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The AgTech Symposium will take place on Wednesday, 5 July, at The Horse and Jockey Hotel in Tipperary.
AgTech is developing at pace across the country and the agencies involved are anxious to bring increased focus to this area in the South and East, that will lead to opportunities, innovation, connections, strategic alliances and targeted supports. The conference is be organised by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) of the South East Region and funded under the Action Plan for Jobs. It is in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, Teagasc, Department of Agriculture, the Institutes of Technology, the Irish Farmers Journal, Agriforvalor, TSSG and industry.
It will offer insight into the future for AgTech in Ireland by investigating opportunities to grow AgTech, how we can grow and develop ready-built technologies to be used in an agricultural capacity and what is the real impact of AgTech on the farm with insights from progressive farmers and companies who are using technology on the farm every day.
It’s open to farmers, engineers, AgTech companies, investors, entrepreneurs and students with an interest in emerging technologies for agriculture.
Tickets are priced at €50 and include morning conference, light refreshments and lunch. Afternoon workshops are optional and free for conference participants to attend, however pre-booking is essential.
You can register by following this link: www.agtech2017.eventbrite.ie
9.00am – 9.30am: Registration.
9.30am: Opening remarks – Barry O’Sullivan, chair of Mid-West Action Plan for Jobs.
9.40am – 10.00am: Future developments of AgTech in Ireland.
Identify and develop the opportunities and strengths of the agricultural technology sector in the region and nationally.
Chair: Peter Young, Irish Farmers Journal. Speakers: Professor Frank O’Mara, director of research, Teagasc; Prof Willie Donnelly, president of WIT and founder of TSSG; Patrick Barrett agricultural inspector at Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.
10.00am - 10.45 am: How can the transfer of ready-built technologies impact on the sector?
Ready built technologies are becoming key to developing the AgTech sector at pace.
Chair: Brian Foley, EU quality manager, TSSG. Speakers: Ethan Cleary, head of IT strategy, IFA; Frances Cleary, tech lead TSSG; Graham Lowe, Development adviser, Enterprise Ireland.
10.45am – 11.15am: BREAK.
11.15am – 12.00pm: Opportunities for AgTech – An innovation fund or accelerator?
What does it mean to get early stage funding intervention for your start-up and what would it mean to you if there was an AgTech innovation fund set up in the region to invest in early-stage food and agricultural technology companies?
Chair – Peter Young, Irish Farmers Journal. Speakers: Barry Downes, managing partner, Suir Valley Ventures; Fabien Peyaud, CEO and founder, Herdwatch; Andrew Wood, chair of ApisProtect. Robert Walker, CEO, Keenans Systems.
12.00pm – 1.00pm: The real impact of AgTech on the Farm – hear it directly from the farmers.
When we apply tech solutions to our farms, what does this really mean on the ground for the farmer?
Chair – Peter Young, Irish Farmers Journal. Speakers: Dermot Forristal, researcher crops and mechanisation (Teagasc); Niall Austin, cattle farmer, director and founder of MooCall; Kevin Nolan, tillage farmer, Nolan Farming; Brian Reidy.
Note: it is important to learn how they adapted the tech, what type of tech they want to see coming down the line, and if they feel tech makes them more competitive.
1.00pm – 2.00pm: LUNCH.
2.00pm – 3.00pm: Research and Application – Workshops
Workshop 1: Bio – Economy.
Workshop 2: Automation.
Workshop 3: Sensors.
Workshop 4: GM Engineering.
3.00pm – 4.00pm: Networking opportunities.
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