NovaUCD Awarded €3 million for Collaborative Project to Develop an AgTech Connector Innovation Hub in Kildare
Summary
This project will be led by NovaUCD, in collaboration with AIB, Kildare County Council, and Kildare LEO; agri-companies including, Devenish, Dairymaster, and Glanbia; investors Finistere, The Yield Lab, and Atlantic Bridge, and leading AgTech researchers and innovators at UCD, Teagasc and Wageningen, Netherlands. The new hub will also act as an international showcase destination for business and investors to view the best of innovation in AgTech in Ireland.” Professor Alex Evans, Head, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science said, “This is a very exciting development for UCD Lyons Farm and the many agriculture and food entrepreneurs that we engage with. It builds on UCD’s success in translating knowledge into impact and will greatly stimulate our agriculture, food and environmental science research and education activities.” In total over €40 million in funding was announced by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, in the latest results of the REDF, an open national competitive call to support regional projects that drive sustainable job creation in the regions. I am confident that they have the potential to make a real and lasting impact on enterprise development at both the regional and national level. The Fund is making a real difference on the ground, so I look forward to seeing these 26 exciting projects translate into jobs and prosperity.” The successful projects were selected through a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process managed by Enterprise Ireland, based on criteria which included: impacts and value for money; collaboration and participation; viability and sustainability; building regional strengths; and significance for innovation.
