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The winners of awards such as the Young Innovator of the Year will display their businesses at the Innovation Arena at this year’s National Ploughing Championships.
Enterprise Ireland has made a final call to invite agri-innovators and businesses to apply to be part of its annual Innovation Arena in Ratheniska, Co Laois from 20 to 22 September.
The closing date for applications for the competition, which is held in partnership with the National Ploughing Association (NPA), is next Wednesday, 1 June 2022.
The Innovation Arena competition is an annual competition that invites businesses and innovators in the agritech sector to enter their pioneering agri-related products and services for consideration. For the last two years, the awards have been held virtually.
There are a number of prizes across several categories, and those who are short-listed will be invited to showcase their products and innovative agritech solutions under the Enterprise Ireland stand at the Ploughing, alongside the winners from the virtual competitions in 2020 and 2021.
To enter this year’s Innovation Arena awards, readers can click here.
2021 winner
Last year’s competition attracted more than 50 entries, and the overall winner was Brandon Bioscience, from Kerry, who developed a new seaweed-based bio stimulant, which is used in a new Terra range of granular nitrogen fertilisers that improve sustainable farming. Brandon Bioscience will display its product at the Ploughing this September.
The award categories for the 2022 competition include the ‘Innovator of the Year Award’ for established companies and separately, start-up companies, the Sustainable Agriculture Award, Agri-Safety Award and Young Innovator of the Year.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said: “The Innovation Arena competition brings together some of the brightest minds in Ireland’s agricultural sector every year. I encourage all agri-innovators to enter and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.”
Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy said the “Innovation Arena competition showcases the leadership Ireland provides on creating solutions to global challenges and opportunities based on our deep heritage and entrepreneurial culture” while NPA managing director Anna May McHugh said the competition is a “wonderful opportunity for anyone who has a good business idea, product or service”.
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