Partnerships play an important role in how companies innovate. As with all other industries, collaborations in the agriculture sector can pool expertise and capacity to the greatest possible extent.
Agricultural research and innovation deal with numerous global issues, such as the mitigation of and adaptation to extreme weather conditions, the effective use of resources, animal and plant diseases, and the development of sustainable value chains.
Bringing Irish and African minds together through partnerships allows for the development of unique solutions to geo-climatic and socio-economic issues. In a time of turmoil presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, partnerships in the global business environment have become increasingly important.
So why partner with Irish innovation?
Being one of the world’s most profitable and efficient agricultural economies, Ireland is pioneering global solutions that drive efficiency and growth. Its agritech industry has developed advanced systems that naturally focus on efficient methods and high yields. With a population of just over five million people, Ireland actually produces enough food for 35 million.
In South Africa, the agriculture industry is a critical stakeholder in the management of the country’s abundant natural resources, with 80% of the land surface taken up by agriculture, which includes commercial, small-scale and emerging farmers.
As part of its celebration of St Patrick’s Day, Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s trade and innovation agency, will organise a global series of trade events to help boost collaboration between businesses and international organisations. In addition to the traditional food and drink associated with St Patrick’s Day, Enterprise Ireland is presenting the opportunity to view some of the latest agricultural technologies.
Some leading Irish businesses participating in the global events series include TerraNutriTECH, which automates animal nutrition to improve herd health; Abbey Machinery, which combines a heritage dating back to the 19th century with cutting-edge innovation derived from its in-house research and development department; and Herdwatch, a customer relationship management system for cattle.
In addition to these, Irish companies collaborating on the ground here in South Africa include Keenan, a respected global leader in ethical and profitable farming solutions, focused on maximising feed efficiency through the manufacture of quality diet feeders and supporting technology; McHale, a leading international manufacturer of specialist grassline technologies; GM Steel, which manufactures, supplies, installs and commissions a comprehensive range of slaughtering, processing and materials-handling equipment for abattoirs and meat-processing plants of all sizes; and Emydex Technology, a world-leading supplier of factory-floor software systems to over 100 meat-, fish- and food-processing companies around the world.
Enterprise Ireland has just launched a new international campaign called ‘Ireland: Innovation at the Edge’. The campaign highlights Ireland’s unique conditions, which have led to Irish companies being amongst the world’s most innovative, and the Irish export economy continuing to perform strongly throughout the pandemic.
Commenting on the newly launched campaign, Siboniso Mazibuko, Market Adviser for Sub-Saharan Africa at Enterprise Ireland, based in Johannesburg, remarked: “The Ireland: Innovation at the Edge campaign highlights Ireland’s position as a small, open and innovative economy, and a bridge between the US and Europe. Irish entrepreneurs are ready and eager to collaborate with South African partners.”
Enterprise Ireland’s role is to connect its Irish client companies with potential African partners and buyers. With its continuous global partnership-building efforts, Ireland is leading the way towards building successful, long-term business relationships between African companies and Irish partners to deliver innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges the world faces today.
As we reconnect and rebuild valued relationships with business partners across the globe, for businesses, this St Patrick’s Day is all about the three Rs of post-pandemic life: reopening, re-emerging, and reconnecting.
With 40 offices worldwide, Enterprise Ireland’s goal is to build successful business relationships between international companies and Irish partners. As one of the world’s largest seed capital investors, we help develop a pipeline of Irish agritech innovation that we can connect South African partners with.
Reach out to Siboniso Mazibuko on Linkedin or visit https://irishadvantage.com/agritech/ to learn more.
