AgInnovation: Agricultural Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MSc)

Course Overview

The MSc in AgInnovation (Agricultural Innovation & Entrepreneurship), or AgInnovate for short, is a one-year MSc programme offered along with TechInnovate in the School of Engineering that equips adult learners with the skills needed to develop new products or businesses to enhance Irish agriculture and strengthen rural communities. You can apply at: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/15235

From 2018 to 2021, AgInnovate focused on training individuals to develop technical solutions for the agri-tech industry. Going forward, we intend to provide the skills needed to address the labour-market challenges facing farmers and rural communities in both the West and nationally. According to the Western Development Commission, there has been a ‘huge decline in the numbers working in agriculture. In 1996, 17.19% of people at work in the Western Region overall were employed in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing... Contrast this with Census 2022 where 5.23% of the population at work in the Region is now employed in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, less than a third of the 1996 figure.’ As highlighted in FoodVision 2030, this decline is largely driven by the limitations faced by primary producers in ‘their ability to make a decent livelihood and return for their endeavours, but also in helping to deliver on environmental and social sustainability.’ Our approach to teaching innovation skills aligns with Mission 2 of FoodVision 2030, which emphasises equipping primary producers with ‘the best tools for improving economic viability and resilience... [as well as the] approaches and technologies that they and others in the agri-food chain can implement to improve their overall economic standing.’ (p. 91).

To attract individuals to the agri-food sector and support the economic viability and sustainability of rural communities, we provide adult learners with:

• The ability to develop and test new products based on customer needs;
• An innovation mindset;
• The financial planning, communications, and marketing knowledge needed for launching a new business.
• The communications, marketing, and financial planning knowledge for launching a new business.

To ensure our curriculum remains relevant, we actively consult with agri-food enterprises such as Farmeye, Castlemine Farm, McHale, AgriSpread, and Dairymaster. Our advisory board includes representatives from the IFA, Erne Foods, Fiorbhia Farm, and Galway Wool Coop. Additionally, Enterprise Ireland, Galway LEO, and UCD’s AgTech Accelerator provide insights into the growing demand for innovators in the sector.

By equipping students with the skills to address national challenges, AgInnovate attracts participants from across Ireland. Last year, we welcomed students from 15 different counties. Women have made up between 27% and 41% of our last three cohorts. In addition to farming, students bring expertise in business, engineering, law, and arts. Each year, we recruit 30-35 adult learners through features in agricultural journals, radio interviews, and even parish newsletter announcements. Our graduates go on to launch startups, secure roles in agri-tech companies, develop social services for their communities, and, most importantly, apply innovations that revitalise family farms.

Closing Date

Since the programme is supported by Springboard+ with funding from the Government of Ireland and the European Union, applications are normally due before or around mid-August annually. However, if warranted, the application deadline can be extended until the programme commences in the third week of September. You can apply at: https://springboardcourses.ie/details/15235

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Course Outline

Grounded in MIT’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship and Stanford’s Design Thinking, our adult learners explore a different key question in each module:

• In TechInnovate I, they investigate WHO are the customers and stakeholders for their idea. They do so by conducting interviews and surveys to identify customer needs and preferences;
• In TechInnovate II, our students answer the question WHAT and define the functions and features of their product or service;
• AgInnovate III takes up the issue of HOW--how will they deliver their product or service to their target market? In this module, the students prepare a 7500-word business plan modelled on what they would submit to Enterprise Ireland. They also create a brochure, logo, and tagline describing their business;
• Finally, in AgInnovate IV, students address the question WHY--why would people want their product or service? They answer this by drawing on their research from throughout the programme and writing a 7,500-word minor dissertation. This dissertation is structured as an article suitable for submission to a professional journal.

1. EE5113 TechInnovate I: Needs Finding to Concept Generation, 10 ECTS
2. EE5114 TechInnovate II: Concept Development and Implementation, 10 ECTS
3. AI500 AgInnovate III: Innovation Project, 40 ECTS
4. AI501 AgInnovate IV: Minor Dissertation, 30 ECTS

The programme is delivered in a blended format. During each month, students attend a weekly online session for two hours [Thursday 6-8 PM] and come to campus one Saturday for eight hours of classroom instruction. Hence, on a monthly basis, instruction is 50% online and 50% classroom.

•    Online: Thursday evenings from 6-8 PM
•    In-person, University of Galway campus: One Saturday per month from 9-4 PM (September to June)

The University of Galway is deeply committed to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as reflected in its designation as a national SDG Champion for 2023-2024 by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The AgInnovate instructors share this commitment and will integrate SDGs into their programme by drawing on their experience of developing related modules in the past. In previous design thinking-related modules, students were asked to develop technological solutions that would help a specific group in their local community implement one of the 17 SDGs.  Similarly, next year’s AgInnovate students will be required to design their products and business solutions around one or two SDGs, explicitly articulating their relevance in business plans and presentations. They will be asked to discuss their selected SDGs as they consult with customers and stakeholders in the course of their research. To further highlight their impact, students will be encouraged to showcase their projects during the University’s annual SDG Week. We welcome the opportunity to introduce the SDGs into AgInnovate because it will permit our adult learners to think rigorously about innovations that are not only technically feasible and economically viable, but also socially desirable and environmentally sustainable.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

Fees: Tuition

Fees: Student levy

Fees: Non EU

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