Case-Study: An Industry-Academic Engagement Study of the Brewing and Distilling Sector in Ireland

Industry-academic (I-A) engagement models refer to the collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners to co-create and develop educational programmes that are relevant and responsive to industry needs. This study consists of research conducted as part of a 5 month Convene fellowship. It examines aspects such as industry demand, training, competency, knowledge, research projects, and modes of delivery for a proposed Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip, 60 ETS) and Master of Science (MSc, 90 ECTS) in Brewing and Distilling (B&D). This study used an I-A model to capture and collate sector specific feedback and priorities. This was achieved through 40 industry surveys and 28 stakeholder interviews, conducted between February and June 2022. Notably, this engagement model was found to effectively inform curriculum development, clarify industry skill-set expectations, and elucidate sector demands, challenges, knowledge gaps, and opportunities.