Category: Irish Tech News

The gas network can enhance Ireland’s energy security

Gas is the trusted backbone of Ireland’s energy system, powering over 30% primary energy needs and generating half of the country’s electricity.”

That was the message from Gas Networks Ireland’s Senior Network Forecasting Engineer, Siobhán O’Halloran, at Ibec’s recent online business briefing event on Ireland’s energy security and emergency preparedness following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ms O’Halloran presented on Ireland’s energy security, emergency preparedness and the gas network of the future, and joined an Irish energy panel discussion alongside other leaders from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications; MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy at UCC; and Ibec.

With a background in mathematics and physics, Ms O’Halloran and her team lead the demand forecasting function within Gas Networks Ireland, assessing the future demand for gas and sources of supply on Ireland’s gas transmission and distribution systems.

Ms O’Halloran said the development of Ireland’s renewable gas industry and the important role of natural and renewable gases in Ireland’s energy transition and cleaner energy future cannot be overstated.

“Ireland’s €2.7bn, 14,617km national gas network is considered one of the safest and most modern gas networks in the world and is the cornerstone of Ireland’s energy mix. Our vision is to replace natural gas with renewable gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen, and further enhance Ireland’s energy security,” Ms O’Halloran said.

“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has brought the topic of energy security and the safe supply of energy to the fore, resulting in both the Government’s recently published National Energy Security Framework and the European Commission’s new REPowerEU plan both calling for the reduction of dependence on Russian fossil fuels by diversifying gas supplies and speeding up the roll-out of renewable gases.”

“Gas Networks Ireland strongly supports this ambition, which will help to substantially reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions while ensuring a secure energy supply, in the least disruptive most cost-effective manner.”

Special Recognition Award “recognises the contribution of Google to Ireland”

IDA Ireland’s second ‘Special Recognition Award’ recognising the contribution of our clients to Ireland was presented by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and IDA Ireland to Google and accepted by its CEO Sundar Pichai, at a special ‘Building The Future Together’ event in California this morning.

CEO of IDA Ireland Martin Shanahan said: “Google is a very deserving recipient of this year’s Special Recognition Award. The company’s expansion in Ireland over the last 20 years is a story that has travelled across the world.”

“These are important relationships to mark, and it is important that we celebrate the huge contribution our 1700+ FDI companies have made to Ireland. Foreign Direct Investment continues to be a substantive driver of the Irish economy. Our client companies in Ireland have demonstrated longevity, resilience and continued commitment, creating jobs – the numbers directly employed in the multinational sector in Ireland is at an all time high of 275,384 (11% of the Irish labour force) – and delivering enormous benefits to the national and regional economies. In making this award, we are also recognising the achievement that is Ireland’s proven ability to be an enduring partner for businesses with international ambitions. It is also an opportunity to showcase internationally the level and sophistication of FDI in Ireland.”

Google opened a small office in Ireland in 2003 and has invested significantly in Ireland over the past 20 years, including over €1.5 billion in the past five years. Google Ireland, as the company’s EMEA HQ, now has a workforce of over 9,000 and serves as a hub for dozens of functions and teams supporting Google’s global operations. This includes almost 1,000 engineers working across site reliability and software engineering functions.

This award is also an appreciation of the work that everyone at Google in Ireland does in helping bring the company continue to succeed and providing support for customers around the world. It also recognises Google’s commitment to Ireland.

Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar said: “I’m really happy to present Google with this Special Recognition Award and sincerely thank Sundar and the team for their continued commitment to Ireland. From a team of 100 in 2003, to over 9,000 today, Google has made an outstanding contribution to our country. I do not underestimate the role the company has played in enhancing our reputation and attracting further investment to our shores. This Award is a good opportunity to thank the Google team and recognise their contribution.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet said: “Over almost two decades, Google and Ireland have worked together to advance Irish innovation and develop helpful tools to support the growth of small businesses. It is an honor to accept this award. We look forward to working together to develop Irish talent and make technology part of a strong future for every Irish community.”

Tánaiste addressed the audience of invited guests drawn from IDA client companies, key stakeholders, business people as well as some Google and IDA Ireland employees and presented the award to Sundar Pichai alongside Martin Shanahan.

IDA said that the event would showcase internationally Ireland as a location for FDI and focus on the excellent Irish Tech talent that is available.

Cork’s Boole Syndicate invested €2.3M in start-ups last year

CorkBIC today announces that business angel investment is thriving in Cork as it prepares to host Europe’s largest international private investment and entrepreneurship gathering next month. CorkBIC figures show that the HBAN Boole Syndicate, based in Cork, invested €2.3M in start-ups last year, up 52% on the previous year. It has now invested almost €11.5M in Irish start-ups since its inception in 2013.

The increase in investment activities has been supported by the growth of the Boole Syndicate. It now has 52 active members, up 24% from 2020. A significant proportion of the investments being made by business angels in the Boole Syndicate, managed by CorkBIC and the Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN), are in Cork companies.

CorkBIC will showcase the strength of the Irish start-up ecosystem and early-stage investment at the EBAN Congress 2022 on May 18th and 19th, in the presence of Michael Mc Grath TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, as Europe’s business angels meet in-person for the first time in more than two years. A number of speakers have been added to the line-up, including Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General, UN Women; Pearse Flynn, founder, EI-H2; and Terence O’Rourke, Chairman, Enterprise Ireland.

The event will feature panel discussions; networking; an awards ceremony; and a pitching competition. It will educate Europe’s business angels and entrepreneurs on key elements of successful angel investing, including exits; cross-border investing; and syndicates. Speakers and panelists will also explore the opportunities of impact investing, ESG, DeepTech for a safer Europe and the funding of new technologies such as AI, blockchain and machine learning,

Michael O’Connor, CEO, CorkBIC, said: “Cork’s economy is thriving and that is reflected in the start-up ecosystem. Some of the world’s biggest companies are based in Cork, creating a talent pool for start-ups and a knowledge pool of angel investors who can share their expertise with entrepreneurs.

 “As a result, angel investment in Cork is continuing to grow year-on-year. Now is the ideal time to showcase that on a European stage and use our knowledge to help our international angel investor community to be successful. We want to show investors that world-class innovation and expansion is happening nationwide and that some Cork companies have recently delivered returns to business angels that are twelve times greater than original sums invested.”

 One example of a Cork company that has received significant funding from business angels and other investment sources is Gasgon Medical. The company recently raised €2.25M as part of a funding round that was led by DBIC Ventures and included HBAN’s Boole Syndicate, Irrus Investments, and MedTech Syndicate; Spain’s AIG; and a number of private investors in the US.

The company has developed a low-cost device, Air Vault, that attaches directly to IV drips in hospitals to eliminate air bubbles. These can be fatal for patients if they enter the bloodstream and dangerous for nurses, who must break the IV line if air bubbles form, therefore exposing them to medications that can be harmful over time. Gasgon Medical will use its funding to launch in the US in Q1 2023 and grow its team from six to 10 by year-end 2022.

Vincent Forde, CEO and founder, Gasgon Medical, said: “We deliberately sought investors that would bring strategic value to our business: not just capital, but smart money. They will be invaluable as we grow the business. We are currently carrying out pilot studies in hospitals in Ireland, Europe and the US. They see it as a no-brainer solution and our aim is for every IV system worldwide to have an Air Vault attached as the de facto solution to eliminating air bubbles.

 “We have a growing MedTech community in Cork and that has proved very beneficial to us as we seek funding and supports to expand. The network effect is very strong and that gives us access to investors and knowledge in the industry, which we may not otherwise have.”

Speakers at the EBAN Congress will include some of Europe’s most successful investors and super angels. Tickets can be purchased online at https://ebancongress.com/tickets/.

Cathy Bryce, Managing Director AIB Capital Markets, said: “AIB is delighted to be a sponsor of this European business angel reunion. Business angel investment is a vital source of funding for start-ups and we look forward to supporting its growth in Ireland and across Europe through this year’s EBAN Congress. With AIB’s strong commitment to ESG we’re delighted that the conference will explore the role angel investing can play in driving sustainability and encouraging more women to be represented in venture capital.’’

 Roger Wallace, EY Private and EY Entrepreneur of the Year Lead, said: “As a firm who works with, and supports, some of the most exciting entrepreneurial companies both here in Ireland and internationally, EY is very excited to be collaborating with CorkBIC on this year’s EBAN congress. It has been long-awaited and we encourage both the entrepreneurial and the investor community to attend, to benefit from the valuable networking and investments opportunities that this event will create.”

Leo McAdams, Divisional Manager, Investment Services and Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland welcomes the EBAN Congress to Cork this year. The creation of innovative start-up companies is the bedrock for economic growth nationally and I welcome this opportunity to showcase the strength of the Irish start-up ecosystem to EBAN’s international investors. This event will build on our existing HBAN angel activity and will enable entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors, partners and collaborators at the Congress.”

Partners & Sponsors for the EBAN Congress are EBAN, CorkBIC, EU Commission & Invest EU Portal, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, EY Private, AIB Group, Enterprise Ireland, Irish BICs & it@Cork.

Bolt, the mobility super-app, has pledged to plant a tree every time the Bolt app is used on Earth Day

Bolt, the mobility super-app, has pledged to plant a tree every time the Bolt app is used on Earth Day this Friday. The global initiative will be live across all Bolt products in Ireland and will result in millions of trees being planted.

The pledge will be delivered in partnership with Seedballs, a reforestation project in Kenya.

Seedballs Kenya is the first in a series of nature-based solutions Bolt is investing in to generate better impacts for the environment as part of the company’s commitment to neutralise the impact of its own operations.

Working closely with Seedballs Kenya, Bolt will facilitate the spread of 25 Tons of indigenous seeds to damaged land across Kenya where natural reforestation is unlikely to occur, the equivalent to planting 11.25 million trees. The Earth Day initiative will result in millions more trees being planted.

Seedballs

James Bowpitt – Ireland Country Manager – Bolt, said: “Having a positive environmental impact is a core part of Bolt’s mission: to build cities for people, not cars. In addition to helping reduce emissions in cities by providing alternatives to private car ownership, we are committed to alleviating the environmental impact of our operations through projects like Seedballs and are pleased to go one step further to mark Earth Day with this new initiative.”

Teddy Kinyanjui, Co-founder – Seedballs said: “In Kenya, like many other countries, the forests and grasslands are under great pressure. One of the many challenges of landscape scale restoration is that indigenous seeds are often food for different types of animals like mice and birds. That’s where we come in. The Seedballs program overcomes this challenge by coating native seeds in waste charcoal dust which prevents the seeds from being eaten. This means that the native grass and tree seeds can be planted year round rather than waiting for the rainy season. When it rains enough, the charcoal dust dissolves and the seed sinks into the ground back to its natural state, ready to grow.”

For Bolt, this project is the latest example of the business’ commitment to reducing its overall impact on the environment which started with the launch of its Green Plan in 2019. By investing millions into the Green Plan, Bolt has adapted its operations to minimise its impact on the environment, neutralising over 4.5 billion km of rides; becoming the first e-scooter platform to operate climate positive e-scooters in December 2020; and launching e-bikes across Europe in 2021.

Wisetek Celebrates Earth Day 2022

To mark Earth Day 2022 on 22nd April, Wisetek, a global leader in advanced IT asset disposition (ITAD), data destruction, technology reuse and manufacturing services, is calling on global companies to ethically manage their e-waste collection and destruction, and to be proactive in their sustainability initiatives and policies.

Wisetek has recently partnered with Trees on the Land, a cross-border initiative working to establish young native trees across Ireland, on a commitment to plant a tree for every order placed on their ecommerce site, Wisetek Store. Wisetek and Trees on the Land are currently in the process of planting 5,000 trees at sites across Co. Cork.

The company has a dedicated environmental committee and Corporate Sustainable Initiatives programme in place, with the objective of continually improving the internal environmental policies and processes at its facilities across Ireland, the UK, the USA, the Middle East and Thailand. Some of these initiatives include:

  • Supporting Local Communities – The Deng Forest Community live in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand, which is outside the current reach of the national electricity grid. In 2014 Wisetek initially donated 1,200 batteries to the community, in co-operation with the Thai Ministry for Energy and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) to operate the installed solar panels that create an electricity source for the community. Since 2014, Wisetek has donated up to 9,600 batteries to the Deng Forest Community.
  • Environmental week is an annual event within Wisetek that aims to encourage employees to take part in environmental activities. This week focuses on the theme of “Waste Not, Want Not”, with staff taking part in activities and projects with reused materials that would otherwise be considered waste.
  • Employee WEEE Days are a service that Wisetek offer to our employees that enables them to bring in their electronic waste and it will be responsibly disposed of, free of charge.

The theme of Earth Day this year is ‘Invest in Our Planet’. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

Sean Sheehan, CEO of Wisetek, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of all Wisetek’s operations, and is a core value by which we abide. It is our hope that Earth Day 2022 will help to raise awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship among Irish and international businesses. I would like to thank all our employees for their continued efforts in executing on our sustainability initiatives, including our recent partnership with Trees on the land. In order to safeguard our environment, it is essential that companies take ownership of their environmental footprint and are proactive in finding ways to reduce it.”

Last year, Wisetek recycled over five million pounds of IT materials, including desktop computers, laptops, phones and printers, on behalf of its clients. This resulted in a reduction of over 7 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Over 150,000 pounds of toxic materials were also diverted from landfill by the company. According to the e-Stewards Global Impact Calculator, these sustainability saving equate to the impact of over 17,600 trees.

Empowering the Sustainable Cities of the Future with Technology

By Jason Ward, Jason Ward, Vice-President and Managing Director, Dell Technologies Ireland

Data has quickly become one of the most critical elements to enable the success of not just businesses, but society as a whole. Envision a carbon-negative urban environment, with a population consuming less than what is generated, from energy and water to household efficiency through to efficient green buildings. All thanks to data.

On Earth Day, we can imagine this future and work towards realising it. As we reflect on the current environmental challenges facing our planet, data and technology have a crucial part to play in tackling climate change.

Current Challenges

By 2050, the United Nations predicts that 68% of the world’s population will be concentrated in urban centres, as compared with 54% in 2014 and 30% in 1950[1]. Such a rapid shift in the rural-urban population distribution, along with a rise in information and communication technology (ICT), is driving the social and economic transformation of cities. To continue to flourish, cities will need to address and manage population growth, safety, traffic, pollution, commerce and economic growth in a sustainable way.

As local authorities, government agencies, and urban planners set out to digitally transform urban landscapes and systems to address these challenges, technology innovations and data should be the driving force behind their vision.

Sustainable Digital Cities

Data will be central in our drive towards more sustainable cities, by revolutionising the way cities are managed – allowing us to use resources more efficiently. Thanks to hybrid cloud capabilities, IoT sensors, and edge computing, we can now analyse data in real-time and take immediate actions.

Recent studies suggest that cities are responsible for up to 72% of global greenhouse gas emissions[2], with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors. Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), city and police force officials are now adopting smart traffic management with intelligent traffic lights that can optimise traffic flows to save drivers’ time and reduce CO2 emissions.

Managing air pollution can be achieved with smart beacons in real-time. These can have health as well as sustainability benefits as they could be used to alert people with asthma to dangerous levels of pollution.

Today’s cities produce vast amounts of data. As 5G advances, edge computing will leap into action transforming what is possible, as data grows exponentially. The deployment of edge computing will for example reduce the flow of unnecessary data which will cut down on resources used to cool storage units and enable more sustainable data management.

In the context of commercial developments within our cities, AI is the tool of choice for operators to help drive energy efficiency in most factories and production facilities. By forecasting energy demand and consumption and scheduling power-intensive tasks accordingly, this solution is driving the sustainable factories of the future.

Driving Sustainability at Dell

Curbing climate change and carbon emissions requires a multifaceted and societal approach. Technology and digital innovation are however important tools that can play a crucial role in supporting sustainable societal ambitions. This process starts with us.

At Dell Technologies, sustainable operations are at the core of our business. We are particularly focused on accelerating the circular economy, protecting the planet, and championing the people who make our products. To ensure everyone benefits from the sustainable cities we are all building, we have committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2030 as part of our Progress Made Real goals, in line with Ireland’s own Climate Action journey.

As part of these commitments, we have set out to push the boundaries of sustainable design for our PCs and combat e-waste, the fastest growing domestic waste stream in the world. With Concept Luna, a pioneering initiative developed in collaboration with Intel, we are exploring design ideas to make components immediately accessible, replaceable and reusable—reducing resource use and keeping even more circular materials in the economy. If all the design ideas in Concept Luna were realized, we are expecting to see an estimated 50% reduction in the overall product carbon footprint.

Here in Ireland, we recently announced the expansion of our Asset Recovery Services. This programme supports any brand of laptop, desktop, server, peripheral or accessory, helping businesses receive value from their existing devices and implement sustainable recycling. It is thanks to schemes like this that have made it possible for Dell to recover more than 2.5 billion electronics since 2008.

Committing to Earth Day

This Earth Day, Dell, together with our partners, is continuing to work to harness the power of technology and achieve our shared vision of a sustainable future. To reach this goal, we must strengthen our capabilities to measure our progress, ensure accountability and further invest in collaboration.

While no one person or company can solve climate change and tackle e-waste, we understand the deep impact that technological

New research highlights growing potential of Irish Immersive Technology industry

A new research report “The Irish Immersive Economy” launching today shows that the Irish immersive technology sector is currently worth over €43 million, with significant potential for future growth as 63% of businesses in the sector expect to grow in the coming 12 months.

Commissioned by Immersive Technologies Skillnet, Animation Skillnet and Screen Skillnet, all promoted by Dublin Business lnnovation Centre (DBIC), the report outlines Ireland’s current immersive technology capacity and capabilities. It also makes recommendations that support business growth across a range of sectors and supports the attraction of foreign-direct investment within the sector.

The research finds that there is significant opportunity for Irish immersive tech businesses to excel on a global scale, with 80% of Irish immersive businesses are exporting to Europe and internationally. Investment in the sector is also robust with a majority of organisations surveyed certain they will either make a major investment (22.2%) or exploring new applications (40.5%), with a further 18.5% seeing a possibility of investing in the next 12 months.

The report also explores the most critical barriers to growth in the sector, and signalling that significant strategic support is required to capitalise on these new opportunities. Five main barriers to growth of the sector include shortages in talent (44.9%), funding (44.1%), knowledge (31.5%) and time (31.5%), as well as a lack of an ecosystem (29.9%).

Speaking in advance of the launch, Tracey Donnery, Executive Director, Skillnet Ireland said: “Immersive technologies have evolved rapidly in recent years. For Ireland to be a global leader in this space, we need to ensure the immersive technologies talent base reflects not just current business demands but the challenges of future growth in existing and new markets. Central to achieving our potential in this space will be developing a robust skills and talent pipeline, a world class research and development framework, and relevant business supports to start-ups and scaling up existing businesses.”

 Susan Talbot, Network Manager, Immersive Technologies Skillnet, said: “This much needed body of work not only gives us a baseline for future research around the Irish immersive ecosystem, but will help align thinking and aid key decision makers moving forward. From a Network perspective, the recommendations will ensure a continued industry-led approach in building Ireland’s immersive talent pool.”

 Camille Donegan, Director of Eirmersive and Creative Director of Solas VR, said: “This important report was commissioned to gain a better understanding of Ireland’s emerging immersive technology ecosystem and talent needs. It responds to a growing demand from industry itself to articulate Ireland’s unique voice and contribution to the national and global immersive technology marketplace. The report will also help inform how key government stakeholders can go further in supporting the needs of this emerging sector.”

 The report also reveals sectors where immersive technologies are finding the widest application including education and research, software development, and training and skills. It also shows the real-life impact of immersive technologies and the benefits it can offer Irish businesses and people including:

  • BioPharmaChem Skillnet recently collaborated with TU Dublin to develop a VR programme called ‘Powder Handling for Pharma Manufacturing’. Using VR, it allows participants to learn powder handling essentials – a critical process in pharmaceutical manufacturing – in a low-risk environment – significantly reducing training costs as workers virtually perform activities in a simulated environment.
  • Immersive tech is also helping many organisations who are unlikely to go back to a full “office only” model. MeetingRoom has built a secure and scalable end to end VR enterprise solution to encourage collaboration where people cannot be in the same room together, proving especially useful for sessions that do not work well on standard video calls, such as workshops, brainstorming, site tours and audits.

TechFest 2022 returns in-person to Cork City

it@cork has today officially launched TechFest 2022, its annual flagship technology conference, which returns for its first in-person event since 2019. The technology conference will be held in the Clayton Hotel in Cork City from 9:30am on the 25th of May 2022 with a festival of supporting technology events all that week. Tickets for the main conference are currently on sale at https://bit.ly/itcorktechfest22.

The technology festival will feature expert speakers from across the world, including Global Tech for Good practitioner and Director at GitHub Mala Kumar and Environmental Scientist Dr. Tara Shine. The event, MC’d by award-winning industry broadcaster Jonathan McCrea, will also feature workshops, networking opportunities and an industry expo.

Gillian Bergin, it@cork Chairperson and Senior Consultant with DELL Technologies commented: “We are energised and excited that TechFest returns as an in-person event this year. There are two years of networking and knowledge sharing to catch up on, and we have a jam-packed day planned with panel discussions, breakout sessions and keynote addresses.

“With our three key themes of Transform, Innovate and Inspire, attendees will hear from industry leaders and subject matter experts on how tech has enabled them to adapt and succeed, overcoming the lingering impacts of the pandemic. There will also be a focus on how companies can overcome the current talent crisis, how current and future transformative technologies will impact the nature of work and challenging discussions on possibilities and practicalities.” 

Over 250 people are expected to attend the event, giving the opportunity for attendees to network, connect and collaborate. Other speakers include Dr Marguerite Nyhan, Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering and Future Sustainability from UCC, Rois Ni Thuma, Head of Cyber Governance from Redsift, Niamh Parker, Co-Founder from Altada, Greg Tarr, Chief Executive Officer from Inferex, Conor O’Loughlin Co-Founder of Glofox, and Ross Frenett, Founder and Chief Executive Officer from Moonshot. Plus, many more speakers will be released in the coming weeks. 

TechFest project lead William Dalton, Head of Global Infrastructure Services at Trend Micro and it@cork board member added: “We are also inviting organisations in the region to host satellite events that week, creating a multi-day technology festival, offering diversity of thought and experience, and showcasing the best of what the region has to offer”

As part of the TechFest 2022 schedule, it@cork is inviting organisations in the southwest of Ireland to host an event for it@cork members and beyond. If you have an idea for a partner event, please contact Juliette at juliette@itcork.ie. 

At their recent AGM, it@cork appointed five new members to their board, including Laura Hughes, Program Manager at Cloudera, Vikram Kunnath, Lifesciences Manufacturing, Supply chain and Technology Consulting leader and Partner at Ernest & Young, Louise O’Neill, Associate Director at Berkley Group, Catherine Evans, RDI Collaboration Manager at Fexco and Matthew Camilleri, Founder and CEO at Castille.

Tickets for the event are now on sale at https://bit.ly/itcorktechfest22, but numbers are limited so attendees are encouraged to book early as the event is expected to be a sell-out.

Dublin’s Future Human partners with IT Ukraine in May

Future Human will partner with the IT Ukraine Association for this year’s event. Future Human takes place on May 12-13, at the state-of-the-art Trinity Business School on Pearse Street in Dublin, where leading international thinkers will share their wisdom on the future of everything.

Produced by Silicon Republic, and supported by Aon, the event replaces the award-winning Inspirefest, which ran for five years at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin.

Full details at:  https://hopin.com/events/futurehuman2022/registration

Along with leading thinkers on Entrepreneurship, Web3, Climate, Future of Work and Business, the event will host a special panel on the Future of Ukraine. Along with Irish-based speakers like Neill Dunwoody, co-founder of TechLink Ukraine, IT Ukraine Executive Director Konstantin Vasyuk will be dialled in live to join the panel.

“It was important that at an international event like Future Human, we hear from our peers in the innovation sector in Ukraine at such a tough time,” says Ann O’Dea, founder of Future Human and CEO of Silicon Republic.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Konstantin and the team at IT Ukraine, as well as with other players locally like Tech Link Ukraine and Pryvit.ie to ensure our Ukrainian friends and colleagues have a presence and a voice at the event.”

“We are so pleased that Future Human will be a platform for exploring the Future of Ukraine,” says Vasyuk. “Especially considering that the future – being the joined values of civilized nations – is exactly what Ukraine is fighting for in the war with Russia. I believe at this forward-looking event, we will be able to discuss how Ukrainian tech contributions can inspire the world.”

In Ireland, AWS In Communities is supporting Future Human to bring a group of recently arrived Ukrainian STEM professionals in person to this year’s event for free, and many have already received their tickets, by applying via Pryvit.ie. On Friday afternoon, attendees will get to mingle in smaller groups when the main stage closes early, with a special Masterclasses programme this year, which will include several masterclasses and workshops aimed at recent arrivals from Ukraine.

“We want to ensure our new arrivals get a great welcome into the sector here and make valuable connections, and we’re very grateful to AWS in Community and Pryvit.ie for supporting us to do this,” says O’Dea.

The rest of the main stage programme includes industry leaders like Aon president, Eric Anderson, entrepreneurs like Des Traynor, co-founder of Irish Unicorn, Intercom, and Dee Coakley, co-founder of Boundless, as well as academic speakers like Professor Alice Roberts, who is a familiar face from her 100+ TV appearances in the UK. You can find the speaker line-up and programme to date here.

In-person numbers are limited this year, but the entire main stage programme will be streamed live on 12 and 13 May for virtual ticket holders.