University College Dublin (UCD) has announced that 15 participants have been selected, following a competitive recruitment process from circa 200 applications, for a new specialist food and agriculture entrepreneurship programme being delivered by the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering in partnership with Teagasc.
The announcement was made in Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena at the 2024 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois, and was attended by enterprise minister Peter Burke.
‘Creating startups with the capability to scale and sell internationally’
Minister Burke said: “The ambition of FAST-IP is to drive innovation in Ireland’s food and agricultural sector by supporting needs-led innovation, creating startups with the capability to scale and sell internationally, and generating new jobs for the sector in Ireland.”
L-R: Prof Frank O’Mara, Teagasc director; Marina Donohoe, head of research and innovation at Enterprise Ireland; enterprise minister Peter Burke; and Prof Kate Robson Brown, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact. Photo: Orla Murray/Coalesce.
FAST-IP will further enhance innovation in the food and agri sector by providing programme participants with the necessary skills to evaluate, select and validate ideas for new products and services in this sector and to accelerate the commercialisation pathway for the identified products and services.
FAST-IP is currently under way at the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at UCD Lyons Farm in Co Kildare and will be delivered annually until the end of 2029.
FAST-IP is accredited by UCD at Level 9 on the National Qualifications Framework and participants who complete the programme will be awarded a Graduate Diploma in Agrifood Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
L-R: Prof Frank O’Mara, Teagasc director; Fiona Delaney, FAST-IP participant; Marina Donohoe, head of research and innovation at Enterprise Ireland; enterprise minister Peter Burke; Natasha Page-Wood, FAST-IP participant; Brian Russell, FAST-IP participant, and Prof Kate Robson Brown, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact. Photo: Orla Murray/Coalesce.
Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact, said: “We were delighted to receive nearly 200 applications for FAST-IP’s inaugural programme which is a strong indication of the demand for this exciting Innovators’ Initiative programme from across Ireland and indeed internationally.
Rigorous interview process
“I would especially like to congratulate the 15 participants who have been selected for the first programme following a rigorous interview process and I wish them every success over the coming year.
“During the next year the participants will work together to discover real world needs in the food and agricultural sector through their immersive experiences in industry environments and bring innovative solutions to address the identified needs in a commercially viable manner with the aim of creating startups and generating new jobs.”
Participant Natasha Page-Wood, Leixlip, Co Kildare, said, “Growing up in Africa in a wildlife conservation home instilled in me a deep love and increasing concern for the loss of our natural habitats. This influenced my interest in the first place in applying for the FAST-IP entrepreneurship programme with its structured and collaborative approach.
“I am delighted to have secured one of the 15 places, and I am looking forward to the year ahead as an exciting opportunity to focus on improving food systems for both people and the planet.”
FAST-IP uses design-thinking methodologies and has a practical focus. Through the programme participants will learn how to conduct needs-led innovation to develop market validated solutions to unmet needs in the areas of agricultural technology and food sustainability sectors.
Participants will also spend eight to 10 weeks immersed in agricultural environments including farms, food processing companies and Teagasc locations throughout the programme.
Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc director, said: “The world leading research, expertise and facilities from the UCD and Teagasc partnership and supporting industry networks, will demonstrate the breadth and depth of the agrifood sector to the participants. We look forward to seeing the emerging opportunities from the participants to deliver new solutions for the longer term sustainability of the agri-food sector.”
Marina Donohoe, head of research and innovation at Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland is delighted to be partnering with UCD and Teagasc on the FAST-IP programme and congratulates the 15 fellows as they begin their studies and innovation journey.
Fast-track problem solving and idea generation in agtech sector
“FAST-IP is designed to fast-track problem solving and idea generation in the agtech sector and Enterprise Ireland is excited about the potential to develop new start-ups and drive an innovation agenda in this critical sector for Ireland.”
During this year’s programme and the programmes to follow UCD and Teagasc, with strong reputations for academic and research excellence in the areas of sustainable food systems; aAgriculture; and food science, will be utilising their extensive networks, connections, domain expertise, entrepreneurial experience, and track-record for supporting, fostering and spinning out startup companies.
The AgTechUCD Innovation Centre, which is part of NovaUCD, is focused on promoting and accelerating early-stage start-ups and SMEs with disruptive innovations in the agri, agtech, agrifood, equine and veterinary sectors, as they build their innovative businesses into leading enterprises creating jobs.
FAST-IP is supported under the Innovators’ Initiative Programme co-funded by the government and the European Union through the Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027. #euinmyregion
