Tag: #awards

Edifier receives 6 prestigious awards at the VGP 2023 awards

The innovative and world-leading audio brand Edifier continues its tradition of manufacturing high quality, innovative, audio products. To re-affirm this, the company announces that it has taken six awards at the prestigious Visual Grand Prix (VGP) 2023 in Japan. The MS50A, WH500, W240TN were recognised as lauded Gold Award Winners whilst the MP230, MF200 and W220T received the VGP 2023 Award.

The Japanese VGP Awards are well known as the “Oscar in the Audio Industry”. They are the largest, most authoritative audio-visual awards in Asia. It is held on an annual-basis by Ongen Publishing Co. Ltd., one of the most prominent publishing companies in Japan with an expertise in audio/visual related devices and state-of-art technologies. Launched in 1987, the awards bring together respected reviews from dozens of countries, all to offer an authoritative reference guide for ordinary consumers looking to make informed purchases. The VGPs are often recognised as the highest authority award in Asia’s audio-visual industry and mark a significant recognition for Edifier’s ground-breaking work in the industry.

“In 2022, Edifier won 3 VGP awards. This year it has been incredible and a privilege to receive these prestigious prizes for six of our products. We are truly honoured to be receiving awards such as these, from such an important panel of judges who have a wealth of experience in this industry. We strive to be a leader in the audio-visual industry and with our slogan of “A passion for sound”, Edifier follows the unremitting pursuit of sound quality and affordability. We are very happy and extremely proud to have our company recognised by winning these highly respected, much sought after, VGP awards”, said Stanley Wen, Edifier’s CTO.

Picking up VGP awards were also the MP230, MF200 W220T. The stylish Edifier MP230 portable Bluetooth speaker matches modern hi-fi stereo with a vintage-inspired design language. The portable PC MF200 speaker is the ultimate travel companion for work or leisure. With its sleek, compact appearance and feel the MF200 looks at home sat next to even the most high-end laptops and produces a high-quality sound far superior to your average laptop. The final winner of the VGP award is the Edifier W220T. This is one of the few in-ear earphones that supports Snapdragon Sound and provides both lossless and low-latency transmission of audio.

The final winner of the VGP Gold award was the W240TN  aimed at the highly competitive competitive under $100 market, the W240TN true wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation have a range of exciting features and continues Edifier’s signature design language and stellar audio fidelity capabilities.

The VGP awards recognise products that make a difference to the industry through state-of-the-art technology and design; Edifier strives for excellence, pushing the boundaries and leading by innovation to ensure people can enjoy the best premium quality audio for personal entertainment and professional use. After another successful year at the ceremony, Edifier will continue to produce an award-winning range of products

 

Applications now open for Deloitte 2022 Technology Fast 50 Awards

Entries are now open for the 23rd annual Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards. One of Ireland’s foremost technology award programmes, the awards rank Ireland’s 50 fastest-growing indigenous technology companies based on revenue growth over the last four years, celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship.

The list features both private and public listed technology companies that have demonstrated creative strategies, sound management practices and marketplace vision, driving them to achieve the status of high-growth leaders.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s programme David Shanahan, Partner and Fast 50 Programme Lead at Deloitte said: “The Irish technology sector continues to prove that Irish-owned companies have great resilience and tenacity despite the new challenges 2022 has presented. We’re seeing growth across a broad range of sectors as a result, in evolving consumer and businesses demands – including Greentech, sustainability, fintech, cybersecurity, and med tech to name a few. Our annual Fast 50 Awards showcases the innovation and growth of businesses making their mark in their sector, and we look forward to reviewing this year’s entries.”

This year’s awards programme will include several award categories in addition to the overall ranking:

  • Innovative New Technology Award in association with Google: This award recognises a company that has created or introduced a new or innovative product or service to international markets, which helped grow their business over the last four years.
  • Impact Award in association with Meta: This award recognises a company that has made a significant impact within the current year.
  • Women in Technology Advocate Award in association with Indeed: This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated through their actions that they are an advocate for increasing participation by, and promotion of, women in the technology sector.
  • Scale Up Award in association with Scale Ireland: This award recognises a company that has demonstrated an impressive ability to scale up/expand overseas over the last four years.
  • Alumni Award: Deloitte will also be acknowledging its long list of Fast 50 Alumni in this category.

Last year five of the top 10 companies in the Fast 50 ranking were first-time entrants to the programme, and LetsGetChecked – which provides direct access to health insights, at-home diagnostics, virtual care and pharmacy for a wide range of health conditions to people in their own home – took the top spot. Cumulatively, the 2021 Fast 50 winners generated approximately €1 billion in total annual revenues and employed over 16,000 in 2020. The average growth rate of the companies over the last four years was over 700%.

Full details on criteria and how to enter are available at www.fast50.ie.

 

Irish Tech Firm Xtremepush Wins ‘Online Initiative of The Year’ for “Outstanding progress in the fight against phishing” At Europe FinTech Awards 2022

Irish tech firm Xtremepush has won Online Initiative of the Year at the Europe FinTech Awards, 2022, for the work they did with one of Ireland’s biggest financial institutions to reduce online fraud.

CELEBRATING EUROPE’S FINEST FINTECHS

Irish tech firm Xt

remepush has won Online Initiative of the Year at the Europe FinTech Awards, 2022, for the work they did with one of Ireland’s biggest financial institutions to reduce online fraud.

The Europe FinTech Awards 2022 in association with ID-Pal is the benchmark by which financial services modernisation and technological progress in the world’s premier financial services centres are judged by an independent panel of experts.

“Outstanding progress in the fight against phishing”

The independent panel of judges voted Xtremepush “The winner of Online Initiative of the Year because they presented an excellent solution to a very real problem, utilising its technology to achieve a significant reduction in fraudulent activity. This initiative also demonstrates the solution’s ability to scale up in the future. Outstanding progress in the fight against phishing.”

Commenting on the award CTO Dr Kevin Collins said “We are delighted with this significant win. Phishing scams and identity fraud increased by 184% in 2021, costing the Irish economy €1 billion every year, so our objective was to quickly put in place a failsafe that would make it significantly harder for fraudsters to gain access to customer bank accounts. Based on research, €8,000 is defrauded for every 1,000 people in Ireland. Our innovation led directly to a circa 50% reduction in phishing attempts as part of a wider strategy to reduce fraud.”

He added “Our innovation allowed the bank to provide customers with a secure notification and reliable verification alerting solution that didn’t require adding any complexity or multi-stage processes to their banking experience. The result is a robust level of protection from fraud and cyber-criminals.”

Working with the financial institution, Xtremepush developed a revised verification process to reinforce the existing anti-fraud measures. The company developed and deployed a solution within six weeks to significantly reduce fraudulent activity.

Dr Kevin Collins added “We needed to utilise the existing technology and deliver an effective response to the issue of fraud that wouldn’t significantly impact the user experience for the bank’s 2 million customers.”

The solution allowed the bank’s customers to confirm the validity of device registration and add new account payees by leveraging a multi-channel communication strategy. This allowed the customer to either confirm or reject the request and alert the bank to take steps to re-secure their account if this was required.

Xtremepush faced several challenges: the solution needed to work the first time, said Collins. “Because we were taking direct action against fraudsters and cyber-criminals, a miscalculation on our part would have allowed them to find a way around the solution”

Secondly, the company needed to work fast: comments Xtremepush CEO Tommy Kearns “We were approached by our client at the end of 2021 with an urgent request to help combat fraud. We needed to respond quickly and decisively with a solution that could be rolled out with minimal disruption alongside other anti-fraud measures the bank was deploying.” He added, “we had to work within the existing infrastructure and compliance requirements of our client to avoid any disruption to banking services via the mobile app and to ensure we were fully compliant with guidelines and regulations. And of course, any solution we proposed had to operate within established security standards of the bank as well as GDPR and other data protection legislation.”

Xtremepush goes global

Xtremepush will more than double its workforce here in support of the global roll-out of its award-winning enterprise customer intelligence platform and recently announced it has created fifty new roles this year, with plans to add another 120 in the next three years, and a new purpose-built Dublin HQ in Clarendon Street, Dublin 2.

“We are already becoming a global category leader, working with leading enterprise clients from offices in Ireland, the United Kingdom, North America and Eastern Europe. Our new Dublin flagship headquarters, in this prime location, is a marker of further growth acceleration” said CEO Tommy Kearns.

Reflecting this push into the US market, the company has recently invested in a new office in downtown Manhattan in New York to meet that ambition and support the firm’s accelerated growth in North America, where they recently won Marketing & Services Provider of the Year at the SBC North America 2022 Awards.

The SBC Awards recognize the achievements of operators, affiliates and suppliers from all the major disciplines including payments, marketing, platform providers and data. The 2022 SBC Awards North America also celebrate the companies surviving and thriving 2022 through these unprecedented times.

About Xtremepush

Founded in 2014 in Ranelagh in Dublin, by CEO Tommy Kearns and Dr Kevin Collins, its Chief Technical Officer, Xtremepush has been placed in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards for three consecutive years.

Xtremepush works with a global portfolio of clients across several key verticals including banking & financial services, eCommerce, sports betting & gaming, travel & transport and publishing & media. The company owns its technology, end-to-end, supporting a single customer view, with ‘one platform’ serving all marketing needs.

Deep data & real time capabilities make Xtremepush a go-to multichannel marketing hub for enterprise brands. It enables businesses to acquire new customers and communicate with existing customers through automated, real-time and personalised messaging.

Clients include leading Irish financial institutions, McDonald’s, INM Plc, RTÉ, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Big Bus Tours, Wowcher, LiveScore, Oddschecker, Paddy Power Betfair and more. Xtremepush is an employer in Ireland, the UK, the US, Ukraine, Lithuania, Turkey, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.

Rethink Ireland award €530,000 to 28 Social Enterprises across the country

Rethink Ireland has announced the 8 Awardees of its Social Enterprise Development Fund and 20 Awardees of its Social Enterprise Start-Up Fund at a lunch event at Airfield Estate, Dublin. These Funds aim to support and develop social enterprises across Ireland who work primarily to improve the lives of people and communities.

The Social Enterprise Development Fund (2018 – 2023) is a €4.4 million Fund created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland and funded by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Dormant Accounts Fund that aims to discover and enhance social enterprises that are already creating a social and economic impact on their communities.

To date the Social Enterprise Development Fund has helped over 500 people gain employment through 112 social enterprises and has mobilised over 16,507 volunteers.

The Social Enterprise Start-Up Fund, now in its second year, is an €800,000 Fund developed by Rethink Ireland in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. The Fund aims to support social enterprises at the startup and early stage of existence, with organisations from 10 counties throughout Ireland recognised as Awardees.

 Awardees include:

  • An Mheitheal Rothar: An Mheithal Rothar focuses on providing bicycles to those who do not have access to cycling, particularly those who are unable to participate in the Bike to Work program, while also creating an impact on the areas of employment and sustainability. Their one-of-a-kind approach combines recycling and waste reduction with delivering affordable bikes, as well as personalised information sharing and problem solutions for each user.
  • Carrickmacross Toy Library: Carrickmacross Toy Library tackles the problem of toy waste by offering a toy lending service to their local area, and offering an affordable and sustainable service to families.
  • Common Ground: Common Ground Community-Led Housing has been working in response to the housing crisis in Ireland since 2018. The project offers a win-win solution for State bodies, households and the wider community for developing a new housing sector for our country. Their replicable and internationally proven model makes housing more attainable, community-focused and sustainable, for the benefit of everyone. They offer a viable proposal for a pilot scheme in North County Wicklow which aims to be the first of its kind in Ireland and to offer a template for other groups around the country to help achieve a similar goal.

Richard Gavin, Assistant Principal at Department of Rural and Community Development stated: “Recipients of this funding and support are playing a key role in developing communities nationwide and I want to extend my congratulations to all Awardees. With their commitment and dedicated work, these enterprises are making a true social and economic impact on their local communities, while also tackling key social issues that we face today. They are inspirations for the next generation of social enterprises and we look forward to continuing to support them as they progress and develop further.”

CEO of Rethink Ireland, Deirdre Mortell commented on the Awardee announcement stating: “This year Rethink Ireland published our 6 Year Impact Report, detailing the level of progress that has been made towards developing a more sustainable and fairer Ireland by supporting social enterprises.  I’m delighted to announce that Rethink Ireland is awarding additional support and funding to 28 social enterprises who are on their journey to creating a lasting positive impact on communities across the country.

“Social enterprises are part of the social fabric  of our communities as they play a key role in developing solutions to the biggest challenges we face on a daily basis. From a toy library that offers rental toys to families to reduce waste, to a therapeutic adventure group focused on tackling youth mental health difficulties, or a heart-warming community centre that is integrating and including immigrants and refugees into Irish society through support and learning opportunities, social enterprises show a deep level of care for everyone in a community across Ireland. We are so thankful to our supporting partners and are delighted to have the opportunity to support these wonderful organisations.”

IPB Insurance Chief Executive Michael Garvey said: “Working alongside our local authority Members, our collaboration with Rethink Ireland and the Department has proven hugely successful in attracting and supporting social enterprises that are making a real difference in addressing social needs in their communities. The social enterprise sector in Ireland is going from strength to strength and is playing an increasing role in strengthening the sustainability and resilience of communities across the country. It is important that social enterprises continue to be nurtured by recognising the importance of the sector and providing assistance through financial and business supports.”

Michael Nicholson, Deputy Chief Executive of Local Authority Wicklow County Council said: ‘We would like to extend our congratulations to each Awardee on their success in receiving a Social Enterprise Fund Award from Rethink Ireland. Coming out of an extremely challenging period for Irish society, we’re delighted with this good news story for Wicklow. Social enterprises have an important role to play in guiding Ireland to become a more inclusive and equal society. Organisations like Common Ground and Rise at the Cove are leading the charge by not only creating jobs but working towards bringing about positive social change.“

For more information on each Awardee please visit https://rethinkireland.ie/our-funds/social-enterprise/

Social Enterprise Development Fund

The Social Enterprise Development Fund is a €4.4 million Fund being delivered from 2018 – 2023 and has been developed by Rethink Ireland in partnership with IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. The Fund aims to find and support social enterprises that add to the social and economic fabric of their community by way of social impact. Since the Fund began in 2018, it has supported social enterprises in each county of Ireland and has helped to enable 500 people to access employment and to mobilise 16,507 volunteers.

Awardees are:

Name County
Common Knowledge Clare
Together Razem Centre Cork
No Barriers Foundation Donegal
Books at One Dublin
KASI Kerry
Way 2 Work Dublin
An Mheitheal Rothar Galway
Generation: You Employed Meath

Social Enterprise Start up Fund

The Social Enterprise Start-up Fund is an €800,000 Fund to be delivered over two years: 2021 – 2022 and has been created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. The Fund seeks to support social enterprises at the startup / early stage of their life cycle and will support them to embed strong business principles and, in turn, deliver social impact, create jobs and inspire emerging, next generation Irish social enterprises.

Awardees are:

Name County
Clare Community Energy Agency Clare
KindFolk Cork
Saoirse Ethnic Hands on Deck Cork
The Dialogue Code Cork
Trauma Responsive Education Cork
Pocket Forests Dublin
Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality Dublin
The Bike Hub Dublin
The Good Summit Dublin
The Sustainable Life School Dublin
Community Retrofits Ireland Galway
New Wave Wild Project Kerry
Gorm Media Limerick
Health Hub Limerick
Carrickmacross Toy Library Monaghan
Open Food Network Monaghan
Cycle Up Roscommon
Common Ground Community-Led Housing Wicklow
Rise at the Cove Wicklow

Irish students win awards at international science and technology fair!

Two SciFest projects represented Ireland at the virtual Hong Kong Global Youth Science and Technology Bowl (GYSTB) 2022 at the weekend and claimed an overall Grand Prize – Silver Award and a first-place category award.

The Grand Award was claimed by Hari Pranavam from Saint Eunan’s College, Letterkenny for his project, Building an Automatic Weather Satellite Ground Station with Data Analytics Forecast. Hari will now have the opportunity to have his project published in the STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ), an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by Canadian Science Publishing. Grace Ní Ifearnáin from Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, Tralee won her first-place award for her project, Nature Takes on Nature: Investigating the Effects of Juglone on Japanese Knotweed. Grace recently represented Ireland and SciFest on the Broadcom MASTERS International programme in Atlanta, Georgia.

GYSTB is organised by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. Judging took place online and the awards ceremony was broadcasted live globally on 12 June. The competition attracted 84 project entries from 16 countries or regions all competing for prizes.

Speaking about his award, Hari Pranavam said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive a Grand Prize-Silver Award. It is such a great honour to get to compete on a global stage against people from all over the world. This is a fantastic reward for my work on the project and it is great to see it acknowledged by international experts. I would like to thank my parents and my teacher Mr Michael Harkin for their support and encouragement throughout. I’m also very grateful to SciFest who gave me the opportunity to compete in this international competition and achieve this award.”

Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder and CEO commented: “We are all immensely proud of the two SciFest students who represented Ireland at the Hong Kong Global Youth Science and Technology Bowl this year. Their great success in this prestigious international competition is testament, not only their ingenuity, commitment and hard work, but to the standard of Irish STEM education. We are delighted that the two students have had the opportunity to bring their projects to an international audience. Well done to both of them on their awards and we wish them every success for the future.”

SciFest is the largest, most inclusive STEM fair programme for second level students in Ireland. SciFest is free to enter and open to everyone across the island of Ireland, no matter their geographical location, school or scientific ability. The most important thing for SciFest is the participation of students and encouraging their interest in STEM in a fun and engaging way. The SciFest 2022 National Final will take place on 25 November 2022.

SciFest is funded primarily by Intel and Boston Scientific who have recently been joined by Smurfit Kappa, Regeneron and Eirgrid in a growing community of supporters.

Finalists announced for inaugural Business & Finance ESG Awards

The finalists for the 2022 Business & Finance ESG Awards have been announced today, with companies from all across the country vying for coveted titles. The winners will be revealed at a black tie gala luncheon at 12 noon on Thursday, June 30th, at The Round Room in the Mansion House, Dublin. Attracting more than 100 entries from 80+ companies nationwide, the ESG Awards aim to recognise and celebrate individuals and groups who are actively striving to address environmental, social and governance issues.

In the light of growing climate change concerns and the increasing importance of sustainability, more and more businesses are recognising the need to adopt ESG into their company’s DNA. As such, the ESG Awards are intended to commend and encourage this trend by recognising the organisations and individuals who are excelling in their efforts and setting the standards for ESG excellence.

Nominations were invited across 15 categories, with Biodiversity Initiative; Diversity, Equality & Inclusion; Social Responsibility Project; and Circular Economy, proving most popular, attracting more than double the average submissions. This reflects the increasing interest in practical applications of ESG through biodiversity and circular economy initiatives, as well as social impact and HR driven projects for company employees.

The finalists for the inaugural ESG Awards are as follows:

  • ESG Company Award (Enterprise): AIB Group plc, Dole plc, SSE Airtricity, Wisetek, Ryanair

  • ESG Company Award (SME): Mobility Mojo, Foxford, Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc, Repak, SIRO, Speed Fibre Group

  • ESG Company Award (Startup): Coopman Search & Selection, Ethico, Sustainable PR, Sustainability Works

  • Sustainable Supply Chain Award: Bus Éireann, Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd, Wisetek

  • Biodiversity Initiative Award: Carbery, Hanley Energy, Host in Ireland, Intel, Nature Partners (The Nature Trust), Keelings

  • Net Zero Carbon Award: Aviva, ABP Food, Arthur Cox, Fujitsu, Schneider Electric

  • Energy Efficiency Initiative Award: Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd, Dole plc, E. Flahavan & Sons Ltd, Schneider Electric Ireland Limited

  • Circular Economy Award: BiaSol, VivaGreen Group, Portwest, Refurbed, Spotlight Oral Care, Wisetek

  • ESG Finance Award: AIB Group plc, Initiative Ireland, Sustainability Works, Vivid Edge

  • ESG Investment Award: AIB Group plc, Aviva, Ethico, Mercer, VentureWave Capital Limited

  • Diversity & Inclusion Initiative: Cpl Group, Mobility Mojo, SIRO, William Fry, Woodie’s, Version 1

  • Social Responsibility Project: Allergy Standards, Arthur Cox, Dalata Hotel Group Plc, Marino Software, Fujitsu, TELUS International Ireland

  • Employee Experience Award: Bord na Móna, GIY Ireland, Woodie’s, SIRO, Version, Woodie’s

  • Good Governance Award: AIB Group plc, Ballyhoura Development CLG, Dole plc, Mobility Mojo, Future Planet, Speed Fibre Group

The judging panel – who had a tough task to whittle entries down to just a handful in each category – includes notable business leaders such as Faye Walsh Droillard, Founder of Wake Up Capital; Kathy Ryan, Head of Responsible Investment at Irish Life Investment; Margot Slattery, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at ISS; and Anne Heraty, Non-Executive Director for Cpl. In addition to the 15 categories, the judges were also tasked with selecting the Overall ESG Company (Grand Prix Award) and the ESG Leader Award, neither of which were open for submissions. The winners in these extra categories will also be presented at the awards ceremony.

Speaking ahead of the awards ceremony, Ian Hyland, owner and publisher of Business & Finance, said the best of the best will be recognised at the event:

“The growing impetus to ensure ESG standards are met by companies has introduced a whole new range of technology solutions, ideas and products that are changing the way we do business. The Business & Finance ESG Awards was established to honour those who are setting the standards for ESG excellence. We had some really fantastic entries and all finalists deserve our congratulations in reaching this stage. We are looking forward to celebrating their success at the gala luncheon on June 30th.”

Edifier is three-time winner of the iF DESIGN AWARD 2022!

Edifier is a three-time winner of this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD, the world-renowned design prize. The winning products, MC500, MP500+ and MP100 Plus, won in the discipline of Audio and the categories Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Live Streaming Sound Equipment and Microphone respectively. Each year, the world’s oldest independent design organization, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH, organizes the iF DESIGN AWARD.

The MC500, MP500+ and MP100 Plus won over the 132-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world, with their groundbreaking advancements in consumer technology. 

The MC500 – Edifier’s first foray into live-streamer accessories –– combines an inbuilt mixer and sound card with a host of features and aesthetically pleasing, robust design. 

 

The MP500+ has a compact and portable design and comes with a diaphragm microphone fitted with a crystal-clear cardioid pickup, three-level reverb control (including dry/wet settings) and built-in headphone output monitors. 

The MP100+ is a fashionable Bluetooth speaker developed for young people who like outdoor activities and features an eye-catching style, a durable, lightweight casing and IPX7 water resistance. The competition was intense: almost 11,000 entries were submitted from 57 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality. 

More information about MC500, MP500+ and MP100 Plus can be found in the “Winners & Ranking” section on www.ifdesign.com and the brands entry profile at https://bit.ly/3KM4GVi

Tribe Digital takes centre stage at 25th annual Spiders Awards

The cream of the crop of Ireland’s digital industry gathered at The Round Room in Dublin’s Mansion House this evening for the 25th annual Spiders Awards, hosted by Tracey Carney. Dubbed ‘The Oscars’ of Ireland’s digital industry, the Spiders is the longest running digital awards programme in Ireland. The ceremony celebrated the achievements of individuals and businesses that not only adapted, but excelled amidst a global pandemic. In all, 22 awards were presented on the night, with Dublin’s Tribe Digital named Large Agency of the Year, Belfast’s Part Three Digital taking the top prize in the Small Agency category, and Cork’s power couple, Dan and Linda Kiely, named Ireland’s Digital Heroes.

For the first time since 2019, the Spiders returned as an in-person ceremony this year, with the event sponsored by Dmac Media, Centre of Excellence in Universal Design, Skoda, Skillnet Ireland, DMG Media and Acast. The evening, which was hosted by Spiders Managing Director, Tracey Carney, also included a fundraising element, with the organisers partnering with UNICEF to support the work they are doing in Ukraine.

Over the past couple of years, the Spiders – like many other events, globally – had to adapt to a changing society. Tonight’s prestigious awards ceremony acknowledged the new world we are living in and the success made through the pandemic by brilliant remote teams and campaigns. The judging panel evaluated nominations across 20 categories on the theme of ‘Driving Digital, Emerging Stronger’ and they had no easy task on their hands, due to the volume and talent of this year’s nominees.

In addition to the regular line-up, two extra accolades were added this year, in the form of Best Remote Team and the Customer Continuity Award. These awards were introduced to celebrate companies or individuals who achieved great results and emerged stronger during the global pandemic. The National Council for the Blind was named the Best Remote Team, while Flipdish took home the Best Customer Continuity title.

Scooping the top prize at the ceremony, Tribe Digital was named Large Agency of the Year and was applauded for its digital strategy across a number of campaigns carried out within the last 12 months, with a major emphasis on creativity, development, delivery and client experience.

Belfast-based Part Three Digital Ltd won the Small Agency of the Year title. Spearheaded by Hannah Nelson and Jess Orr Downey, the company proved that digital businesses can not only survive, but thrive in challenging times, with the digital marketing agency experiencing exponential growth over the last couple of years.

The Digital Hero Award went to Cork’s husband and wife duo, Dan and Linda Kiely. The pair were recognised as leaders in their field, having created a path for others to follow. They were lauded for their innovation, imagination and determination to succeed – traits that have set them apart from the pack.

The way in which companies and individuals have had to digitally adapt business and work models during the COVID-19 pandemic was a focal point at the awards ceremony. The event recognised and celebrated the creativity and achievements of businesses nationally, particularly applauding those who prevailed triumphantly in spite of Covid-19.

The full list of award winners are as follows:

  • Best Remote Team – National Council for the Blind Drumcondra, Dublin

  • Best Customer Continuity –  Flipdish Sandyford, Dublin

  • Best App – Revolut London

  • Best Use of Disruptive  Technology – An Post Insurance Athlone, Westmeath

  • Best B2B Campaign – Squaredot Dublin

  • Emerging Stronger – Digital for  Good Award / Not-for-Profit – GCN (Gay Community News) Dublin

  • Best in Social Media – Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Pluto Dublin

  • Small Agency of the Year – Part Three Digital Ltd Belfast, Antrim

  • Best Community Engagement by a Brand – Westport Chamber of Commerce Bold Craft Marketing Westport, Mayo

  • Best B2C Campaign – Londis Dublin

  • Best in Storytelling, delivered by remote team – SuperValu TBWA\Dublin Dublin

  • Diversity in Digital – Diageo – Guinness Omnicom Media Group Dublin

  • Best Podcast – The Good Glow Dublin

  • Digital Hero – Dan and Linda Kiely Cork

  • Large Agency of the Year – Tribe Digital Dublin

  • Best Integrated Media Campaign/ Strategy – Woodie’s Wolfgang Digital Dublin

  • Best in Universal Design – Monaghan Institute CDG Brand Monaghan/Dublin

  • Best Website –  Fáilte Ireland – Discover Ireland All human Dublin

  • Best eCommerce website –  Likha Aesthetic Clinic WONDR – A Digital Product Practice Dublin

  • Digital Transformation In Industry and Infrastructure – Sugar Rush Belfast, Antrim

  • Digital Transformation  Enterprise –  KBC Bank Ireland National

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Tracey Carney, Managing Director, Spiders Awards said:

“It is wonderful to be standing here before you all this evening, and returning to live events, after two years. It is even more special to be here in the Mansion House as we celebrate the Spiders’ 25th anniversary. Tonight we recognise excellence and the outstanding creativity of Ireland’s digital ecosystem. We applaud all of you who are the driving force behind it, and who have ensured we are emerging stronger than ever, from what has been the biggest digital transformation any of us have ever seen. The digital industry in Ireland has not only survived but thrived over the last two years. Tonight, we celebrate the best of the best in Ireland’s digital industry.”  

15 Irish Schools First in Europe to Achieve Digital Education Award

A group of 15 schools from across Ireland have been recognised for their use of digital technology at the European Digital Schools Awards, an ambitious new educational initiative which aims to establish cross-border networks and learning.

As some of first to take part in the initiative, the group of Irish schools helped set the benchmark for others to follow. They were officially recognised for their digital education strategy at an event held at University College Dublin today (Monday 28 March), where the Minister of Education, Norma Foley, congratulated schools on their achievements via video.

The European Digital Schools Awards encourages and recognises innovation, collaboration, and skills development in the digital sphere. With support from the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme, leading technology companies such as HP and AMD, and a number of national education agencies, it is the only initiative of its kind in Europe and is aimed at providing pupils with the skills they need to flourish in the modern world.

A total of 100 secondary schools in five European countries took part in the pilot programme, with just 79 receiving the top award.

Following the success of the pilot, the initiative is now being made available to all schools in Ireland, Scotland, Lithuania, Serbia, and Slovenia, with plans also in motion to roll out the programme more widely across Europe.  As the programme expands, it will provide teachers and educational leaders with greater access to support and the opportunity to take learnings from other countries.

To achieve European Digital Schools status, schools must use the European Commission’s SELFIE self-reflection tool to assess their digital learning and teaching practices and identify areas where improvements can be made.  They can then access a range of expert support and resources to help them develop their digital curriculum in line with industry best practices.

Norma Foley, Minister of Education said: “The European Digital Schools Awards is an excellent example of industry bodies and educational organisations working together to support schools as they continue to incorporate digital technology into the curriculum.

“The success of the pilot programme across Ireland has been inspiring, and it is great to see so many of our schools involved. With the initiative now available to all Irish schools, we hope to see many more getting involved.”

Anna Doody from Digital Schools Awards said: “Technology has become embedded into our everyday lives in a way we never thought it would, and at an unimaginable speed. In schools, the transformation is especially acute following the proliferation of remote learning during the pandemic.

“As we guide our young people through their developmental years and into adulthood it is essential that we give them the skills, knowledge and confidence to be able to navigate the digital world effectively and safely.

“The European Digital Schools Award is not about urging teachers to use technology in the classroom. It is about encouraging an inclusive, and whole-school approach to digital learning, where everyone in the school feels supported and confident to adopt best practices.

“Our pilot programme exceeded our expectations, and we are thrilled to be announcing the roll out of the initiative across our five participating countries.

“One of the key benefits of the European Digital Schools Awards is it creates a network of educational professionals that can learn from one another. The more schools we have within the community, the greater the opportunities for knowledge sharing, and over the coming year we hope to grow the initiative, welcoming new member states and more schools into the fold.

Annmarie Whelan from HP, a central supporter of the European Digital Schools Award, said: “Understanding digital practices and having a familiarity with technology is an essential part of young people’s development, and can open so many opportunities for their future.

“We have been working alongside Digital Schools Awards for a number of years and have seen first-hand the positive impact it has made on hundreds of schools. We are proud to be on this journey and to be a part of the official launch of the European programme. We would encourage all schools to explore the opportunities created through this initiative and look forward to working with others in our sector and educational leaders to roll this out across the continent.” 

Donal Harford from AMD said: “The possibilities are virtually limitless for what we can achieve through advancements in science and technology over the next few decades. School pupils across Europe are the next generation of innovators and it is through programmes like Digital Schools Awards that we can educate and inspire them to explore careers in digital technology.” 

To find out more about how they can take part, schools should visit www.awards4selfie.eu.

Complete list of schools in Ireland to receive the European Digital Schools Award:

Blackrock College, Dublin

Borrisokane Community College, Tipperary

Castetroy College, Limerick

Colaiste Bhaile Chlair, Galway

Colaiste Bride Enniscorthy, Wexford

Colaiste Cois Life, Dublin

Dominican College, Dublin

Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, Waterford

Mercy Secondary School, Dublin

Muckross Park College, Dublin

Old Bawn Community School, Dublin

Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone, Westmeath

St. Aloysius College, Cork

Saint Kevin’s Community College, Dublin

Saint Kevin’s Community College, Wicklow