Irish companies with a focus on innovation and exports are fundamental to our economic recovery. With this in mind the RDS invited Gerard Keenan, executive chairman of Richard Keenan & Co Ltd, to provide his insights on how Irish SMEs can achieve long-term sustainable success.

Based in Co Carlow with roots in engineering, Keenan is an Irish family-owned agri-business that has developed world-leading feed technology for sustainable food production. Its first mixer wagon was launched at the RDS Spring Show in May 1983.

The company derives 90 per cent of its sales from exporting engineering, animal science and information technologies to Europe, Canada and now Asia. Keenan works with farmers across the world to improve farming efficiency and enterprise profitability.

In his keynote speech this evening, Gerard Keenan will discuss the challenges in developing a pioneering SME, how innovation is about much more than technology and why he sees fast-moving SMEs as a vital source of major innovation for large companies in the global food supply chain.

A graduate of University College Dublin, Keenan has also served on the board of ABT, the Irish Export Board, and contributed to industrial strategy reports and foresight studies for Irish and European agriculture.

AgriLand will be reporting live from the lecture.

global agriland

Gerard Keenan of Richard Keenan & Co Ltd