Combining the best of two popular programmes, this one-year masters enables our graduates to pursue a career in management or marketing in the food sector.
As Ireland’s oldest and largest indigenous industry, the agri-food sector connects local communities from across the country with vast and diverse international markets.
Today, Ireland’s agri-food industry exports to over 175 countries and by 2025, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine hope to increase exports to €19bn by providing offerings that target different life-stage requirements of burgeoning middle-class consumers in emerging markets.
However, only by fostering and developing talent right along the supply chain and instilling the necessary technical and entrepreneurial skill sets can Ireland’s agri-food industry understand where opportunities lie and focus on exports that deliver the best returns.
Through practical application, our new MSc in Food Business and Innovation has been developed to equip graduates with the skills required to pursue opportunities in this international food sector.
Here are five ways how.
1. Combining the best of two popular programmes
Our new MSc in Food Business and Innovation combines the key components from our MSc in Food Business and MSc in Food Marketing.
This has resulted in CUBS creating a forward-looking MSc programme that aligns with current and future market needs and expectations.
2. Innovation is the way forward
Included among the goals of UCC’s Strategic Plan 2013-2017, was the ambition to “instil a strong culture of entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the University”.
In its subsequent strategic plan for 2017-2022, UCC outlined its aim to Increase capacity for entrepreneurship and job creation through a number of means including “embedding entrepreneurship as an integral part of undergraduate and postgraduate education”.
The entrepreneurship and innovation by engendering an entrepreneurial mindset in students to act as entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial managers or social entrepreneurs.
3. Food Entrepreneurship
The MSc in Food Business and Innovation exposes students to the world of food entrepreneurship by providing graduates with the expertise to respond to the needs of customers and make a meaningful contribution to the development of a more market-oriented food industry.
This aligns with Food Wise 2025, the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine’s 10 year plan for the agri-food sector, which aims to drive entrepreneurship through Enterprise Ireland, who “will create a new funding offer to incentivize a small number of scalable food and beverage start-ups”.
4. Updated and Exciting Modules
In order to reflect key business requirements and the global nature of the food industry, the MSc in Food Business and Innovation includes exciting modules that explore Food Branding, Digital Media Marketing and Sustainable Food Systems.
The programme also offers students a contemporary view of food supply chains and the environment in which they operate, with a focus on strategy, innovation and supply chain analysis.
This will allow students to expand their knowledge of food, the consumer, the decision-making processes employed by companies, branding, distribution.
5. Apply your learning with industry placements
Following extensive consultations with current students, graduates, staff, employers and a wide variety of stakeholders, we developed the MSc in Food Business and Innovation to respond to the needs of industry.
Our graduates are equipped with the expert skills to analyse the key issues impacting on an evolving food chain and changing consumer demand, enabling students to pursue a career in strategic management.
Students also gain valuable insight and experience while on placement in the food industry, affording them with the opportunity to apply the theoretical skills they developed through lectures in the real world.
Through practical application, this programme equips graduates with analytical, communication, business and presentation skills, which are required and highly valued by the industry.