Pictured attending the Tech Rally at the Dell Technologies Innovate event at Royal Hospital Kilmainham recently were Mark Hopkins, Managing Director, Dell Technologies Ireland, and Alex Rice, Field Product Manager at Dell Technologies Ireland, alongside over 100 technology leaders, industry experts and IT decision-makers who explored how organisations across Ireland are preparing for the next phase of AI-driven transformation.
The event also featured Dell’s‘Tech Rally Anywhere’ showcase, bringing a hands-on experience of the latest devices and technologies shaping the future of work in Ireland. The showcase provided IT leaders with the opportunity to experience Dell’s latest AI PCs and latest devices and how they can empower employees in the workplace.
With AI continuing to move from concept to practical deployment, discussions throughout the day centred on the importance of building strong digital foundations from modern devices to resilient, secure and scalable infrastructure.
Attendees explored how modern devices and emerging technologies are evolving new ways of working. A dedicated showcase area gave audience the opportunity to experience the latest generation of Dell devices and workplace solutions first-hand, including newly launched AI PCs. The interactive setup demonstrated how advancements in device performance, collaboration tools and connectivity are enabling more flexible and productive ways of working across today’s hybrid work environment.
With technology decisions now more closely tied to business performance than ever before. Irish organisations are increasingly focused on how they can future-proof their operations, embrace AI responsibly and unlock new opportunities for growth in an increasingly complex digital economy.
Speaking at the event, Mark Hopkins, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Ireland said “AI is rapidly becoming a key driver of innovation and competitive advantage for organisations across Ireland. As businesses move from experimentation to real-world deployment, the focus is on building the right foundations, from modern devices at the edge to secure, scalable infrastructure, to fully realise its potential.
“At Dell Technologies Ireland, we are supporting customers to turn AI ambition into tangible outcomes, helping them innovate faster, operate more efficiently and move forward with confidence in an increasingly data-driven world.”
Owning property has always been a staple of wealth generation and a traditional marker of financial stability. Yet, the conventional approach to property ownership is fraught with challenges. High entry costs, extensive paperwork, and legal limitations can deter potential buyers and investors from entering the real estate market. Fortunately, technology is revolutionizing this landscape. Tokenized platforms offer a novel solution, enabling fractional ownership and enhancing accessibility in the property market. This guide explores how secure, tokenized platforms are reshaping property ownership and provides actionable steps for interested investors.
The Concept of Digitized Real Estate Ownership
To fully grasp how tokenized platforms can improve property ownership, it’s crucial to understand what tokenization entails. Tokenization converts physical assets into digital tokens that can be easily traded on blockchain networks. These tokens represent shares in the underlying asset, allowing multiple investors to own fractions of a property. This system leverages blockchain technology to enhance transparency, security, and efficiency throughout the investment process. Unlike traditional real estate, which requires substantial capital and can involve complex legal frameworks, tokenized real estate lowers ownership barriers. Investors can now gain exposure to premium properties without needing to invest a large sum of money upfront.
The rise of platforms specializing in digitized real estate o streamlines transactions. Smart contracts ensure that agreements are executed seamlessly and transparently. As properties are listed as tradeable tokens, transaction costs decrease significantly, making property investment more appealing to a broader audience. By allowing diverse investment opportunities, from residential properties to commercial developments, these platforms cater to the evolving wants and needs of modern investors.
Benefits of Tokenized Property Ownership
The advantages of embracing tokenized platforms in real estate are manifold. For one, they enhance liquidity in a traditionally illiquid market. Real estate transactions often take weeks or months. Tokenized assets can be traded quickly on secondary markets, allowing investors to convert their holdings into cash without lengthy selling processes. This enhanced liquidity is particularly advantageous for those who seek quicker returns on their investments. Another benefit is the potential for increased returns on investment. Tokenized platforms often feature lower fees and expenses, which maximizes profits for investors.
The ability to diversify investments across various properties mitigates risks as well. Instead of betting on a single high-value property, investors can own slices of multiple properties, balancing their portfolio and protecting against localized market downturns. Finally, tokenized platforms strengthen investor trust. With all transactions recorded on an immutable blockchain, transparency and accountability are elevated. Investors can access transaction histories and ownership details without involving middlemen. This aspect is crucial for fostering confidence among new investors who may feel apprehensive about entering a market traditionally associated with opacity and fraud.
How to Get Started with Tokenized Property Investment
Beginning your journey into tokenized property ownership starts with research. Familiarize yourself with the leading digitized real estate ownership platforms available today to understand the property offerings and their unique selling points. Reliable platforms incorporate robust security measures, such as two-factor authentication or multi-signature wallets, to safeguard your investments.
One notable option for investment is genuine property-backed tokens like those found on platforms facilitating fractional real estate tokens for everyday investors. Here, you can explore various properties available for tokenization. Make sure to thoroughly analyze these options and assess their respective market values, potential returns, and risk profiles.
Once you’ve selected a platform, the next step is to create your account. This process typically involves registration, identity verification, and funding your investment account. Many platforms accept traditional bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, or various payment methods. Conduct thorough due diligence before investing any sizable amount. Understand the terms of investment and the risks involved, ensuring you comprehend how the platform handles liquidity, fees, and potential exit strategies.
Understanding the Regulatory Landscape
As with any investment, understanding the regulatory landscape is vital when dealing with fractional real estate tokens. Regulations surrounding real estate and cryptocurrency vary widely depending on the country or region you operate in. To avoid pitfalls, consult legal experts or advisors familiar with local regulations to ensure your investments comply with necessary laws.
Ongoing regulatory developments in the cryptocurrency space can impact the legality and functionality of tokenized platforms, making it vital to stay informed about changes that may affect your investment strategies. Navigating these regulations can seem daunting, but good guidance will bolster your confidence as you take on this innovative investment route.
Future Trends in Tokenized Property Ownership
Looking ahead, the evolution of tokenized property ownership seems promising. Mastering data analytics and artificial intelligence can streamline investments even more by providing insights into market trends, property valuations, and buyer behaviors. This integration will allow property investors to optimize their strategies and make more informed decisions.
As awareness of tokenization continues to grow, more institutional players may enter the market, increasing legitimacy and customer trust in tokenized platforms. Collaborations between traditional real estate companies and fintech startups are likely to emerge, merging the best practices of both worlds for the benefit of investors. As more properties transition to tokenized formats, we can expect to see novel financing options arise. Crowdfunding efforts can be more effectively structured, giving a broader base of investors access to exclusive real estate opportunities that once required considerable capital.
Secure tokenized platforms are transforming property ownership by making real estate investment more accessible, transparent, and efficient. By leveraging blockchain technology, these platforms reduce barriers to entry, increase liquidity, and empower investors to diversify their portfolios with greater ease. While navigating regulatory frameworks remains important, the ongoing advancements and growing acceptance of tokenization signal a promising future for real estate investment. Embracing this innovative approach offers individuals the opportunity to participate confidently in the evolving property market and unlock new pathways to financial growth.
Research Ireland, Ireland’s competitive research and innovation agency, and Gas Networks Ireland, operator of the national gas network, have today formally launched a new €2.7 million research and innovation challenge to drive pioneering, STEM-led solutions that will support Ireland’s transition to a low carbon energy future.
The ‘Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge’ invites multidisciplinary research teams to develop breakthrough technologies in renewable gas, energy system integration and artificial intelligence. The challenge fund will support transformative innovations with the potential to decarbonise the national gas network and contribute to climate action targets.
This joint initiative, co-funded by Research Ireland and by Gas Networks Ireland through its Gas Innovation Fund, is a phased funding programme. Successful teams from eligible research bodies in Ireland will be awarded up to €200,000 and will work through a series of phases to develop their idea. An overall prize award of €1 million will be available to the team that demonstrates the highest potential for transformative impact. The prize will enable the winning team to generate high-impact research and accelerate the development of sustainable energy technologies.
The structure of the Programme is based on the Research Ireland Future Innovator Prize Sustainable Development Goals Challenge Programme, and will comprise three phases:
Concept (six months’ duration, with successful teams securing up to €50,000)
Seed (12 months’ duration, with teams securing up to €150,000), and:
Prize (up to 24 months, with teams completing for an overall prize of €1 million).
Welcoming the announcement, Interim CEO at Research Ireland, Celine Fitzgerald, commented:
“We are delighted to be forging a partnership with Gas Networks Ireland on matters of such importance to our country and, indeed, our planet. Both agencies recognise the importance of decarbonisation of Ireland’s gas network. The Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge 2025 will support research projects that have potential to generate STEM-based solutions for utilisation by the renewable gas industry, giving rise to national impact in the journey to achieve carbon neutrality.
“We look forward to working in partnership with Gas Networks Ireland, and to seeing the outcomes stemming from our co-funded investment in Ireland’s brightest research talent.”
Commenting on the collaboration agreement, Chief Operations Officer at Gas Networks Ireland, Bobby Gleeson, stated:
“This landmark collaboration aligns with Ireland’s national climate ambitions and our strategy to transition to a net zero gas network by 2045”.
“The Innovation Challenge is a powerful example of how targeted research can support national priorities – from climate action to economic development and will help enable the best minds in Irish research to develop practical, scalable solutions for integrating renewable gases and intelligent technologies into our energy infrastructure. This is a significant investment in the future of Ireland’s energy system – and in the talent that will help shape it.”
The Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge has two overarching challenge themes to guide the collaborative engagement and research activity under this programme call, namely:
The Energy System Integration Challenge: This seeks to support the development of solutions to accelerate the optimisation and integration of the energy system in Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy. There are two broad themes under this Challenge: (a) the integration of renewable gases at a local and regional level; and (b) the development of Artificial Intelligence-based solutions for intelligent gas network performance diagnostics.
The Biomethane and Biohydrogen Challenge will seek to support the development of solutions which improve the efficiency, efficacy and commercial viability of (1) biomethane and (2) biohydrogen production, including extraction and utilisation of the byproducts.
Dell Technologies has introduced Concept Astro, an innovation that uses AI, digital twins, and automation to optimise energy consumption and streamline data centre operations.
As artificial intelligence drives a new wave of digital transformation, growing energy demands have placed immense pressure on global data infrastructure. Increasing AI adoption continues to drive energy demands in the data centre, making the need for smarter, more sustainable solutions more urgent than ever.
To meet this need, Dell Technologies has introduced Concept Astro, an AI-driven workload management solution that utilises agentic AI, digital twins, and automation to optimise IT operations and energy consumption. Concept Astro enables enterprises to forecast processing times, predict energy requirements, and prioritise workloads based on business needs, energy availability, and cost without disrupting operations.
During a pilot collaboration with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, Concept Astro helped researchers optimise AI-intensive workload scheduling, leading to a 20% cost reduction and a 32% decrease in emissions. The successful trial highlights how AI-powered scheduling can deliver tangible sustainability and efficiency improvements for data centres.
Dell Technologies continues to invest in energy-efficient technologies that minimise operational costs while maximising business impact. By integrating AI-powered workload scheduling and improving infrastructure efficiency, enterprises can reduce energy consumption, enhance grid resilience, and drive sustainability across their operations.
Speaking about Concept Astro, Alyson Freeman, Innovation, Sustainability and ESG lead at Dell Technologies said:“Rising AI workloads are expected to drive higher data centre energy use, costs, and emissions. Some experts even predict data centre energy consumption could double by 2030, placing added strain on already burdened power grids. As a result, reliable, resilient and affordable energy has become a top priority for data centre operations worldwide. One of our latest explorations, Concept Astro, uses agentic AI, digital twins, and automation to spur smarter decision making to improve IT operations and energy consumption. This capability is exciting but right now just a concept, with our engineers pushing the boundaries of what is possible to deliver at scale.”
As Dell Technologies continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in energy-efficient AI technologies, the company is committed to supporting businesses in Ireland and globally to enhance grid resilience, reduce operational costs, and drive sustainable progress.
For further insights into Dell Technologies’ advancements in AI-driven energy efficiency and data center operations, read more here.
Zara today opens its new concept store in Dublin’s Liffey Valley Shopping Centre- one of Ireland’s largest shopping and leisure destinations. The opening marks the debut of Zara’s new concept store in the country and will feature the very latest digital innovations, which fully integrate the store with online to guarantee customers a seamless shopping experience.
The store spans over 30,000 square foot across two floors and features Women, Man and Kids collections – it will also be the first store in Ireland to provide an area dedicated to Zara’s new Beauty collection.
The store concept, designed by Zara’s Architecture team, encapsulates the four characteristics that define the architectural philosophy of Zara: simple, functional, sophisticated, and refined. The store features concentric spaces which act as the perfect frame for the Zara collections, where the product and the customer play the leading role. Thanks to its studied commitment to organic shapes and flowing series of smooth curves, the project honours the beauty of fabric and natural material with a palette of brown and stone shades and matt finishes. This aesthetic continues throughout other store elements, such as screens and furniture which are notably curved.
This novel architectural translates into how the brand’s collections are presented: bringing them to light in the recesses in the walls. The sleek white surface runs across the ceilings and walls and creates a backdrop that enhances the collections. They are showcased in soft, warm and natural environment with pockets of greenery, which characterises the brand linking the product to is sustainability standards, inviting customers to enjoy a holistic shopping experience.
zara liffey valley
In terms of digital innovations, the store includes an automated pick-up point for customers to collect online shopping orders in a matter of seconds, and self-checkouts on exiting fitting rooms to offer the utmost convenience. The new digital functionality ‘Store Mode’ will also be available for customers through the Zara app. This allows customers to browse items in the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre store through the app and order for collection in store in half an hour, as well as the ability to book fitting rooms through the app and locate items easily.
GUDIED BY ECO- EFFICENCEY
Designed with sustainability in mind, Zara Liffey Valley complies with Inditex Group’s environmental commitments and incorporates the latest eco-efficiency innovations to reduce water and energy consumption compared with a conventional store. Inditex’s environmental commitments do not stop at store design, as eco- efficiency is central to the manufacturing processes and raw materials used to create garments. This commitment is reflected through Join Life, an initiative that brings together fashion and sustainability. All products under Inditex’s Join Life label are made using the most sustainable materials and/or processes or with technologies that save water or reduce carbon emissions.
In 2020, more than 35% of Inditex’s garments carried the Join Life label and over 50% of garments will have this label by 2022. Inditex’s goal is to use only more sustainable cotton and cellulosic fibres by 2023. By 2025, all polyester and linen will be 100% recycled or sustainable.
The Liffey Valley store will also include collection containers for customers to donate clothes they no longer wear to our charity partner Oxfam Ireland.
