With Ireland working to become an international leader in the agritech space, Dundalk IT (DkIT) is introducing a new postgraduate course in agri-analytics.

The course is part of the Government subsidised Springboard HCI scheme, which focuses on upskilling learners in areas of industry affected by skills gaps.

The agri-analytics course can be completed in one year. It is provides participants with the skills they will need to work in data analytics roles across the farming sector, advisory services, the agri-food industry and other agritech businesses.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Data Analytics for Sustainable Agri-Food Production course has space for 18 students. It will begin in September 2022.

To find out more about what participants can learn from the course, Silicon Republic spoke to Dr Breda Brennan, head of DkIT’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Animal Health.

The programme has eight mandatory modules and one elective module. “The modules cover data analytics, database management, communication and location technologies, embedded systems and sensors, technologies for crop and grass production, precision animal production, data communication and protocols, bioinformatics and automated systems in agri-food,” said Brennan.

All of these topics are covered in the context of agriculture and/or food processing. According to Brennan, the course has been developed in consultation with industry stakeholders, such as Teagasc and Intellync.

Brennan and her team also “consulted widely” with organisations such as Hilton Foods, Herdwatch, Terra NutriTech and AgTech Ireland.

Others supported the programme at the time of its funding application. These were: Dairymaster, Moocall, True North Technologies, Progressive Genetics, FarmEye, Lely, Apisprotect, Crop Safe, Agrispread, JFC Agri, and more.

“Our industry contacts have indicated that they would employ these graduates and the combination of data analytics and agriculture skills would suit their needs perfectly,” said Brennan.

She said that graduates could find jobs in the food industry, as well as in national bodies such as Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

“They may also find employment in data-based or digital roles in other sectors such as environmental protection, health, finance and communication,” Brennan added, singling out the growing agritech sector. “The demand for such skills is high and still on the increase.”

“Ireland is becoming an important international hub for the agritech industry.” Brennan’s statement is certainly true, as more companies are recognising the potential of Ireland’s existing agricultural industry as a base from which to expand their services. Last year, Canadian drone company ZenaDrone announced it was hiring in Ireland as part of its bid to introduce Irish farmers to drone tech.

The roles it was recruiting for included design and development, sales and marketing, as well as technical support positions. A few months ago ZenaDrone’s founder Dr Shaun Passley spoke to Silicon Republic about how the company’s drones could be used to make working farmers’ lives easier.

From automating the process of spraying crops to counting livestock, he said the drones could save farmers a lot of time. The barrier to adopting tech in general on Irish farms, he said, was a lack of experience with technology. It is a skills gap that needs to be addressed if Ireland wishes to attract more companies like ZenaDrone.

Brennan agrees. “There is also a significant shortage of skills in this area so it is important that Government support is provided to encourage graduates to move into this industry.”

“In particular the combination of good data analytics skills coupled with expertise in agriculture is difficult to find,” Brennan explained. She said she has been told this by her industry contacts.

“Our programme hopes to contribute to addressing this deficit,” she concluded. It is possible for learners to complete the course and do their farming work at the same time, should they need to.

The course runs on Monday and Tuesday on campus at DkIT to facilitate those who work and farm part-time. Students who are farming can also integrate elements of the course, including assignments, with their own farm activities.

For more information on how to apply for the course, see DkIT’s website.

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