MSc Insights and Innovation

course overview

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If you’re someone with a real, demonstrable passion for food and you’d like a career in that industry where innovation and entrepreneurship are at the core of what you do – then we have a life changing opportunity with your name written on it.  As part of the Bord Bia Talent Academy, the DCU MSc Insights and Innovation offers a fully-funded Masters qualification and a unique, extensive placement in an innovative and dynamic food or beverage company.  You’ll also receive a monthly bursary and, once qualified, you’ll join an elite, in-demand, professional group of innovation specialists who are revolutionising the industry.

Founded to accelerate innovation in order to create and capture value in the exciting food and beverage industry, the Bord Bia DCU Msc Insights and Innovation has already been the launchpad for many successful careers and we are now once again open for applications for the next intake. This unique 18 month full time programme combines an immersive work placement, in a dynamic food or beverage company, alongside an exciting, professional and contemporary Masters qualification in Insight and Innovation delivered in person in DCU’s Business school.

The programme, which is endorsed and supported by the largest food and beverage companies in Ireland, is designed with three guiding principles: insight, sustainability and innovation. 

Jointly designed by Bord Bia and DCU, this programme’s vision is to forge the next generation of world-class innovators to join the food, horticultural and beverage sectors where they will use their creativity, talent and skill to drive sustainable, scalable, profitable and insight-led growth for their host companies and for their industry.

Run over 18 months, this programme combines study and work placement in a Bord Bia company. It begins with an intensive academic element, with modules taught by experienced thought-leaders in the field of innovation and sustainability in the food industry. Following this, the focus moves to experiential learning, as participants are given work placements at the headquarters of the world’s leading food companies where they work side-by-side with leading Insight and Innovation practitioners to discover, develop and deliver new products and services.

This combination of academic content and work placement enables participants to directly apply the insights gained from DCU Business School coursework to their placement company, with immediate and direct benefit to host companies.

Successful applicants will be fully funded and will receive a total €42,000 bursary over 18 months (paid in instalments) to cover living and some travel expenses.

For further information on Bord Bia please see https://www.bordbia.ie/careers/msc-insight-innovation

* Details of the next intake will be posted on this website as soon as they are confirmed.  Please keep watching.  Or, alternatively, register your interest by emailing: bordbia@dcu.ie – Thank You.

“Having collaborated with Bord Bia over the years we jumped at the opportunity to work with a student from the Bord Bia DCU MSc Insights and Innovation programme for over a year.  We gained access to a fresh pair of eyes focussed on the innovation process which is core to our fast-paced dynamic business, and we provided the student the freedom to take ownership of a wide number of projects important to our business growth.  It was a very positive experience, and we were especially delighted with the delivery of new packaging innovation and a new product launch.  

I recommend other Irish food and drink businesses to consider partnering with Bord Bia and DCU and gain access to fresh perspectives about building their innovation capacity.” 

Pat Rigney, Managing Director & Founder, The Shed Distillery 

The food and beverage industry is Ireland’s oldest industry and biggest employer, and it is set to see major investment, innovation and growth over the coming years.  Shifting consumer patterns and habits alongside emerging technologies and food science, coupled then with enterprising companies and individuals make this industry a hotbed of innovation.  The critical issue is, therefore, to ensure that the innovation coming to market is based on insight and creates and captures value.  To do that requires a professional approach to innovation management and that’s precisely where this programme comes in.

You’ll develop a skillset that’s highly sought after with excellent prospects for employment in this sector upon graduation.  You’ll work at the beating heart of Irish food, drink and horticulture during your placement at a Bord Bia company, learning about how Irish food and beverage companies understand their consumers, plan for evolving trends and constantly adapt to develop new products. 

You’ll join the next generation of world-class innovators in the food, horticultural and beverage sectors where you will use your creativity, talent and skill to drive sustainable, scalable, profitable and insight-led growth for your host company and for the industry.

Learn from DCU Business School’s world-class academics in this field, as well as industry experts, to develop your skillset in sought-after areas such as design thinking, product development and consumer insights. You’ll apply this knowledge immediately to live projects in your host company.

Establish a lifelong relationship with Bord Bia and become part of the network of Bord Bia Talent Academy programme graduates, who will lead Irish food into its future.

Creativity in the design and delivery  of the programme:

High levels of creativity are evident in the design of the modules and their content.  Equally, bringing in partners to input on the programme will expose our students to the contemporary leaders in creativity, innovation and design thinking. Students will hear from the very best practitioners in their field and they will be going on site to Fjord and other leading innovation agencies in Ireland.  Students will also get to visit innovation hubs in food and non-food companies.  

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

Year 1, Semester 1:

• Personal Leadership
• Design Thinking
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Consumer Innovation Adoption

Year 1, Semester 2:

• Global Marketing
• Consumer Insight Generation
• Innovation Strategy
• Market & Consumer Research

Year 2, Semester 1:

• Sustainability & Business
• Innovation in a Digital Age

Year 2, Semester 2:

• Practicum: Applied Research Project

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Our programme focuses on sources of growth.  The main themes of assignments are:

• Sustainability
• Geographic expansion
• Digital opportunities
• Insight-led innovation

The MSc Insights and Innovation programme is ideal for anyone aspiring to be an effective innovator in the agri-food industry.  It directly prepares graduates for roles in innovation leadership, with both the technical and entrepreneurial skill sets required.

Many global companies are choosing to locate their innovation, R&D, and technology centres in Ireland.  This programme helps such companies to build world-class talent in the area of innovation and design thinking for the food, beverage and horticulture industry.

Placements and industry projects are an integral part of the programme and provide participants an opportunity to bridge or translate the theory of innovation and strategy into practice.  Students will learn from host companies, their channel customers and their consumers.  You will foster new and lasting relationships with key stakeholders in the industry.

You will graduate with strong business acumen with an innovative and dynamic mix of skills that will allow you to pursue a career in the agri-food industry.  Your knowledge of the food, horticulture and beverage sector environment and the ability to be able to think innovatively and strategically coupled with your exposure to new methods and technologies will ensure you are in high demand by employers.

For further information on Bord Bia companies please see https://www.bordbia.ie/careers/msc-insight-innovation

“We were delighted to have one of the Masters students placed at Nomadic.  Inputs from what they learned on the course brought fresh perspectives which have improved our innovation process.  Our student took on several projects on insights – producing reports and analysis used by the Commercial team.  They were also able to support a new product from ideation to launch in the UK. We’ve benefitted hugely from the value the student added to the business and their impact will be long standing.”

Tom Price, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Nomadic Dairy

“Arthur Mallon Foods are delighted to have been involved in the Bord Bia DCU Masters in Insights and Innovation.  Our participant added great value to our NPD, Sales and Marketing teams bringing new market and consumer learnings to the business.  These new learnings have helped feed our innovation pipeline and expanded our collective category knowledge. 

In addition, we gained a much greater understanding and access to the wealth of reports and research that Bord Bia has to offer.  All in all a great experience and one that we would strongly recommend to other companies.”

Kathy Boles, Head of Sales & Marketing, Arthur Mallon Foods

* Details of the next intake will be posted on this website as soon as they are confirmed.  Please keep watching.  Or, alternatively, register your interest by emailing: bordbia@dcu.ie – Thank You.

If you are a graduate with a primary degree (and significant experience) and would now like to embark on the next chapter in your career in the food industry, this opportunity is for you.

DCU Business School and Bord Bia are now seeking applications from ambitious recent graduates who come from a broad range of undergraduate degrees and who want to develop their global food industry expertise.

How to Apply

Successful admission to this programme is on the basis of a competitive selection process.  Following review of initial applications,  a select number of candidates will be invited to an online interview with DCU and Bord Bia staff.

Please note that candidates will be selected by a panel composed of Bord Bia representatives along with DCU Business School and accordingly, your application will be shared with the those involved in the selection process.

Candidates may also be required to complete a Workplace Personality Assessment as part of this process.  Successful applicants will be given full details of the final assessment stage.

The 15 candidates deemed to be the most compelling for the programme will then be offered full funded places.

General Entry Requirements

For admission to the M.Sc. Insights and Innovation candidates must hold –

A 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent international qualification

AND

A minimum of 3 years’ work experience ideally in the food, beverage or innovation sector.

Applicants who have achieved a 2.2 Honours degree may still obtain a place. This will depend on availability of places and on obtaining high grades in relevant modules on their undergraduate programme.

AND

Eligibility to work and study in Ireland.

A demonstrable passion for innovation and creativity and an ambition to develop a career in insight-led innovation and commercialisation.

A clear desire to establish a lifelong career in Food, Beverage of Horticulture sectors.

Willingness to commit to a full-time 18 month programme.

Please view our English language and academic entry requirements at https://www.dcu.ie/registry/english.shtml

Do you meet the general entry requirements above? 

The application portal will open as soon as the date for the next intake is confirmed.

Selection Process

As this is a fully funded programme by Bord Bia, we expect the selection process to be very competitive; ultimately there are just 15 places available on this exclusive programme.

After individuals have made a general application via the DCU Business School webpage, there will be a shortlisting exercise.  Those shortlisted will be asked to complete a personality test and invited to an online ‘Assessment Centre’ to a panel from Bord Bia and DCU.

This assessment will include an interview as well as an opportunity for candidates to present themselves and also present a proposed innovative new food product solution to a given challenge.

Some candidates may also be required to attend a final face-to-face interview in DCU Business School.

At the end of this process, a letter of offer will be made to the selected candidates deemed to be the 15 people best suited for this fantastic opportunity.