AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE)

What AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE) does

AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE) is a non-profit public-private partnership incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) in Ireland, established in 2018 with combined initial funding of €2 million from Enterprise Ireland, Kerry County Council, Munster Technological University (MTU), and three Tier 1 AgriTech founding partners (Dairymaster, McHale Engineering, and Abbey Machinery). ACE is headquartered at the Tom Crean Business Centre on the MTU Kerry North Campus in Tralee, County Kerry, and is governed by ACE Directors including Professor Joseph Walsh (Head of IMaR and the School of STEM at MTU Kerry) and Professor Edmond Harty (former CEO and Technical Director of Dairymaster). The entity is structured to deliver digital immersive technology and business consultancy services to the AgriTech sector and adjacent industries.

ACE's core asset is the ACE Suite, Ireland's only purpose-built Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality facility, comprising a custom 5m x 2.5m x 2.5m curved screen delivering a 180-degree wrap-around experience, three ultra-short throw laser projectors with stereoscopic 3D capability, five VR stations with high-end wireless headsets, Microsoft HoloLenses, 360-degree cameras, AR-Core enabled tablets, and bespoke 4K video conferencing. Service offerings built on this infrastructure include VR training simulations, 3D premises tours and virtual showrooms, digital twin creation, 3D scanning, drone and sensor services, digital media production, virtual events, learning management integration, and the Process Optimiser Programme (a LEAN/Value Stream Mapping programme awarding NFQ Level 8 credits from MTU).

ACE generates revenue through project-based consultancy engagements, grant-subsidised service delivery via DETE, Enterprise Ireland, and Regional Enterprise Development Fund schemes, and the ACE Comhroinnt Consortium — a 3-year EU/Government of Ireland co-funded consortium programme running under the Southern Regional Programme 2021-2027 that delivers subscription-based access to forums, colloquia, and structured training for industry leaders and scaling SMEs. ACE has expanded from its founding AgriTech focus into manufacturing, food production, sales training, business services, bioeconomy, retail, and education, with named engagements including Tricel (3D scan and AR training), SalesSense (immersive VR sales training), NutraMara, and Cork Fire Brigade. The organisation employs approximately 6 core staff and draws on the broader MTU Kerry research ecosystem including IMaR Technology Gateway (26 researchers) and MTU's 150+ researcher base.

Name

AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE)

Legal name

AgriTech Centre of Excellence, CLG

Website

https://agritechexcellence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE) is an Irish non-profit public-private partnership operating Ireland's premiere AR/VR/MR suite from MTU Kerry's campus in Tralee, delivering immersive technology services, digital twin creation, VR training, and LEAN business process consultancy to AgriTech, manufacturing, food production, sales, and education clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Technology Training and Consultancy

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

VR/AR Gaming Platforms (BPAMAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobile/Digital Experiential (AR/VR, Interactive Installations) (MPAAAGAI)

Keywords

• Immersive reality training
• AgriTech consulting services
• AR/VR content development
• Digital twin creation
• LEAN process optimisation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tralee

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Consultancy and Professional Services: ACE generates revenue through bespoke consultancy engagements delivering immersive technology solutions, digital transformation projects, and business process optimisation services to enterprise clients. Engagement models include project-based consulting and structured programmes like the LEAN Business Process Optimiser spanning 4 months with workshop components.
2. Funding-Subsidised Enterprise Services: Many client engagements are funded through government schemes including DETE Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme administered by Enterprise Ireland, the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, and Southern Regional Programme. ACE provides grant match-making services to identify appropriate funding.
3. Consortium Membership and Training Programmes: The ACE Comhroinnt Consortium offers members-only access to best-practice colloquia, quarterly forums with open-to-all components, and structured programmes including Process Optimiser LEAN, TEAM Innovator, and Customer Experience training. Non-members can access services at cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACE is a public-private partnership established in 2018 that delivers digital immersive technology solutions and business consultancy primarily for the AgriTech sector. Its central asset, the ACE Suite, is Ireland's premier Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality facility featuring a custom curved screen, wireless VR headsets, Microsoft HoloLenses and 360 cameras. ACE builds bespoke VR training content, 3D premises tours, digital twins, drone/sensor services, digital media production, virtual event experiences, and LEAN-based process optimisation programmes funded through government grants and consortium membership.

Product overview

AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE) is a public-private partnership established in 2018, providing a portfolio of digital immersive technology and business consultancy services primarily for the AgriTech sector. The core offering is The ACE Suite - Ireland's premiere Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality collaboration facility. The service portfolio includes VR Training Solutions, 3D Premises Tours & Virtual Showrooms, Digital Twin Creation, Drone and Sensor Services, Digital Media Productions, Virtual Events, Learning Management Solutions, and the Process Optimiser Programme. ACE serves both AgriTech companies (including Dairymaster, McHale, Abbey Machinery) and wider sectors including manufacturing, food production, sales training, business services, bioeconomy, retail, and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The ACE Suite: Ireland's premiere Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality Suite - a purpose-built virtual and physical collaboration space hosting the latest AR, VR, and MR platforms.
• ACE Comhroinnt Consortium
• Business Process Optimiser Programme

Products and services

• The ACE Suite Ireland's premiere Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality Suite: a purpose-built virtual and physical collaboration space (5m x 2.5m x 2.5m curved screen with 180-degree wrap-around experience) equipped with the latest AR/VR/MR hardware including wireless VR headsets, Microsoft HoloLenses, 360 cameras, and interactive touchscreen panels, designed for presentations, workshops, product launches, design thinking sessions, conferences, and media events.
• VR Training Solutions Immersive virtual reality training solutions including proof-of-concept content development, guided training simulations for operation and repair of complex machinery, and safe environment training scenarios that combine training and testing simulations for problem-solving skill development, delivered to enterprise clients in AgriTech, manufacturing, and adjacent sectors.
• 3D Premises Tours and Virtual Showrooms Digital 3D scanning and virtual tour creation services for company premises, supporting staff induction, onboarding, and showcasing of facilities across international locations, demonstrated through the full 3D scan of the Tricel Killarney site and the SalesSense virtual tour of infrastructure.
• Digital Twin Creation Creation of digital twins of company assets using 3D scanning technologies for training, simulation, and operational purposes, enabling virtual representation of physical equipment and facilities for training, onboarding, and remote collaboration.
• Drone and Sensor Services Aerial drone services and sensor technologies for content creation, site surveying, and data collection applications across agricultural and manufacturing contexts.
• Digital Media Productions

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced mentoring and shadowing time for new employees through immersive training content
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, active client, minor and strategic.

• Munster Technological University (MTU) - KerrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Academic institution hosting ACE at MTU Kerry North Campus. Designated National Centre for Agricultural Engineering. Hosts IMaR Technology Gateway (one of twelve nationally). Provides E-Learning Development Support Unit, research infrastructure, UNESCO Chair, and over 150 researchers. Past graduates placed in all top AgriTech companies in Ireland.
• IMaR Technology GatewaycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntelligent Mechatronics and RFID Technology Gateway is one of only twelve Enterprise Ireland-funded Technology Gateway Research Centres. Has 26 researchers and established AgriTech research competencies recognised nationally and internationally.
• Tricelactive clientOthersFamily-owned manufacturing business engaged in partnership with ACE supported by DETE Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme to deliver digital immersive technology services. Full 3D scan and AR training content developed.
• SalesSenseactive clientOthersIrish owned company in Sales and Customer Service sector engaged through partnership funded by DETE administered by Enterprise Ireland. ACE created virtual tour and immersive VR training experience.
• NutraMaraminorOthersListed as an industry partner working with ACE in the bioeconomy sector.
• Cork Fire BrigademinorOthersListed as an industry partner engaged with ACE for immersive technology services.
• ACE Comhroinnt Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner3-year consortium project developing a consortium of industry leaders and scaling SMEs to leverage cross-sectoral and multi-regional experience through knowledge sharing and digitalisation technology adoption. Co-funded by Government of Ireland and European Union through Southern Regional Programme 2021-2027. Partners include Northern and Western Regional Assembly and Southern Regional Assembly.
• AgriTech Ireland ClusterstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry cluster partnership for delivery of the business process optimiser programme enabling companies to deliver process improvements through lean management techniques and value stream mapping.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mursion: Immersive simulation platform for corporate sales, leadership, and customer-experience training combining VR and live actors. Comparable as an immersive-training vendor with documented enterprise outcomes in workforce skills development.
• Warp VR: Dutch VR soft-skills and safety training platform serving enterprise clients in compliance and behavioural training. Comparable as a European immersive-training vendor with a similar SaaS-style model.
• STRIVR: US-based enterprise VR training platform used by retailers, logistics, and sports teams for immersive skills training. Directly comparable as a vendor of VR-based training for enterprise workforces, although operating at significantly larger commercial scale.
• Talespin: Enterprise XR platform for workforce learning, focusing on soft-skills and operational training via immersive simulations. Comparable as an XR training vendor targeting enterprise L&D, particularly in manufacturing and field-service contexts similar to ACE's verticals.
• AgriTech Ireland Cluster: Irish AgriTech industry cluster that partners with ACE on process-improvement programmes. Directly comparable as an Irish AgriTech ecosystem organisation, though operating as a cluster body rather than an immersive-tech provider.
• IMaR Technology Gateway: Intelligent Mechatronics and RFID (IMaR) is the Enterprise Ireland-funded Technology Gateway co-located with ACE at MTU Kerry. It shares the same research infrastructure, AgriTech focus, and 26-researcher team, making it the most directly comparable entity to ACE.
• Engage XR Holdings (formerly Immersive VR Education): Irish-founded immersive VR company building VR training and metaverse platforms for enterprise and education. Directly comparable as a home-grown Irish VR business selling immersive training products, although operating as a commercial entity rather than a non-profit centre.

Broad incumbents

• Tyndall National Institute: Ireland's largest ICT research institute, also funded by Enterprise Ireland/IDA, with deep industry-academic integration. Comparable as a publicly funded Irish research centre that commercialises technology with industry partners, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Lero (SFI Research Centre for Software): Irish Science Foundation Ireland research centre for software, partnering with industry on applied R&D. Comparable as an Irish public-private partnership driving technology commercialisation with industry, although software-focused rather than immersive-tech-focused.

Regional players

• Wageningen University & Research: Leading European AgriTech and food sciences research institution with extensive industry collaboration. Comparable as a Europe-based research powerhouse supporting AgriTech commercialisation, though broader in scope and operating across continental Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agritech-centre-of-excellence-ace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE)