By Sian Moloughney

Copyright kilkennypeople

County Kilkenny based agri-innovators SM Advanced Technologies have been named as one of the nine finalists in this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards, and will participate in a live competition at the National Ploughing Championships today (Tuesday). The nine Irish agri innovators who have today been named as the finalists in this year’s Innovation Arena Awards are set to participate in a live competition in front of an audience and a panel of judges at the National Ploughing Championships this afternoon. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE KILKENNY BUSINESS NEWS This is the 12th annual Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards, and the focus of this year’s exhibition is ‘Accelerate Sustainable Irish Agri Business’, showcasing pioneering solutions from Irish agritech innovators to thousands of visitors and international buyers at one of Europe’s largest outdoor events. Among this year’s entries there is a strong focus on AI-driven technologies and sustainable innovations, designed to support farmers to make more informed decisions, and to help create more efficient, safer and sustainable practices on farms, as well as optimising operations and helping to create savings in terms of time and costs. There are three awards in this year’s competition with three finalists in each category, and the winner of the ‘Start-Up of the Year’ prize will win €10,000, as well as specialist mentoring and advisory supports from Enterprise Ireland. The ‘Green Impact Award’ will recognise an innovation which is focused on sustaining the development of food and farming for future generations to come, while the ‘Innovation Arena Champion Award’ will honour an established company demonstrating a focus on scaling and innovation. Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena is one of the most visited exhibitions annually at the National Ploughing Championships. Over the course of the National Ploughing Championships, 40 Irish agritech companies, researchers and academia will showcase their trailblazing products and innovations, which are focused on solving a broad spectrum of global challenges, across areas such as animal science and technology, agri-engineering, animal health and nutrition, sustainability and climate action, and farm health and safety. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST IN KILKENNY SPORTS NEWS As part of our programme of activity at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, a delegation of 25 international buyers from across Europe and the Nordics, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and North America will travel to Screggan, Co Offaly, to meet with these innovators and other Irish-owned companies exhibiting across the site. Irish agritech companies supported by Enterprise Ireland are economic pillars in towns and communities across the country, with exports of €875m in 2024 and employing almost 5,000 people. These companies are delivering products and services in the areas of farm equipment, livestock handling and housing, smart farming solutions, crop cultivation and protection, as well as animal health and nutrition. Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting Irish-owned companies to start, compete, scale and connect, and the Innovation Arena helps to foster the development of agritech innovators and to accelerate their business in domestic and global markets. Speaking at the opening of the 12th annual Innovation Arena, 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 is 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.” The three companies pitching for the ‘Start-Up of the Year’ Award today are ScanInsights, SM Advanced Technologies, and VetPal. GlasPort Bio, Hibra Design and Slurry Quip are finalists in the ‘Green Impact Award’ category, while Cormac Tagging, Herdwatch and Pearson Milking Technology are the three finalists pitching for the ‘2025 Innovation Arena Champion Award’. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony this afternoon following the live pitching event. In addition to the three awards, a number of companies who entered this year’s competition will also be presented with a ‘Certificate of Achievement for Innovation’, having received a minimum qualifying score. A full list of all the companies participating in this year’s Innovation Arena can be found here. The Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena is located at Row 10, Block 4, Stand 228 at the National Ploughing Championships.