The proceedings in the Innovation Arena reached a conclusion today with numerous awards being presented in various categories.

Monte Loader

The people’s choice award went to a Sligo IT-based project by the name of “Monte loader.” The IT Sligo Mechanical Engineering students built the Monte Loader product which gained 25 per cent of the overall People’s Choice vote on the Irish Farmers Journal website and app.

The loader can lift to a height of over 3m and is designed to safely lift a weight of 1t.

It is compact in size, allowing it to tuck neatly behind a tractor and it is possible to tow a trailer while having the loader attached.

Machine-Eye

The other main award presented today included the One to Watch prize, which was awarded on the basis of presentations from each shortlisted company.

The top five innovators were Machine Eye, Extractics, Applied Concepts, Dairy Geyser and Prolego Scientific.

Machine Eye, a safety device for stopping power take-off injuries, won the award.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Machine Eye co-founder Brendan Digney said: “This is the push our business needs. The award will allow us to move forward. We have the technology; we just needed the backing and hopefully this will provide that.”

Speaking to Irish Farmers Journal deputy editor Eoin Lowry at the Innovation Arena, Edmond Harty, CEO of Dairymaster, commented on the need for continued innovation in the dairy industry and across the agricultural sector.

“If you think about what the word innovation means, it all revolves around being able to do things better and all businesses, not just dairy farms, can see the benefits of innovation”.

You can view the full interviews with “Monteloader” and CEO of Dairymaster Edmond Harty below.