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University College Dublin and Teagasc have launched the third edition of their Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme, FAST-IP, a 12-month accelerator designed to create commercially viable agritech start-ups.
The programme received almost 300 expressions of interest, with 12 mid-career professionals selected to take part.
Delivered by the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering and NovaUCD in partnership with Teagasc, the programme is based at the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at UCD Lyons Farm in Co Kildare.
It runs under Enterprise Ireland’s Innovators’ Initiative Programme and is also supported by the Southern Regional Assembly.
FAST-IP uses a needs-led innovation model. Participants will spend 8-10 weeks immersed in farms, food processing companies and Teagasc research centres to identify unmet needs in the agriculture and food sectors, before developing market-validated solutions.
The programme is already showing results. Three teams from the first cohort – Agriwave, BiCO and Mehal – have secured a combined €1.9 million in commercialisation funding from Enterprise Ireland to build their ventures over the next two years. A total of 21 participants have completed the first two programmes.
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Emma Callinan, Director of Spin-outs and Research Commercialisation at Enterprise Ireland, said: “Developing globally ambitious, innovation-driven companies from Ireland’s research and knowledge base is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland. FAST-IP exemplifies the type of needs-led entrepreneurship that is central to this ambition.”
Academic Director Professor Nick Holden of UCD’s School of Biosystems and Food Engineering said the strong demand for the programme reflects continued interest in food and agriculture entrepreneurship.
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Head of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation at Teagasc, said the initiative is building a pipeline of innovators capable of creating solutions that will shape the future of Ireland’s agrifood sector. The programme is aligned with Ireland’s Food Vision 2030 strategy for a sustainable, climate-smart food system.
Read Also: Why Africa’s Food Processing Sector Needs More Innovation
FAST-IP is accredited by UCD at Level 9 on the National Qualifications Framework, with graduates receiving a Graduate Diploma in Agrifood Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Applications for the fourth programme for 2027/28 are set to open in early 2027.
