PACE

Objectives

PACE will deliver advanced ICT software to the Irish agriculture and food sector. PACE will position Ireland and the South-East to the fore in responding to the growing global agri-tech and smart farming opportunity. With the support of Kilkenny County Council, South East Technological University (SETU) will establish PACE in Kilkenny City’s Prestigious Abbey Quarter.

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.

PACE will serve agro-food processors, farm advisory services, companies selling services and products to the agri sector, agri-tech SME’s and start-ups and rural-based industries which have the potential to transform into higher technology, higher value businesses. PACE will also serve regulatory, compliance and policy authorities by providing a technology resource to support their mission.

PACE will focus on technologies across all TRL levels, but with a primary focus on market-ready solutions (TRL 8 – 9) and will bridge the gap between IP owners/knowledge providers and Agri-tech companies.

Implementation

Strategic priorities

PACE contributes directly to the realisation of the ambitious production targets in Foodwise 2025 and the related Teagasc ‘Technology Foresight 2030 report’ which recognises that these ambitious sustainable growth targets can only be achieved by rapid adoption of disruptive technologies. In addition, to contributing to this strategic national priority, PACE is also an excellent strategic fit for the South-East region where agricultural output accounts for more than 20% of national agri-output and agriculture accounts for 43% of total employment in the region. This coupled with the presence of leading global food and agri companies head quartered in the region and a growing base of agri-tech companies confirms the pivotal role of agriculture in the region’s economy. Reflecting this, the SEAPJ 2015-2017, identified in action number 34 ‘the need to develop a European Centre of Excellence for ICT in Agriculture in Kilkenny’, which PACE responds to.

Access to funding

PACE@TSSG will be positioned to pave the way for client companies to engage with the best in Europe on future Horizon Europe (FP9) proposal calls and on open calls coming on stream through Europe Projects such as, Smart Agri Hubs (€6 million), DEMETER (€1 Million) and AgROBOFood (€8 million).

Co-Located on the Abbey Quarter site will be offices for Smart Agri Hubs (www.smartagrihubs.en), Walton Institute (formerly TSSG) is a lead partner. SmartAgriHubs aims to build a pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) in all 28 European Member States. This network will comprise 140 existing DIHs and a further 260 new DIHs. SmartAgriHubs will leverage, strengthen and connect local DIHs and Competence Centres (CCs) to unleash the potential of digital solutions and realise the digital transformation of the agricultural sector in Europe