Alumni Focus: Mark O'Dowd - Finding solutions through technology for customers and their cattle.

Mark O'Dowd is a graduate of the BAgrSc Agricultural systems technology programme in UCD and continued on to completed a MSc in Biosystems Engineering, Majoring in Farm Technology from Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands.

Mark is now working as a Solution analyst for Irish based company, (opens in a new window)Moonsyst International. Last year, Moonsyst emerged as the standout winner of the prestigious AgTechUCD accelerator programme, securing the AIB and Yield Lab AgTech Start-up 2024 award at a pitching event held at University College Dublin. The recognition came after an intensive 12-week accelerator programme at the (opens in a new window)AgTechUCD Innovation Centre located at UCD Lyons Farm.

We chatted to Mark about this exciting programme, his time at UCD and his role in Moonyst Cattle Monitoring.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

Having grown up on a family owned and operated dairy and pedigree Angus farm in Cork I have held agriculture close to my heart from an extremely early age. I am especially enthusiastic about the role of state-of-the-art agricultural technologies and robotics. During my free time I love to work on my family’s farm, helping wherever I can and not being afraid of hard work. My goal is to pursue a career in which I can apply the vast range of academic skills I have developed through studying a BAgrSc in Agricultural Systems Technology at University College Dublin and an MSc in Biosystems Engineering from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

What led you to study Agriculture?

Growing up on a dairy farm in Cork I have always held a strong interest in everything related to agriculture. I wanted to explore the industry in further depth and I felt UCD was the right place to do this given the rich history of agricultural sciences at UCD. UCD then equipped me with the knowledge and desire to further my academic studies in Agriculture through an MSc in the Netherlands.

My fondest memory would certainly have to be meeting up with friends in the Ag common room in the basement of the ag building

What is your fondest memory from your time at UCD?

My fondest memory would certainly have to be meeting up with friends in the Ag common room in the basement of the ag building, where we would have a cup of tea and a purple snack from the famous tea shop in between lectures. Also the morning after an AgSoc event, it was great to debrief with friends over a cup of tea.

Your College experience and journey was somewhat halted due to Covid - how do you think that affected your College life and what followed after?

Covid certainly affected my college experience, however like with any challenge in life you have to make the best of a bad situation. I had the opportunity to conduct my Professional Work Experience (PWE) in the Netherlands at Lely Headquarters in April 2021. This experience ultimately led to me studying a masters in the Netherlands after UCD, I am not sure I would have taken this route had covid not interfered with my time at UCD.

You are now working with Moonsyst Cattle Monitoring. Can you tell us, what exactly does a Solution Analyst do?

Moonsyst is a small Irish based rumen bolus cattle monitoring company. My job title is “Solution analyst” however I am exposed to all aspects of the company. I deal a lot with the technical development of the system in terms of listening to existing customers' requirements and how I can improve the system to accommodate what they want. I also help a lot with the onboarding of new customers and continuous training of existing customers.

I outline Software Requirement Specifications for the developments of new & existing features of the cattle monitoring system. Additionally I also work closely with software engineers in training machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, annotating data to ensure our models are trained to the highest possible standards delivering the best results possible for our customers in terms of heat detection, calving alerts, and health monitoring. Of course I get to visit farms across the country and internationally too, this way I can collect valuable customer feedback and see how the system is being used in different livestock production systems. It’s not just bovine ruminants, we have boluses in sheep, lambs, goats. I also work with research institutions to further develop our sensors and also assist with their research projects. The role is varied and I know it sounds cliche, but no two days are ever the same!

What have been the most challenging aspects of your career?

In my current role I have a lot of interaction with customers, suppliers, and distributors of the Moonsyst system. Moonsyst operates in over 40 countries world wide, so coordinating developments across different countries, timezones, languages, and cultures can be challenging at times, however when it all comes together it is highly rewarding.

What is the proudest moment of your career to date?

Seeing the value of my work reflected in how farmers use the system to improve their business and also quality of life (for them and their animals). At this year's national dairy show I won an award for a development I introduced into the Moonsyst system this year regarding generating customisable breeding reports for farmers. Apart from this current example I have applied myself to always seek ambitious opportunities and experiences, for example working at Lely HQ in the Netherlands, and working with John Deere at their European Technology & Innovation Centre in Germany as part of my MSc internship. In my academic career, completing my MSc thesis with a high grade was definitely a proud moment for me. Having organised the collection of data on a commercial Dutch dairy farm, working with Nedap livestock technology, all while in a different country and not being able to speak the local language, who doesn't love a challenge!

In your career and/or personal life, who have been the most inspiring or helpful mentors/advisors that you’ve had to date?

In both my career and my personal life my father has been the most inspiring person for me. He has supported me all the way through my education and career journeys and held a keen interest in my academic and professional endeavours. He has changed his entire agricultural business model several times in the last 20 years, something which is unusual in the industry but something I highly admire as it is not an easy choice to move away from something you are so familiar with.

You went on to complete a Masters in Biosystems Engineering in the Netherlands; What would you say to students considering further study or those looking to upskill, return to education etc?

I would simply say seize the opportunity! Getting to study abroad opened my mind up to things which I would have never experienced otherwise. Gaining different perspectives on complex systems, such as agriculture, makes you think outside of the box. Meeting people from different educational and cultural backgrounds makes you look at issues facing the agricultural sector from a different perspective. Agriculture is changing so I think further study is essential in devising solutions for challenges facing the agricultural sector. We have a very unique agricultural production system here in Ireland which is brilliant, but it is important for industry professionals to be exposed to other systems to broaden their understanding. You don’t have to do a PhD or a Masters, a part time course on a topic you are interested in is a great way of broadening your knowledge. Even getting involved in discussion groups, knowledge transfer programmes or visiting exhibitions like Eurotier and Agritechnica are a great way to keep learning more about this amazing sector and what we can do to make it even more amazing!

Hands-on practical experience in my opinion is arguably the most important and beneficial experience any student will be subject to regardless of their field of study.

While in UCD, you received a professional work experience excellence award - how important do you think the hands on experience is during the course and do you think it benefited you in your career after graduation?

Hands-on practical experience in my opinion is arguably the most important and beneficial experience any student will be subject to regardless of their field of study. Of course you will need the theoretical background and knowledge beforehand, but implementing your knowledge with hands-on experience is where I think most of your learning occurs. I think it is important to seek out these experiences and put what you have learned in the classroom into practice, but also to challenge the status quo, just because you are told something by a lecturer does not mean it is gospel. Ask questions, ask why, try, fail, and try again then you will really learn.

The opening of the AgTech UCD Innovation Centre in UCD is a massive step in the right direction which allows Irish AgTech companies, like Moonsyst, to grow and develop as a company on an international AgTech stage.

You obviously graduated from and are working in a very interesting and progressive industry and area of agriculture - what do you see for the future of Ag Tech?

I see it as becoming an essential tool on every farm, much like a tractor, or milking machine. Day to day operations on farms will be data driven to optimise production and sustainability allowing us to produce more food, for more people, in a more environmentally friendly way. Ireland could potentially be a market leader in the world AgTech sector and I know that UCD is investing hugely in ensuring this becomes a reality. The opening of the AgTech UCD Innovation Centre in UCD is a massive step in the right direction which allows Irish AgTech companies, like Moonsyst, to grow and develop as a company on an international AgTech stage. It is important to nurture these home grown businesses and not allow the giants of AgTech and their massive financial capacities to monopolise this sector. I think there is a huge opportunity in the future of farm data, the amount of it and more importantly the value of it in terms of making a farm more efficient, productive, and sustainable. Farmers need a method of realizing this data into actionable tasks, they also need to be aware of the value of their data, who can access it, can they sell their data, how secure is it. AgTech companies also need to see the value of data sharing and collaboration instead of exclusivity and not sharing data. The quote from JFK “A rising tide lifts all boats” is true for the AgTech sector and determines how farmers will adopt these new agricultural technologies.

What do you do to relax? Can you tell us a bit about your current life, family and hobbies - what you get up to outside of work?

I like to help out on the farm at home, we recently started a pedigree angus business so a helping hand is always welcome at the weekends or after work! Apart from that I am part of a run club in Cork city where we run up and down the quays of Cork. I enjoy meeting up with friends from UCD, who are scattered across all four corners of Ireland, and also staying in contact with friends from my Masters who are scattered across all four corners of the globe!

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Change is never easy, but always possible” - Unfortunately Barack Obama did not personally give me this advice but it certainly resonates with me, although I think it was my father who first said this to me! Making a change in your personal, academic, or professional life can be extremely beneficial for you and your personal/academic/professional progression. Even if change is not the right thing to do, you learn from it and take that experience with you on your next venture.

Finally what advice would you give to someone considering studying Agriculture and food science or a career in the agri food industry - specifically in AgTech?

Make them want you! Do some extra work and research to show them how much you want to be part of what they are doing, stand out from the crowd.

Go put yourself out there! Work with companies or people that excite you, the most important thing for any academic study or career is that you are genuinely interested in it. Just because a company is not advertising an internship position or job does not mean they won’t take you on board. Make them want you! Do some extra work and research to show them how much you want to be part of what they are doing, stand out from the crowd. Any additional relevant experience you can add to your CV will stand to you. Go travel, see what AgTech is out there and bring your experiences back, start your own company. The future of AgTech is extremely exciting and we are only just getting started.