Looking back on the Innovation Arena awards

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton announced the winners of the Enterprise Ireland/Irish Farmers Journal Innovation Awards at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois. The awards recognise and reward outstanding innovation at all levels in the agricultural sector.

This year’s competition attracted 170 entries – over double the number submitted last year. Of these, 55 were shortlisted as 2015 finalists and invited to exhibit in the Innovation Arena.

Speaking from inside the arena, Minister Bruton said: “The agri-food sector is of huge importance to the Irish economy and a key part of the Government’s action plan for jobs. In the last four years we have seen major jobs growth across the sector. To sustain and build on this growth we have put in place a range of measures to support more people to start and expand businesses in this area. The range and quality of innovations on display here in the Innovation Arena is hugely encouraging. The calibre of the award winners is extremely high and bodes well for the future of the agri sector in Ireland. I warmly congratulate the winners of these awards, and indeed all the companies exhibiting in the Innovation Arena, and wish them success for the future.”

The 2015 NPA Innovation Arena prize fund totalled over €65,000. The overall award winner received a prize worth €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Farmers Journal, which includes advertising and PR support, mentoring and a cash prize of €5,000. All finalists received €500 worth of www.toplink.ie advertising vouchers to promote their innovation through the Irish Farmers Journal.

This year the arena received a makeover, with a separate area to host the Best Pitch Awards. The candidates faced three judges - Abbey Farm Machinery managing director Clodagh Cavanagh, Enterprise Ireland divisional manager Tom Hayes and Irish Farmers Journal editor and CEO Justin McCarthy. Out of the 55 shortlisted entries for the Innovation Arena, 30 entered the pitch competition. The 30 applicants, through a series of interviews and pitches, were shortlisted to eight. The final eight then got trained and put through their paces by Gavin Duffy to meet the judges. The prize for this competition was €1,000. The judges returned a unanimous decision to select Reproinfo as the winners.

Young innovator

The winner of the Young Innovator Bursary to visit Agritechnica in Hannover, Germany, in November 2015 was announced on Thursday by EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan. Ian Bolger from Carlow claimed the prize with his development of the Safe Attach device for loaders. Ian will have to complete a report and present the findings to the Irish Farmers Journal machinery editor James Maloney machinery editor, Denis Duggan from Enterprise Ireland and NPA representative Alfie Cox.

This year was certainly good for a lot of the companies in the arena, according to Denis, with one exhibitor reporting sales of €350,000 and with two other companies delighted with their sales of €50,000 and €70,000. Denis also had good feedback from some of the smaller innovators, with sales and enquiries leaving them in a positive mindset.

Justin McCarthy said: “The Irish Farmers Journal is thrilled with the response to this year’s competition and there is no doubt the innovation awards will benefit all the entries, not just the winners. The Irish Farmers Journal is delighted to support our own native talent, and help them realise their full potential.”

National Ploughing Championships managing director Anna May McHugh said: “The NPA are delighted to join forces again with Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Farmers Journal for this year’s Innovation Arena. This is an excellent initiative as it provides entrepreneurs and innovators with an excellent opportunity to showcase their businesses to the huge crowds that attend the National Ploughing Championships every year.”

Denis Duggan said: “Each year the Innovation Arena is going from strength to strength. This year we had 170 entrants for the awards, and over 50 finalists. This is a clear indication of the level of innovation across the agri sector. Enterprise Ireland looks forward to working with the award winners as they grow and develop their businesses.”

This year’s Ploughing was also a first for Enterprise Ireland CEO Julie Sinnamon, just off the plane from China where she was on a trade mission. Julie said Irish agricultural companies are excelling across the world at the moment.

The competition will run again next year, and the advice for anyone with a good idea for a new product is join the race to be a winner in the Innovation Arena.

The winners

The overall winner of the Innovation Arena Awards is Dairymaster’s Swiftflo Commander.

The category Award winners are:

Watch Cross Engineering's Elephant beet washer in action at the company's beet demo day on 4 October below.