The InterTradeIreland All-island Innovation programme aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island of Ireland.

During the two sessions we will ask how technology is primed to provide radical solutions to innovation challenges faced by the Food System and how innovation training is helping de-risk the chances of failure.

Session 1 will be a live panel of innovation experts who will give us their in-depth perspective and explore why innovation matters. We will also hear how Global Research Institutes and technology based start-ups have used deep-tech as a vector to provide innovative solutions for transforming the food system; the effects of Industry 4.0 on the Agri-Tech landscape and showcase how the agri-food sector is the up and coming star of the growing start-up and venture capital ecosystem. The audience will have the chance to interact with our panel in a live Q&A session.

Session 2 will include pre-recorded contributions from Brian McCaul Director of Innovation at Queen's University and Professor Chris Elliott, founder of the Institute for Global Food Security. We will understand why market validation is so vital in technological commercialisation, in going from the lab to a commercial environment. We will also hear from innovation investors Yield Lab and Five Season Ventures landscape and hear how the agri-food sector is the up and coming star of the growing start-up and venture capital ecosystem. This session will finish with a spotlight on some of the best up and coming Agri-Tech Start-ups.

Our aim is to identify and support the future innovators set to make a lasting impact on the agriculture and food sector.

Session 1 - LIVE Panel and Q&A: Why Innovation matters? An industry and investor perspective.

Live panel discussion, with interactive audience Q&A

Hosted by Matt Eastland, Head of Brand & Content at EIT Food

We will hear from various leaders of innovation in both academic and industry spheres, on how across all landscapes, why innovation matters. After we hear from each of our panellists, there will be a discussion where we will invite questions from the audience.

Professor Emma Flynn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, Queen’s University Belfast

Why we need Innovation and how Queen’s are best placed to drive this agenda across the UK and Island of Ireland

Dr Godfrey Gaston, Executive Director of ECIT, Queen’s University Belfast

Innovation in the Agri-food sector and why it is needed. A focus on the Innovation pillars of the Belfast Region City Deal, GII and the upcoming opportunities to drive the application of digital technologies in the Agri-food Space

Professor Simon Pearson, Professor of Agri-Food Technology Research and Founding Director of LIAT, The Lincoln Institute of Agri Food Technology

A closer look at innovation, Industry 4.0 and the Agriculture Sector, showcasing underpinning tech applied to agriculture sector

Professor Louise Manning, Professor of Agri-Food and Supply Chain Security & Director of Knowledge Exchange, Royal Agricultural University & Farm 491

Challenges to the Food System & how technology can help overcome these

Session 2 - Pre-recorded: Putting innovation into practice: Why market validation is an important step in technology commercialisation?

Mr Brian McCaul, Director of Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast

An Introduction to Market Validation. What is it? And why it is an important step in technology commercialisation.

Professor Chris Elliott, Professor of Food Safety at Queen's University Belfast and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security

From the Lab to Commercialisation.

Investor Perspective with Nicky Deasy, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Yield Lab Europe and Eléonore Lafonta, Associate at Five Season Ventures

Start-up spotlight

Lorenzo Conti, Crover; Terry Canning, CattleEye; and Sean Smith, Micron Agri-tech

You can read more about how market validation is a key process often overlooked by entrepreneurs in the latest post from the EIT Food Blog here