Thousands of graduate and postgraduate students will now be able to access cutting-edge research and technology at a new state-of-the-art AgTech facility in Co. Kildare, according to the Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney.
Minster Simon Coveney was speaking today (Wednesday, October 25) as he officially opened the new University College Dublin (UCD) Bimeda Herd Health Hub and AgTechUCD Innovation Centre on the site of UCD Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare.
The fully functioning farm is made up of 250ha with dairy, beef, sheep, equine, crop and environmental research, teaching and commercial facilities.
AgTech Innovation centre
The new €4.8 million centre is a state-of-the-art facility, which incorporates the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre and the UCD Bimeda Herd Health Hub, and also includes flexible lab spaces, meeting rooms, offices and an exhibition space.
It aims to promote and accelerate early-stage start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises, (SMEs) with “disruptive innovations” in the agri, agtech, agrifood and veterinary sectors.
Funding for the facility was provided by Enterprise Ireland, through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, UCD and a philanthropic donation from Bimeda.
Bimeda is a global manufacturer and distributor of veterinary pharmaceuticals and animal health products.
The UCD Bimeda Herd Health Hub will provide a national facility for dairy herd health education, research and consultancy.
Speaking at UCD Lyons Farm today Minster Coveney said there is a lot of talk about technology and innovation in Ireland at the moment, which often centres around the digital economy, medical devices, pharma and bio-pharma.
He added: “All of those sectors are interesting and fascinating and growing at a pace we should celebrate.
“But in many ways, the food sector and technology around the food sector is equally if not more exciting, because it reaches into every parish in the country.”
Minster Coveney also highlighted that the AgTech Innovation centre is about promoting and accelerating early-stage start-ups and SMEs who want to “disrupt things, who want to change the way we do thing and ask the hard questions”.
“That is what entrepreneurship and innovation is all about, whether that is agtech, agri food or equine and veterinary sectors.
“We want young, ambitious, bright people to choose careers in this area,” he added.