Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Overview

An important feature of the Masters in Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University of Galway is that students learn to work with a variety of groups to understand needs and opportunities.  The course highlights both business analysis as well as communication skills so that the programme’s graduates are well-equipped to either launch their own enterprise or manage innovation projects within a larger organization.  Funded by HEA through its Springboard programme, AgInnovate is delivered as a mix of on-line lectures and monthly sessions on campus.

The aim of this course is to teach people how to:

• Identify areas for innovation specifically within the agri-domain
• Launch innovation-driven enterprises or create new business units within an existing company

Particular consideration is given to helping participants address:

• Identifying opportunities through design thinking and opportunity recognition
• Developing concepts and validating markets;
• Other difficulties related to getting new products to markets.

Our focus is on developing students critical thinking, curiosity and utilising a range of tools that will help manage the innovation process. You do not need to bring an idea to the course as we will help you identify opportunities ripe for Innovation. We foster a learn by doing atmosphere with experiential learning at the heart of this MSc.

Careers

This course can help any individual, farmers or those engaged within the agri-domain who often have great ideas but need a better understanding of the dynamics of innovation.  We focus on turning insights / challenges /problems into a customer’s needs and then taking a step-by-step approach to designing products or services along with an enterprise to achieve successful commercialisation.