Agri Food

Kilkenny boasts a world-class agri food industry which has evolved and thrived over the last number of decades. Kilkenny is home to leading international companies in the agri food industry such as Glanbia and Connolly’s RED MILLS. They use their base here for their headquarters, production and office functions.

Precision Agriculture Centre of Excellence (PACE), an Agri Digital Innovation Hub, is due to be established in Kilkenny’s Abbey Quarter. PACE will deliver advanced ICT software to the Irish agriculture and food sector and will position Ireland and the South-East to the fore in responding to the growing global agri-tech and smart farming opportunity.

Through Smart Agri Hubs, PACE as an Agri Digital Innovation Hub,  will have the capability to: Identify existing technologies (technology scouting) from Irish and International research centres which are of potential interest to the agri sector: Evaluate these technologies and assess their suitability for use in the Irish agricultural sector: Showcase these technologies through a series of workshops and one-one meetings: Introduce interested agri-tech companies to solution providers: Support companies to secure funding to leverage these technologies: Promote companies to help secure R&D funding in Ireland and within the EU.