Colette and Alan Martin Slurrysafe, Safety Award Winners
The National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co. Laois proved another great success this year. There was a lot happening and the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena was a busy place too. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD launched the new Enterprise Ireland €250,000 Competitive Feasibility Fund aimed at stimulating new start-ups in the agri-business sector.
Minister Bruton also announced the Enterprise Ireland Toplink.ie Innovation Arena winners. The awards recognise excellence in agri-innovation and the winners were selected from a very strong entry of 80 innovative Irish companies, of whom 30 were shortlisted in July 2014 as 2014 Finalists.
The Overall Winner of the Innovation Arena Award was The Falcon Forwarder, the only Irish build forestry forwarder, built by Marcia Franklin, Oldcastle Co. Meath.
The category Award winners were:
Slurrysafe – Safety Award Winner
Dairymaster – Animal Health Award winner in Established company category
BovAlert (DIT Hothouse) – Animal Health Award winner in Startup company category
Falcon Forwarder – Agri-Engineering Award winner in Startup company category
Denis Doyle Engineering – Agri-Engineering Award winner in Establishing company category
Herdwatch – Software Award winner in Established Company Category
Farmflo – Software Award winner in Startup category
Emarts Daily promoted by Marie Costello was named Young Innovator at the Awards Ceremony
Commenting on the awards Minister Bruton at the National Ploughing Championships congratulated all the winners and recognised the level of innovation in the agricultural sector: “The agri-food sector is a key part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and in the three years since we launched our plan we have seen major jobs growth in this area. The aim now is to sustain and build on this growth, by encouraging and supporting more people to start and expand businesses in this area.
“The quality of the agri-businesses on show at the Ploughing Championships today, and in particular the quality of the innovative Irish companies involved in these awards, provide great confidence for the future of agri-food in Ireland. I congratulate all involved, and look forward to working with them as they grow from strength to strength in the future”.
Denis Duggan, Regional Executive with Enterprise Ireland said: “We are delighted to be associated with these awards and our first involvement in the Innovation Arena at the Ploughing Championships has been a great success. Enterprise Ireland looks forward to working with all the winners in developing their international business.”
Alf Cox and Robert Davis of Davis Engineering, Agri-Engineering Award winners
