Final applications are now being accepted by Enterprise Ireland for this year’s Innovation Arena Awards, which will return to the 2024 National Ploughing Championships.

The Innovation Arena, which is hosted in partnership with the National Ploughing Association (NPA), is an annual exhibition platform showcasing cutting-edge solutions from Irish agri tech companies and innovators to thousands of visitors at one of Europe’s largest outdoor events.

This year’s Innovation Arena will focus on ‘Innovations for future generations’, showcasing solutions that will help improve efficiencies in animal science and technology, agri engineering, digital technologies, animal health and nutrition, sustainability and climate action, and farm health and safety.

Applications

Applications for the 2024 Innovation Arena Awards close on Friday 7 June at 5pm.

Entries are being invited from Irish-owned companies, research and academia, who have pioneering innovations with the potential to deliver solutions for the agriculture sector that could help to optimise and futureproof the industry.

Those who are successful in their submission will automatically be offered an exhibition spot within the Innovation Arena.

Awards

The awards will be held on the first day of the championships. There will be three award categories, including a new competition whereby three finalists will be asked to pitch their innovation to a panel of judges in front of a live audience. The winner will be named ‘Start-up innovator of the year’ and will receive a €10,000 prize.

The ‘Innovation Arena champion 2024’ prize will be for established companies with a focus on scaling and innovation, while the new ‘Green impact award 2024’ will honour a company whose innovation is focused on sustaining the development of food and farming for future generations to come.

The winners of this year’s competition will be announced at a ceremony at Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena at the 2024 National Ploughing Championships, which returns to Ratheniska, Co Laois, from 17 to 19 September.

Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy said: “Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting Irish businesses to grow and scale, and to become global leaders in their field, and this includes pioneering Irish agri tech businesses that are having an impact around the world.

“Irish agri tech innovators are shaping the future and new ideas and cutting-edge products have never been in greater demand to deliver solutions to global challenges, with a particular focus on sustainability as we strive to work together to protect our planet and futureproof this sector.”

Anna May McHugh of the NPA said: “The Innovation Arena proves to be a massive draw at the National Ploughing Championships every year, as it puts a spotlight on the Irish change makers who are making an impact around the world."

Applications for this year’s Innovation Arena Awards can be made by clicking here.