Iamus Technologies Wins Best Overall Start-Up Award at 2020 Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards
- Enterprise Ireland and the National Ploughing Association celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Innovation Arena with a virtual competition
Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD has announced the winners of the 2020 Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards competition (virtual) run in association with the National Ploughing Association (NPA).
Among the 12 category award winners is Iamus Technologies, an artificial intelligence and robotics company headquartered at NovaUCD, which was named winner of the Alfie Cox Best Overall Start-up Award. The company develops data-driven solutions to empower farmers and processors to reduce costs.
Iamus Technologies is currently collaborating with a large poultry processor and using its technology to continuously gather data from birds, providing feedback that could help the poultry processor to significantly reduce its costs.
Find out more about Iamus Technologies' Gallus autonomous robot
Announcing the Award winners Minister Damien English TD said, “Enterprise Ireland’s annual Innovation Arena Awards represent the future of Irish agri-tech and highlight new product development as well as the innovative agri-tech and agri-engineering capability in the Irish agriculture sector. I am delighted to see such a vast range of innovative concepts and ideas being brought to fruition from entrepreneurs and farm experts from all around the country.”
Shane Kiernan, CEO, Iamus Technologies said, “We are delighted to have been named winner of the Best Start-Up Award at this year’s Innovation Arena Awards. It is a fantastic endorsement for a young agri-tech start-up such as Iamus. Our aim is to provide real-time actionable insights to our customers that empowers animal welfare and productivity improvements disrupting the multi-billon euro poultry industry.”
He added, “We are looking forward to accessing a dedicated testing shed at UCD’s Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare in the very near future. This facility will be a game-changer for Iamus in allowing us to develop an iterate-test-adapt cycle demonstrably quicker than our current process.”
James Maloney, Senior Regional Development Executive, Enterprise Ireland said, “Iamus won the Award because we think the company’s Gallus product has the potential to reach a really big global audience.”
Tom Flanagan, UCD Director of Enterprise and Commercialisation said, “I am delighted to see Iamus Technologies win the Best Start-Up Award at this year’s Innovation Arena Awards. The company has made great progress at NovaUCD and participated in our 5G Vodafone/Ericsson accelerator programme last year."
“We are progressing with our plans to develop the €4 million AgTech Connector Innovation Hub at UCD Lyons Farm and we look forward to working with and supporting more innovative AgTech companies, similar to Iamus Technologies, that have global ambition.”
Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena traditionally showcases ground-breaking agri-related products and innovations from Irish agri-companies at the National Ploughing Championships, but this year’s competition was moved fully online due to the cancellation of the event as a result of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
For the first time in its ten-year history, the Awards took place online, with shortlisted innovators pitching their groundbreaking designs to a virtual judging panel over the course of two days. More than 60 entries were received for this year’s Awards competition with the top 30 selected for virtual pitching.
Michael Malone from Malone Farm Machinery in Co. Mayo has been named the overall 2020 Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards winner. The company’s winning entry is ‘The Malone Express’, a 16-bale trailer which can accommodate 16 round bales on a chassis that is shorter than other comparable machines on the market. This makes the implement easier to manoeuvre while accommodating a large quantity of bales.
Mark Christal, Divisional Manager, Regions and Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Ireland said, “This is Enterprise Ireland’s seventh year co-hosting the Innovation Arena Awards and each year we see significant progress in the competition entries. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the quality of this year’s entries are a clear indicator that innovative and entrepreneurial activity will continue to drive our country forward.
“Many Enterprise Ireland companies have adjusted and pivoted recently to help deliver success and particularly in ensuring that vital food and industry services remain open. This resilience is particularly evident in the agri community and Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting the determination and ambition of our agri-sector to succeed both at home and in overseas markets”.
Anna May McHugh, National Ploughing Association Managing Director, said, “My congratulations to all of the Innovation Arena Award winners and particularly Malone Farm Machinery as the overall winner. This is quite an achievement given the high quality and standard of all the exciting entries for this year’s Awards. Over the years, we have seen the Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships grow and grow as it offers a significant and unique platform for global business opportunities for budding entrepreneurs and innovators in the agri-tech and agri-engineering space.”
The Overall and Best Start-Up Award winners receive €5,000 each.
ENDS
17 September 2020
For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: + 353 1 716 3712.
Editors Notes
The 12 Award category winners are;
Overall Innovation Arena Winner: Michael Malone, Malone Farm Machinery, Mayo
Agricultural Engineering Award (Established Company): Michael Malone, Malone Farm Machinery, Mayo
Alfie Cox Best Start-Up Award: Shane Kiernan, Iamus Technologies Ltd, Dublin
Agricultural Engineering (Start-Up Company): Micheal McInerney, StrongBó Agritech, Galway
IFAC Best New Comer Award - Micheal McInerney, StrongBó Agritech, Galway
Sustainable Agriculture: Alvan Hunt, Hexafly, Meath
Young Innovator: Alanna McCabe (14 yrs), Fence DeFence, Cavan
Farm Safety (Established Company): Peter McMahon, Dromone Engineering Ltd, Meath
Micro Engineering Award: William Pius McCloat, SUIP Manufacturing Company Ltd, Sligo
On Farm Innovation: Peter O'Sullivan, Bullseye Engineering, Wicklow
Farm Software Award: Pierce Dargan, Equine MediRecord, Kildare
Farm Safety Start Up Company: Philip Dickson, Dickson Agri Solutions, Westmeath.