One of the major challenges facing Ireland’s rapidly expanding agri-tech sector is attracting and retaining staff, an event in Co. Kerry has heard.
Industry leaders, educators, researchers and students gathered for the event hosted by Ireland’s AgriTech cluster to discuss the evolving skills need in the sector.
The cluster, funded by Enterprise Ireland and based in Munster Technological University (MTU) Kerry, has been established to ensure ongoing growth in the agri-tech industry.
A major focus of this week’s gathering at the MTU North Campus in Tralee was the benefit of collaboration in addressing the needs of the sector.
It also provided an opportunity for MTU students and agri-tech companies to connect through a networking session.
Agri-tech
In recent years, the agri-tech sector, which employs around 3,000 people across the country, has experience double digit growth in sales.
As the global population is expected to reach over 9 billion by 2050, president of MTU Maggie Cusack told the event that “there is a real need, a growing need to produce more food from limited resources”.
She pointed to the need for the adoption of new technological advances in agriculture “so we can all benefit from more precise and more efficient and more sustainable farming”.
“Our AgriTech cluster has a really clear vision to make Ireland a go-to location for agricultural technology solutions,” Cusack added.
A panel discussion was also held as part of the event including representatives from industry, education and research.
Among the speakers was Deirdre O’Donovan, managing director of O’Donovan Engineering, a family-based business located in Coachford in Co. Cork specialising in the design and manufacture of livestock handling and housing.
The company, which was established 46 years ago, currently employs 60 people on site.
O’Donovan said that a big challenge for the company is finding and retaining the staff in a rural area.
She spoke about the benefit of MTU students joining the company on work experience and bringing “a fresh perspective”, while existing staff can avail of upskilling and training through the university.
O’Donovan Engineering has worked with researchers from the AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE) and the IMaR Research Centre, both based at MTU, to develop a new product, which is now at prototype stage.
“We wouldn’t have got to that point without working with the university because these things can go on the long finger as the day-to-day [business] takes over.
“That’s why I’d say to any company to come in and have a look at what’s on the table,” she said.
MTU
Seamus Murphy, head of Department of Technology, Engineering and Maths at MTU, said that industry designed and industry-led programmes have been developed at the university.
“It’s a two-way street, industry tell us what they need and hopefully we can respond well to their need, produce a course and subsequently graduates that will help industry,” he said.
Murphy said that courses at MTU are regularly reviewed to ensure they are “maintaining currency” with the needs of industry, including in robotics and 3D printing.
Gerard Corkery, head of the Department of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences at MTU, added that the university’s agricultural science programmes have evolved to meet the sustainability and environmental demands on farmers.
The event heard that MTU has agricultural courses funded through the government’s Springboard programme enabling graduates and those working in industry to upskill while remaining in employment.
Representatives from ACE and the IMaR Research Centre explained how they work to solve “complex problems” for industry partners, while also offering the latest in training for staff.
Mike Casey, training and business development manager at ACE, said that they are working to simplify training for staff in small and medium-sized companies in the areas of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.