The Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships has become Ireland’s premier agri-technology showcase event for farm inventors, new start-up businesses and existing household names for launching new products.

In fact, the Ploughing would not be complete without a visit to the Innovation Arena to see the future of Irish agri technology on display, with everything from new machinery to software solutions that save time or aid compliance. Applications this year include several overseas companies with products new to the Irish market.

Supported by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Farmers Journal and the National Ploughing Association, the competition to get a place was intense, with applications received from almost 200 entrants, according to James Maloney of Enterprise Ireland.

Now in its seventh year, it boasts the biggest marquee at the Ploughing as all the ideas have been brought under one large roof.

It certainly needs it, with Keenan driving in its new self-propelled feeder wagon and many other machines filling the centre aisle.

Innovations

More than 60 businesses will show off innovations that vary from solar-powered pumps to devices to keep children safe.

The total prize fund this year is in excess of €70,000, including a top prize worth over €15,000 to the most innovative start-up.

Since the early entrants were selected in April 2015, finalists have been undertaking a series of Enterprise Ireland workshops on business planning, sales and marketing, and pitching to investors among other areas as well as a boot camp to get them Ploughing-fit.

For the business, it provides a great chance to get its product in front of up to 300,000 people. Enterprise Ireland is doubling the number of export buyers it is bringing in to 100. This shows the growing reputation internationally of the Innovation Arena.

This year, the Innovation Arena welcomes Design Partners as a sponsor. They provide design thinking workshops to all Innovation Arena entrants along with a prize of a week-long specialist design workshop worth €7,500 for one Innovation Arena finalist.

Network

At this year’s Innovation Arena, new start-ups will have the opportunity to network with the recently launched American agri-tech accelerator The Yield Lab and Finistere Ventures. The Yield Lab invests up to €100,000 in start-up companies to scale them globally. Finistere ventures was recently picked by Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to manage its €40m investment in the sector.

A pitch competition takes place in the Innovation Arena from 10.30 on Tuesday 19 September where seven companies will pitch their business ideas with the hope of winning €1,000 in prize money for the best pitch.

This year will see prizes distributed for the best pitch, Young Innovator of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award. Voting can be done online or through the Ploughing App for the People’s Choice Award.