slurry application, especially in unlevel lands. The machine delivers the slurry in a band just underneath the grass surface, which reduces the loss of ammonia into the atmosphere. This innovation also addresses the concerns of farmers who have been struggling with the limitations of traditional trailing shoe applicators. This new equipment offers a lightweight, low-emission solution.

Finalists for the Green Impact Award

EASYFIX 

EASYFIX is a family-owned business which designs, develops and markets a wide range of products for the agricultural, equine and safety industries.  All products are designed and developed in-house with a key focus on animal comfort, welfare and performance, and includes cubicle mattresses, and matting for use in parlours, feed lanes, walkways. The company is now focused on reducing ammonia and methane emissions in slurry storage systems, using unique technology that stimulates bacterial growth which reduces ammonia and methane emissions in storage. Their new technology system works by delivering a low electrical current that stimulates the growth of bacteria in storage which reduces emissions. 

Brandon Bioscience 

Brandon Bioscience is a marine biotech company based in Co. Kerry.   With operations in Ireland and Scotland, they produce biostimulants using extracts from marine based biomolecules that has the potential to reduce chemical nitrogen input on farms by up to 20%. Founded in 1998, they are pioneers in the research of marine based biomolecules and their application as crop based biostimulants. Their latest innovation focuses on reducing pod shatter in Oilseed Rape (OSR), by using SEALCIT.  This product helps with the elasticity of the pod containing the seeds, especially in the period before harvest.

Grassland Agro 

Grassland Agro specialises in soil, plant and animal nutrition. The company’s innovation is a urease inhibitor which protects against nitrogen loss through the volatilisation stage of the nitrogen cycle. Previously, it was not possible to combine this inhibitor with Phosphorus (P) based fertilisers due to degradation of as a result of the acidity of P fertilisers. The Glaze Extend Blend overcomes this challenge by buffering the inhibitor against the acidic effects of the P fertiliser.