The 12th annual Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards, held at the National Ploughing Championships, concluded today with Cork-based company ScanInsights being named ‘Start-Up Innovator of the Year.’ The company, which utilizes AI to provide real-time information on bovine scanning, received a significant boost with a €10,000 prize at the ceremony.
The awards, focused this year on the theme ‘Accelerate Sustainable Irish Agri Business,’ highlighted cutting-edge solutions designed to make farming more efficient, safer, and sustainable.
Joining ScanInsights in the winner’s circle was GlasPort Bio, which secured the prestigious ‘Green Impact Award’ for its innovation focused on sustaining future food and farming development. The ‘2025 Innovation Arena Champion Award’ for established companies demonstrating a focus on scaling and innovation was presented to Herdwatch.
A Focus on Innovation and Global Outreach
The highly competitive final saw nine companies participate, with live pitches delivered in three distinct categories. The innovative solutions showcased ranged from AI-driven decision-making tools and solar-powered feeding systems to low-emission manure management technologies.
The judging panel recognized the significant potential of all finalists. In the ‘Start-Up of the Year’ category, ScanInsights prevailed over fellow finalists SM Advanced Technologies and VetPal. GlasPort Bio competed successfully against Hibra Design and Slurry Quip for the Green Impact Award, while Herdwatch was selected over Cormac Tagging and Pearson Milking Technology for the Champion Award.
Throughout the exhibition, a strong emphasis was placed on the convergence of AI and sustainability, reflecting current trends in the agritech sector. These technologies are poised to help farmers optimize operations, reduce costs, and make more informed decisions.
Showcasing Ireland's Agritech Leadership
Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena serves as one of the most visited exhibitions at the championships, providing a platform for 40 Irish agritech companies, researchers, and academia to showcase their trailblazing products.
The event’s global reach was underscored by the presence of a delegation of 25 international buyers from Europe, the Nordics, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and North America. These buyers traveled to Screggan to meet the innovators, demonstrating the strong demand for Irish-owned agritech solutions.
Irish agritech companies, supported by Enterprise Ireland, are vital economic pillars, with exports reaching €875 million in 2024 and employing nearly 5,000 people across the country. The Innovation Arena continues to foster the development of these innovators, accelerating their business in both domestic and global markets.
Speaking at the Innovation Arena final, Jenny Melia, CEO, Enterprise Ireland said: “Irish agri innovators are renowned for their quality, excellence and knowledge- agriculture and tech are in our DNA. The companies participating in this year’s competition are the epitome of that, reshaping the future of agriculture internationally, delivering cutting-edge solutions with the power and ability to sustain and futureproof this sector for generations to come. Their ambition and drive are not only transforming this sector globally, but the agritech businesses we are celebrating this week are also deeply rooted in sustaining rural communities and economies by creating high-quality jobs and important local expenditure.
“Enterprise Ireland’s ambition is that exporting focused companies will become the primary driver of the Irish economy, and these innovation focused agritech companies are at the heart of that strategy as they embrace new technologies and deliver novel innovations for global challenges.”
Congratulating all the finalists and exhibitors in this year’s Innovation Arena, Anna May McHugh, Managing Director, NPA: “Year after year, the Innovation Arena shines a light on the creativity and ingenuity within Irish agritech. It is inspiring to see so many companies bringing forward solutions that will shape the future of farming, not just here in Ireland but across the world. The National Ploughing Association is proud to provide a stage for these innovators, and I warmly congratulate every finalist and exhibitor on their achievements and their contribution to sustaining rural communities and the wider agri sector.”
A full list of all the companies participating in this year’s Innovation Arena can be found here.
