Edel Mitchell has been appointed senior programme manager of the new Food and Food and Agriculture Sustainable Technology Innovation Programme (FAST-IP) in UCD.

Mitchell has over 20 years of cross-sectoral experience spanning public, private and global consultancy sectors in Ireland, Europe, USA and Australia.

She has a strong focus on regional development, building commercial and ecosystem partnerships, and developing tailored solutions to address unmet client and market needs, and is an alumna of the BioInnovate Ireland programme at University of Galway.

On her appointment, she said: “I am delighted to join UCD at this exciting time. I look forward to working with the FAST-IP participants using design thinking methodologies to support the identification of unmet needs and development of innovative commercially scalable solutions in this exciting sector.”

Gary Ryan of AgTechUCD, welcomed the new appointment and said, “We are delighted to welcome Edel, a results-driven leader skilled in business development, project management, investment pitching and cultivating commercial partnerships.”

The programme

FAST-IP is a graduate entrepreneurship training programme and will be delivered annually by University College Dublin (UCD) in partnership with Teagasc until the end of 2029.

The aim of the programme is to further enhance innovation in the food and agricultural sector and will provide participants with the necessary skills to discover, develop and deliver ideas for new products and services in this sector and to accelerate the commercialisation pathway for these business ideas.

Applications close on 21 June for the first 12-month FAST-IP programme, which is aimed at mid-career professionals, and will begin in September.

FAST-IP is accredited by UCD at Level 9 on the National Qualifications Framework and participants who complete the programme will be awarded a Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

UCD and Teagasc are partnering with FRS Recruitment to recruit participants for the FAST-IP programme starting this September.

For further information and to apply for the programme by the deadline date of 21 June 2024 visit the FRS recruitment website.