Welcome to the Spring 2026 edition of the AgTech Ireland Newsletter

These challenges make it all the more important that AgTech Ireland continues to engage proactively with MEPs, government Ministers, Departments and state agencies on your behalf to ensure our sector is properly understood, and to advocate so it can fulfil its potential to help improve productivity, sustainability and resilience in agriculture.

In recent months, we have engaged with EU policymakers, Enterprise Ireland at senior level, and Ministers Martin Heydon and
Peter Burke, reinforcing the role of innovation in securing the future of Ireland’s agri-food sector.

AI remains a key focus. With expert input from a Microsoft expert, James Cogley, we plan to develop from our initial April webinar into a series to help SMEs understand its practical value and assess whether it is right for them.

Following our AGM decision to expand the Board, we are pleased to welcome Nicola Cogan, Commercial Lead at Core Technologies, as a new Director. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise, and we’re delighted to have her join us.

We also have a strong programme of member-only events planned for 2026, with many opportunities to get involved.

Thank you for your continued support. I hope you enjoy this edition, and as always, we welcome your ideas and feedback.

With best regards,

Lloyd Pearson
Chairperson
AgTech Ireland

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Introducing our New Board Member
Nicola Cogan

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AgTech Ireland Delegation to Brussels

AgTech Ireland led a delegation of member companies to Brussels to engage with MEPs, farming representatives and EU officials on the future of agtech within evolving EU agricultural policy.

At the European Parliament, hosted by Barry Cowen, the group met Irish MEPs to discuss how policy can better support innovation across Irish and European agriculture during a period of significant change.

This was followed by discussions with COPA-COGECA and ICOS on farmer and co-operative priorities under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), alongside global trade considerations. A further session with European Commission DG Agri officials focused on CAP and sustainability.

Three key themes emerged: the need to improve access to innovation funding, maintaining the competitiveness of the agri-food sector in an uncertain global environment, and supporting scalable, practical solutions that can be implemented on farms to enhance sustainability.

The overall message was clear: innovation is essential to ensuring a competitive, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector. Policy, funding and regulation must work together to enable solutions to move from development to real-world deployment.
For AgTech Ireland, these engagements ensure that the voices of agtech companies and farmers are represented at EU level, where policy decisions directly shape the future of food production.

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Championing AgTech with Irish Government Amid Global Challenges

This spring, AgTech Ireland has delivered a focused programme of engagement with Enterprise Ireland, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon and his officials Bill Callanan and John Muldowney and Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke with special advisor Laura Mannion as well as Enterprise Ireland senior personnel Carmel Maloney and Emma Jane Hade. Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty affecting supply chains and food security, we have emphasised the need for policy to support decarbonisation, efficiency, resilience and sustainability in agriculture. Agtech is central to this, enabling scalable solutions that strengthen farm resilience, energy independence and environmental performance – given the right technical, policy and financial supports.

A key priority has been ensuring our members’ concerns remain front of mind for policy decision-makers. At senior-level meetings with Enterprise Ireland, including CEO Jenny Melia, we called for renewed focus on agtech through dedicated expertise and stronger support for export market development where real opportunities exist. Plans were also agreed for joint initiatives, including webinars, member-hosted company visits and incoming trade and innovation missions.

Engagement with Minister Heydon and his officials focused on shaping TAMS and other supports to accelerate on-farm technology adoption, as well as improving access for agtech SMEs to finance, including through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. The critical role of Teagasc in underpinning innovation and on-farm adoption was also reinforced.

In discussions with Minister Peter Burke and senior representatives from Enterprise Ireland, the AgTech Ireland Board delegation highlighted the sector’s vital role in driving rural employment and regional economic growth. Discussion centred on the pace of change in agriculture, the need for more responsive policy and funding supports, and Ireland’s ambition to produce globally significant agtech companies, like for example the latest global ag-innovation unicorn, New Zealand-founded Halter.

Emerging international markets, where Ireland currently has limited export relationships, are actively developing policies to strengthen food security, creating a significant opportunity for Irish agtech companies to engage, support, and scale their solutions globally. The delegation also stressed the importance for the Department and EI of strengthening pathways to markets and improving visibility of existing supports.

Ministers Heydon and Burke both welcomed the engagement, with agreement on the need for closer collaboration, improved alignment across stakeholders, and the development of clear policy recommendations to support the sector’s continued growth.

With demand for agtech innovation continuing to grow despite, and perhaps because of, economic and geopolitical challenges, it is vital that industry expertise informs policy. Through AgTech Ireland, members play a direct role in informing policy decision makers and shaping the ecosystem that will drive sustainable adoption on farms.

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Demystifying AI for Agtech SMEs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping the future of AgTech, but for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), understanding how and when to adopt it remains a key challenge. Our first webinar, in collaboration with James Cogley, Principal Applied Science Manager at Microsoft, addressed this by demystifying AI and offering practical guidance for businesses navigating its adoption.

AI is software that learns from data to make predictions or decisions. It is only a tool, one that can produce flawed outcomes if trained on biased or incomplete data. The hierarchy within AI goes from broad AI systems to machine learning (ML), and further into deep learning, which uses complex neural networks. Foundational models, pre-trained on vast datasets, are a major recent development, enabling businesses to build applications more efficiently.

Rules-based systems (as opposed to ML systems) are predictable and easy to audit but can become rigid and difficult to scale. ML systems are more flexible but often lack transparency, making their decisions harder to interpret, or trust.

James and our audience also explored the ML pipeline, emphasizing that successful AI implementation depends on more than just algorithms. It requires collecting and cleaning data, training models, validating them with test data, and continuously monitoring performance after deployment.

In AgTech, AI is already being applied in areas such as advanced analytics, anomaly detection in crops or environmental conditions, and computer vision for monitoring animal health. However, SMEs face several barriers, including limited access to high-quality data, concerns around explainability, connectivity challenges in rural areas, and a shortage of specialized talent.

A simple three-step framework can help deal with these issues:

• clearly define the business problem,
• assess whether sufficient quality data exists,
• determine whether AI is the right solution compared to simpler alternatives.

And a major piece of advice: do not adopt AI for its own sake.

Due diligence is crucial: data privacy, licensing, and the differences between enterprise-grade and consumer AI tools must be carefully considered before implementation.

With input from our members on other AI related topics of value to them and their businesses, we hope to develop from this one-off webinar to a series.

Watch this space!

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AgTech Ireland welcomes new members in 2026

Several agtech companies and related innovators have joined AgTech Ireland in recent months. They are drawn to being part of an organisation that represents and communicates their interests, helps shape agricultural investment and business policy, and creates valuable opportunities for learning and networking.

Welcome to our new 2026 members!

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We have a packed programme of events for the rest of this year.

While Enterprise Ireland had to cancel the German delegation visit planned for 13th April due to the fuel blockades, we hope it will be rescheduled later this year.

In early May, we will visit member company Senus in Athlone, a leading light in measurement, management and verification of environmental performance on land formed in 2017 by Eoghan Finneran, Brendan Allen and Joe Desbonnet. Senus will also kindly host a networking lunch, and later that day our May board meeting.

At the end of the month, we will host, jointly with AgTech UCD at Lyons, a session of pitching, discussion and networking with a group of Dutch agricultural and agtech companies, researchers and policy experts on an innovation mission organised by the Dutch Embassy.

There are many more events in the pipeline, at different stages of finalisation – so bear with us, stay in touch, and if you are a member company, be sure to support those events!

If you are not a member, find out how to join, here.

• Joint AgTech Ireland/Enterprise Ireland (EI) Webinar Series (March, May, December). Themes: International Market Expansion; Funding Growth & Investor Access; Innovation, R&D and Digitisation Supports
• Joint AgTech Ireland/Microsoft webinar: AI Fundamentals for SMEs and businesses. First webinar was on 14th April, more to follow as part of a series.
• Member company hosted events, with discovery of the business, discussion panel and networking lunch. To be attended by EI CAs involved with agtech companies. Hosted by Senus, Athlone (early May) and Alltech, Dunboyne (date TBC October)
• Dutch AgTech delegation visit (28th May afternoon, AgTechUCD Lyons Farm). Joint session with Dutch Embassy with pitching, discussion panel and networking.
• Exhibition marquee for member companies at Teagasc Grange Beef Open day (1st July, TBC)
• EI Innovation Arena at National Ploughing Championships (September). Opportunity to engage with Chair and board of Enterprise Ireland, round table discussions and engagement with exhibitors.
• AgTech Ireland hosted dinner at Farmers Journal Conference “Connecting Investors with Startups” – October TBC
• AGM with themed discussion panel and networking event. (November).

Note: some of the above may change; more events will be added.  Details will be confirmed by email updates to members.

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AgTech Ireland member companies are recruiting!

• Moonsyst Ireland are currently recruiting an AgTech Systems Analyst, and an R&D Engineer, based in Cork – both hybrid positions.
• Smaxtec, whose Irish subsidiary is a member, are recruiting for a wide variety of positions around tech support, sales, marketing and engineering around New Zealand, Europe and the US.
• Alltech, another international member, have opportunities for plant management in Bangladesh , IT, and graduate positions in animal nutrition and livestock technology in the UK.
• Lely Mullingar are currently recruiting trainee service engineers
• Micron Agritech are looking for a Business Development Associate, Research Manager, Animal Health and Senior ML Engineer, Computer Vision. Positions hybrid, and Dublin or UK based.
• Tirlán have vacancies for a wide array of technical and IT roles, based in various parts of Ireland.
• Abbey Machinery are recruiting for Paint and Blast Technician, General Operatives and are offering an OEM Apprenticeship opportunity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are you a member or thinking about joining AgTech Ireland? Check out some of the commonly asked questions below.

Why join AgTech Ireland?

• To access a network of like-minded agribusiness leaders
• To contribute to and benefit from advocacy and lobbying campaigns
• To attend exclusive agriculture industry events and stakeholder meetings
• To have the opportunity to join trade missions engaging with global leaders & politicians
• To stay in the loop with the latest news and insights from our newsletters and other communications
• To be part of the unified voice for agtech in Ireland and ensure its success

What is the best way to utilise my AgTech Ireland membership?

• Engage with us
• Keep a close eye on our communications – direct emails, quarterly newsletters such as this one, social media platforms, mainstream media articles – to find out about our events. 
• Make sure to come along to maximise the opportunities. 
• Review the member network.There may be opportunities to work with other members to enhance your business.
• Don’t be afraid to connect on LinkedIn or drop them an email to explore opportunities.
• Come forward with ideas. If you have something you feel is important and could benefit the wider sector, reach out to our COO Catherine Lascurettes or one of our Executive Council members.

What other organisations are AgTech Ireland looking to collaborate with?

• At home we are engaged with the Department of Agriculture, Teagasc as well as Enterprise Ireland. 
• We collaborate with UCD AgriTech, the MTU AgriTech Ireland Cluster. We are also looking to work with ICBF, VistaMilk and other domestic organisations in the agricultural sector.
• There are still more opportunities to be explored with government agencies and private organisations as we develop over the coming year.
• Abroad we have signed an MOU with AgriTech New Zealand to identify collaborative opportunities for members
• We are exploring collaboration opportunities with Business France UK and Ireland. 
• Our plan is to create further opportunities internationally utilising our own network, the Enterprise Ireland international network and organisations similar to AgTech Ireland in key markets.

Should you wish to join AgTech Ireland, email catherine@agtechireland.ie