The project team highlights the collective impact of a portfolio of projects, representing the broader transformation driven by research and educational interventions. The team is committed to advancing entrepreneurial education; enabling educators to integrate entrepreneurship, food sustainability, digital innovation, and green skills into agri-food curricula. Over 100 educators across six countries have been upskilled through our projects, with more than 30,000 stakeholders engaged via tailored training, MOOCs, toolkits, and digital platforms with over 1,700 active users. These efforts have enriched and adapted curricula aligned with the UN SDGs and the EU Green Deal, preparing graduates not only for employment but also to launch entrepreneurial ventures that strengthen local economies and support sustainability goals.
One of our proudest achievements has been the creation of an inclusive infrastructure that nurtures female agri-food entrepreneurs through mentoring and sector-specific training ensuring equitable participation in shaping the future of food. Through our female-focused projects, the research team has engaged with over 265 women in the agri-food sector across Europe and Vietnam.
Crucially, our projects are not confined by borders. Strategic alliances with Monash University (Australia), Nong Lam University (Vietnam), and Ukrainian universities through Erasmus+ projects demonstrate the scalability and adaptability of our model across cultural contexts. These collaborations not only foster resilience and capacity-building but enrich our shared learning environments with diverse perspectives. By involving academic, industry, and community stakeholders in the co-design of programmes, we are cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets and leading the transformation toward a more resilient, innovative, and sustainable agri-food future.

A central learning for the team is the importance of tailoring entrepreneurial education to the specific needs of the agri-food sector. Traditional training methods often overlooked the realities faced by food producers and entrepreneurs. In 2016, the project team developed a “Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship” course to strengthen entrepreneurship within Ireland’s agri-food sector. Through this initiative, they engaged directly with Irish agri-food entrepreneurs, uncovering that peer-led, practical learning approaches were more effective than conventional methods and fostered deeper and more enduring entrepreneurial growth. This insight laid the foundation for a European-scale response. Since 2017, the team has led eight Erasmus+ projects to co-develop entrepreneurial training tailored to the needs of educators and learners in the agri-food sector. These projects took a highly collaborative and inclusive approach, ensuring stakeholders helped shape outcomes. The training resources were designed to be accessible, and regionally adaptable, reflecting the diversity of entrepreneurial contexts across Europe.
Another key learning is the value of iterative development. Entrepreneurial skill needs evolve driven by digital transformation, sustainability challenges, and shifting market demands. The team’s model responded by continuously integrating new insights into successive projects. For example, recognising gaps in digital skills and market access led to training in e-commerce and online business development.
Furthermore, the adaptability of the model was demonstrated internationally, notably in Vietnam, where it was customised to support 90 female agri-food entrepreneurs. These experiences show that impactful entrepreneurial education must be practical, inclusive, research-informed, and rooted in the lived realities of those it aims to empower.

Building on the proven, practice-based approach, the team is committed to expanding its entrepreneurship research and initiatives across the global agri-food sector. Current project outputs grounded in real-world needs and designed for long-term sustainability are inherently scalable, enabling the team to adapt them to varied cultural, economic, and geographic contexts. Looking ahead, the team aim to deepen existing international partnerships and collaborations. These alliances provide access to diverse networks of educators, agri-food entrepreneurs, and sector stakeholders, strengthening the cross-cultural relevance and impact of current project’s. They are also working on developing regional partners in America, Africa, and Asia. By co-developing regionally tailored training resources, the team will continue to address emerging entrepreneurial challenges from climate resilience to digital innovation and inclusive growth. Developing insightful project concepts is a key priority for the team, who are also actively pursuing global funding streams including international development grants and multilateral programmes to support capacity-building efforts at scale.
Through this strategic focus, the team envisions a growing ecosystem of global agri-food entrepreneurs equipped with the skills, knowledge, and support systems necessary to lead sustainable, innovative change in their communities and food systems worldwide.