Inspire - Digital Technologies in the Food System
This course will showcase the challenges in the Food Systems and the future landscapes of technology development in agriculture and the food industry.
Course information
- Level
-
Beginner
- Audience
-
Individuals based in the EU or UK with a MSc or PhD degree or substantial experience (5 year+) within the agri-food tech sector
- Applications
-
Open until the 22nd October
- Dates
-
From the 29th October until the 5th December 2025
About : Are you able develop innovative digital technologies to transform our food system?
Digital technologies, data science and artificial intelligence is an area of increasing interest.
The unique selling point for the proposed INSPIRE programme relates to the position of the consortium on the UK, EU and global stage on research, knowledge and expertise in food security, food systems and digital technologies. In particular, the lead partner, QUB’s Momentum One Zero, has world leading expertise and reputation in secure connected intelligence, coupled with the internationally renowned expertise in food integrity through the Institute of Global Food Security. This is expected to be a key selling point of the programme, particularly as we aim to deliver a 2-day face-to-face event in QUB.
The EIT Food label and partner contributions will strengthen the course offering even further. This will be complemented with expert speakers and rising food stars from within the EIT Food network.
What will you achieve?
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the challenges in the food system
- Explore and critically assess the different digital technologies which can transform the food sector
- Translate innovations into feasible business solutions for the agri-food sector.
- Think beyond boundaries, and systematically explore and generate new ideas, responding to current and future challenges within the food system.
Who can participate in this course?
The course is open to anyone with a MSc or PhD degree or substantial experience (5 years+) within the agri-food tech sector.
Our Inspire Course is designed for individuals who are passionate about transforming our food system into a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system for all. In particular, we are looking for aspiring entrepreneurs with a keen interest in the digital technologies which could transform the sector, and who would love to come up with innovative potential business ideas to revolutionise the industry.
Ideally, we are seeking PhD students, Postdocs, young professionals, or aspiring entrepreneurs interested in food systems and digital technologies.
We are interested in individuals from multidisciplinary backgrounds to work in teams to come up with innovative ideas e.g., Agriculture, Food Sciences, Engineering, Business / Marketing, Informatics and Computational Science, among others. Candidates must have an interest in agri-food technologies.
Career Opportunities : Training in agriculture and innovation can open new career opportunities
To:
- Farmers and practitioners aiming to understand what the transition to sustainable farming entails and connection to a pan-European network
- PhD, and early career researchers: The Inspire programme will provide the opportunity for the creation of a pan-European network of researchers, industry, and experts across the agri-food community. It will increase their skills in digital technologies and create the conditions for the creation of novel research methods or areas of research currently not fully explored.
- Young Professionals and industry participants: Will get a greater insight and understanding of how secure, connected intelligence and digital technologies can be incorporated into their business / agri-food chain; learning from industry experts and startups; and connections to pan-European network in agri-food
- Aspiring entrepreneurs, startups and spin-offs: Will get entrepreneurship skills training, business coaching from renowned experts in entrepreneurship, innovation and food systems and a greater insight into the food system and problem spaces
- Commercial organisations interested in professional development opportunities for their employees; and building links with a pool of talented agri-food and tech researchers, innovators and professionals and aiming to shape the new generation of talent in the food system.
Testimonials : How this course helped William McColgan developing a demand predication model for perishing foods
William McColgan attended the Inspire – Digital Technologies in the Food System course in 2023.
William and his team placed first in our pitching competition at the end of the course with the business idea – Demand Prediction for Perishable Foods. This idea centered on developing a model using predictive analytics to better match supply and demand of perishable goods to help producers better predict demand.
Since the course, William has taken this idea further and has engaged with the Hartree Centre to further develop the predictive model.
His next steps are to implement this model within McColgan's and see what appetite other producers have to implement these approaches.
McColgans has been hailed for leading the digital transformation vision in the Northern Ireland food sector.
William is a director of McColgan’s food company, which is a third-generation family-owned company with deep roots in Northern Ireland and a commitment to delivering delicious savory pastries. Established by the McColgan family in 1940, the business has a unique story behind its success, having started life as a tea shop in Strabane, Northern Ireland. William and his sister Grainne (the company’s MD) have taken the company from strength to strength, winning the Best Large Company Product award in 2024.
-
“Since the course I am a project collaborator in the Future Island Island (FII) project which looks at waste ecosystems on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. This is a 2 year project, receiving £4.625 million (€5.494 million) to bolster awareness and improve public engagement towards an intuitive, eco-friendly waste management culture. The Food systems course was really useful in allowing me to participate in this project and food systems are integral to where the project is headed.” -
“This program is a great opportunity to explore new ideas on how to accelerate innovation thanks to technology and data helping the food industry to cope with increasing pressure the agri-food sector is currently facing. The most valuable thing for me was to witness effective collaboration between all stakeholders such as farmers, academics, family businesses, big corporations, start-ups and scientists” -
“What I enjoyed most about the course: Exposure to cutting edge food tech development and quality of resource persons. What the single most useful takeaway from this course: Project management of a diverse team of professionals across different time zones”
What you'll learn : You will learn the following competencies
Food systems
- Analyse the complexities of the agri-food system using a range of systems approaches to identify and appraise current and future sustainability challenges.
- Develop innovative digital solutions to address and respond to sustainability challenges in the agri-food system.
Entrepreneurship
- Create digital solutions that have social and environmental value to address a sustainability challenge within the agri-food sector.
- Design and implement effective digital solutions and innovations to deliver impact and sustainable value for supply chain across the agri-food system.
Structure and Modules : The course will have 8 modules:
- Module 1: Introduction to food system challenges and agri-food technologies
- Module 2: Smart farming and emerging technologies
- Module 3: Advanced Food Manufacturing and digital solutions
- Module 4: Data-drive agriculture and predictive analytics
- Module 5: Food safety and blockchain solutions
- Module 6: Sustainability and AI integration
- Module 7: Entrepreneurship and innovation training
- Module 8: In-person workshops at Queen’s University Belfast
Timeline: Wednesday 29th October – Friday 5th December
- Wednesday 29th October: Introduction and Food systems event (online) 10:00-15:30 CET
- Wednesday 5th November: Digital Technologies in the Food System event (online) 10:00-15:30 CET
- Monday 10th – Friday 21st November: Make-a-thon, 3 hr blocks with group work (online) 14:00-17:00 CET
- Thursday 27th and Friday 28th December: In-person workshop at Queen’s University Belfast 10:00-16:00 GMT
- Friday 5th December: Live pitch event with prizes (online) 10:00-15:00 CET
*Additional training with access to extra entrepreneurship provided from 24th November until the 5th December. This is conducted the in the student’s own time.
- Thursday 27th and Friday 28th December: In person 2-day industry showcase in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Details of the event
Day 1:
Based at the Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences at QUB.
- Tour of the Institute for Global Food Security lab and ASSET Technology Centre - a leading analytical chemistry and mass spectrometry research hub, which hosts the Centre for Excellence in Agriculture and Food Integrity, in partnership with the UK's National Measurement Laboratory. The centre is also listed as a 'Centre of Expertise' by the Food Authenticity Network, a UK DEFRA initiative.
- Followed by lunch.
- Talks from agri-food tech companies and networking sessions
- Evening social: Belfast food tour (taking participants on a tour around Belfast City and sampling the local cuisine (https://tasteandtour.co.uk/)
Day 2:
Based at Based at Momentum One Zero at QUB.
- Morning session will be tours of the facilities with the engineering team with loads of technology demonstrations.
- Followed by lunch.
- Talks from the industry - agri and food tech companies.
Included in the price of the full course ticket:
- All means from arrival to departure
- Belfast food tour (3 courses with drinks)
Assessment
The inspire participants will be assessed against the learning outcomes through:
- Formative Assessment:
- Course feedback is provided during 120-minute-long Q&A Student Clinic sessions every Wednesday of the course
- Problem-Solution Fit: Live presentation and feedback
- Solution- Market Fit: Live presentation and feedback
- Summative Assessment:
- End of course food systems and entrepreneurship quiz on Canvas
The training provided as part of the Digital Tech course ends with a final test. Successful participants will be granted a Certificate of Completion.
However, right after the school training ends on the 21st November, participants will have the opportunity to join the Inspire Impact competition, to continue their learning and develop their business ideas through additional entrepreneurship clinics and online-training as well as earn an additional certificate of completion. On the 5th December, Digital Tech students will pitch their innovative business idea with a first-place prize of €1,000 in vouchers to be split between the team. The winning team will be invited to compete in the Inspire Impact competition, where they can win additional cash prizes (up to €4000).
The Inspire Impact course is free of charge for candidates who have satisfactorily completed any Inspire School.
More information about this competition will be shared soon!
- Final Pitch – Teams present their innovative idea at a final pitch event. The teams will be marked on both their pitch and the overall concept.
Practical : Participation Fees - Early Bird / General rate
Full course (online and In-person event):
- Early Bird: €200
- General rate: €250
Online only course:
- Early Bird: €100
- General rate: €150
VAT is included in all the prices.
Early Bird fee deadline: 1st October 2025 23:59:59 CET.
Application Deadline: 22nd October 2025 23:59:59 CET.
Please note, course fees will be waived for 10 individuals with care, responsibilities; persons on parental leave; and people living in rural areas. These will be given out on a first-come first-served basis. Get in touch with the team via email (eitfood@qub.ac.uk) to apply for an EIT-Food funded place, providing your contact details and reasoning. Please include 'Inspire' in the subject of your email.
To enquire about discounted places, including bulk discount for companies or teams, as well as extenuating circumstances, please contact eitfood@qub.ac.uk.
Applications clearly made solely using AI text generation and un-proof read will not be accepted and rejected.
Partners : In collaboration with
Related courses
View our full course catalogue
InfraBooster Foundation
The Human Microbiome
Masters degree • 2 years • Beginner
Consumer’s and Environmental Safety: Food Packaging and Kitchenware