On May 14th, TUS welcomed a full house of entrepreneurs, innovators, and rural business leaders to Ballykilcavan Farm & Brewery for Rural Exchange, a half-day workshop focused on building stronger, more sustainable enterprises.
Hosted in partnership with TUS RISE, AgriNext and SETU the event featured real-world insights and experiences from local businesses across a variety of sectors, including farm diversification, wellness, and social entrepreneurship. Attendees heard firsthand how businesses are adapting, evolving, and identifying new opportunities in an ever-changing environment.
A key takeaway on the day was the power of building your network, skills and the unique opportunity presented to each enterprise through developing their own local story. Rural Exchange also highlighted the range of supports available through technological universities and local enterprise networks, including education, training, and upskilling opportunities designed to help businesses future-proof their operations.
As a place-based initiative, Rural Exchange aims to strengthen awareness of diversification pathways while supporting resilience, adaptability, and long-term growth across rural communities. Through collaboration and shared learning, the event demonstrated how stronger rural businesses can be built together.
AgriNext Knowledge Sharing & Training Platform:
Collaborative physical and virtual spaces enabling the exchange of multifunctional agriculture skills, with a strong emphasis on green competences such as precision and smart farming.
Pictured L-R: Sergio Botelho, SETU; Brian Ogilvie, SETU; Jane Foster, SETU; Steve O’Donohue, TUS; Elaine Cleary, TUS; Peadar Casey, TUS; Kayleigh Foran, TUS.
TU RISE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27
