19 September 2024
15 participants selected for FAST-IP Programme
15 participants have been selected for a specialist entrepreneurship programme to drive innovation in Ireland’s food and agri sector.
University College Dublin (UCD) today, September 19, announced that participants have been selected for a new specialist food and agriculture entrepreneurship programme being delivered by the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering in partnership with Teagasc.
Pictured from left to right are: Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc Director; Fiona Delaney, FAST-IP participant; Marina Donohoe, Head of Research and Innovation at Enterprise Ireland; Peter Burke TD, Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Natasha Page-Wood, FAST-IP participant; Brian Russell, FAST-IP participant, and Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact. (Credit: Orla Murray/Coalesce).
The Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme (FAST-IP) will further enhance innovation in the food and agri sector by providing programme participants with the necessary skills to evaluate, select and validate ideas for new products and services in this sector and to accelerate the commercialisation pathway for the identified products and services.
The announcement was made in Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena at the 2024 National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois, and was attended by Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke T.D.
Speaking from the National Ploughing Championships, Minister Burke said: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 15 participants who have been selected to take part in the inaugural 12-month Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme or FAST-IP.
“The ambition of FAST-IP is to drive innovation in Ireland’s food and agricultural sector by supporting needs-led innovation, creating start-ups with the capability to scale and sell internationally, and generating new jobs for the sector in Ireland. I wish the participants every success in the year ahead.”
Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, said: “We were delighted to receive nearly 200 applications for FAST-IP’s inaugural programme which is a strong indication of the demand for this exciting Innovators’ Initiative programme from across Ireland and indeed internationally.
“I would especially like to congratulate the 15 participants who have been selected for the first programme following a rigorous interview process and I wish them every success over the coming year.
“During the next year, the participants will work together to discover real world needs in the food and agricultural sector through their immersive experiences in industry environments and bring innovative solutions to address the identified needs in a commercially viable manner with the aim of creating start-ups and generating new jobs.”
Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc Director, said: “The world leading research, expertise and facilities from the UCD and Teagasc partnership and supporting industry networks, will demonstrate the breadth and depth of the agri-food sector to the participants. We look forward to seeing the emerging opportunities from the participants to deliver new solutions for the longer term sustainability of the agri-food sector.”
Marina Donohoe, Head of Research and Innovation at Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland is delighted to be partnering with UCD and Teagasc on the FAST-IP programme and congratulates the 15 fellows as they begin their studies and innovation journey. FAST-IP is designed to fast-track problem solving and idea generation in the AgTech sector and Enterprise Ireland is excited about the potential to develop new start-ups and drive an innovation agenda in this critical sector for Ireland.”
FAST-IP is currently underway at the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at UCD Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare and will be delivered annually until the end of 2029. FAST-IP is accredited by UCD at Level 9 on the National Qualifications Framework and participants who complete the programme will be awarded a Graduate Diploma in Agrifood Innovation and Entrepreneurship
During this year’s programme and the programmes to follow UCD and Teagasc, with strong reputations for academic and research excellence in the areas of Sustainable Food Systems, Agriculture, and Food Science, will be utilising their extensive networks, connections, domain expertise, entrepreneurial experience, and track-record for supporting, fostering and spinning out start-up companies.