Irish university wins European award for food waste reduction technology
Attendees of the 2025 EIT Food Seedbed Incubator 2025.
An Irish research team which devised a digital platform that can reduce food waste in the supply chain has won the 2025 Best Market Discovery Prize.
The team from South East Technological University (SETU) secured the major European accolade after winning the 2025 Best Market Discovery Prize in the ‘Fair & Resilient Food System Mission’ at the European Institute of Technology (EIT) Food Seedbed Incubator Programme.
The Seedbed Incubator is a six month programme that helps turn science based innovations addressing global food challenges into market ready businesses.
The SETU team developed Eye-Q, an innovative digital technology designed to help tackle food loss and waste across global agri-food supply chains. Through an intuitive and user-friendly platform, Eye-Q supports decision-making for businesses, retailers, and consumers, helping to reduce food waste at every stage of the supply network.
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The technology has the potential to strengthen food security while supporting international sustainability goals and more resilient food systems.
Department of Land Sciences at SETU, Dr Ultan McCarthy, said: “We are delighted to be selected as winners of the 2025 Best Market Discovery Prize in the Fair & Resilient Food System Mission.
Being part of the EIT Food Seedbed Incubator 2025 Cohort Network allowed the Eye-Q team to connect with a global community already making a difference in food waste reduction and to further develop Eye-Q for international impact.”
The EIT Food Seedbed Incubator Programme acts as a venture platform for the European food sector, supporting early-stage science and engineering teams to validate agri-food innovations, better understand market needs, and accelerate the development of new start-ups.
Head of the Department of Land Sciences at SETU, Eleanor Kent, added: “Eye-Q aligns strongly with SETU’s wider mission to tackle food waste, support sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship. The technology addresses a significant global challenge and demonstrates how applied research can create meaningful economic, environmental, and societal impact.”
Head of Innovation and Commercialisation at SETU, Dr James O’Sullivan, who worked closely with the Eye-Q team, said: “This award is an important recognition of the innovation potential within SETU’s research community and highlights the strength of collaboration between researchers and the university’s commercialisation supports.”
The success of Eye-Q highlights Ireland’s growing reputation as a leader in sustainable agri-food innovation, demonstrating how research, collaboration, and digital transformation can deliver real-world impact.
