Tag: #dublin

Over 160 eBay Sellers from Five European Countries Come Together in Dublin

eBay Ireland hosted its annual eBay Export Summit connecting over 160 eBay sellers from Ireland and across Europe.

The eBay Export Summit, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, supports eBay Ireland’s commitment to creating economic opportunity for all, by helping sellers grow their business globally. The Summit gave SMEs from Ireland and the wider Europe an opportunity to access best practices and tips on growing their business on eBay, as well as learn from real success stories.

Sellers from Ireland, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium, operating in different areas such as luxury fashion, car parts and accessories, home and gardening, or electronics and collectables, attended the Summit to network and learn from a diverse range of expertise and experience.

At the Summit, attendees had an opportunity to hear from other entrepreneurs, industry leaders and potential partners, as well as to interact with eBay’s experienced team of professionals, dedicated to supporting the sellers’ eCommerce journey. A panel discussion invited four sellers from Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, to share their journey and advice with the attendees.

During the Summit, participants heard from keynote speaker Pedro Neto, Interim Head of EU Cross Border Trade at eBay, on how sellers can expand globally with eBay, beyond their local market. Dedicated break-out sessions for each of the represented countries allowed sellers to get  advice on growing their business, tailored for their specific market. There were also presentations from key eBay partners, including Webinterpret, Multibreves, Baslinker and ChannelEngine.

Commenting on the Summit, Colin McCallion, Director of Commercial Operations at eBay said, “It was great to see so many sellers come together to network, learn from each other and grow, at eBay’s annual Export Summit, here in Dublin. It was a fantastic opportunity for everyone attending to learn about the value of growing their business online and the opportunities available for the SME community on eBay.”

eBay is committed to supporting its sellers grow and thrive, by enabling entrepreneurs of all sizes to build their brands to fit their unique personalities and inventory, leveraging the eBay tools, support, advocacy and outreach.

As of Q2 2023, there are over 1.9B live listings on eBay, across 190 markets, with 50% of the revenue made from international operations. With 93% of the small businesses on eBay exporting their products, the average number of export markets they reach are between 13 and 35.

Dublin and Sligo students release ‘smart’ pebbles to track climate change impacts

Primary and second-level students are this week placing 300 specially adapted RFID-enabled pebbles at Killiney Beach (Dublin) and Raghly Beach (Sligo) in a project to track coastal erosion. The innovative project aims to strengthen coastal communities’ ability to deal with the impacts of climate change using digital technologies.

Led by Dr Chiara Cocco and Dr Francesco Pilla, researchers with Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, at University College Dublin and Dr Iulia Anton, a researcher at Atlantic Technological University Sligo, the ‘smart’ pebbles initiative is part of the €10 million European-wide project SCORE (score-eu-project.eu) funded by the European Commission.

“This project is really exciting because we are collaborating with people of all ages – primary school students, transition year students and a local Tidy Towns group – and using innovative technologies to examine the impacts of climate change on their coastal communities. The students will play a key role in releasing and monitoring 300 specially adapted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) enabled pebbles over the coming months. Each ‘smart’ pebble, painted yellow and typically about 10cm in size, has a RFID transponder cemented into drilled holes, enabling us to trace the impacts of erosion and their movements over the coming months,” explained Dr Cocco, Assistant Professor at UCD.

Dr Anton, the project manager of the SCORE project, said: “Each pebble will be 3D scanned by the ‘search and rescue’ students, enabling the tracking of abrasions and markings. Then, we will be able to track the pebble’s movements using RFID readers and GPS locators. These citizen science results will be analysed in the lab utilising algorithms to determine climate change impacts on coastal erosion on the beach.”

“We are thrilled to start this exciting initiative at Killiney and Raghly Beaches. Our collaboration with local schools, led by dedicated students, is pivotal in this activity. Their role in releasing and monitoring these pebbles, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, will provide invaluable insights into erosion patterns and movements. This citizen science initiative not only fosters environmental stewardship but also empowers the younger generation to engage in climate resilience efforts actively,” Dr Anton added. 

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Sligo County Council are also part of this initiative, one of the winning projects of the Accelerator Programme promoted by the EU-funded IMPETUS project (impetus4cs.eu). Dalkey Tidy Towns is involved in the Killiney project in Dublin with Monkstown CBS, Rathdown School and Holy Child. In Sligo, Grange Post Primary School is actively participating in the Raghly Beach project. 

Dr Cocco said it is important to raise citizen awareness about climate risks in coastal urban areas.

“The project aims to actively involve younger people and empower them to become active participants in scientific activities related to climate risks,” she concluded.

Dublin city shortlisted for 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism award

Dublin City Council is delighted to announce that Dublin City has been shortlisted for the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism award. It is the second time Dublin has been shortlisted for the designation. Last year Dublin City Council also won the prestigious Tourism Innovation Award in Seville.

The shortlist was announced this morning by the European Commission.

From a pool of 30 candidates spanning 17 countries, the selected finalists for the European Capital of Smart Tourism are in alphabetical order, Bremerhaven (Germany), Cork (Ireland), Dublin (Ireland), Genoa (Italy), Helsingborg (Sweden), and San Sebastián (Spain). 

The European Capital of Smart Tourism recognises best practice and innovative tourism practices in European cities.  Dublin is one of the first European cities to prioritise a specific Smart Tourism programme.  Since 2020, Dublin City Council, Smart Dublin and Dublin City Council Culture Company have been working in partnership on Dublin’s first Smart Tourism Programme, with the aim of making the city a smart tourism destination, using the city’s expertise in technology to deliver a superior tourism experience.

Head of Dublin City’s Tourism Unit, Barry Rogers said:  “This shortlisting is a real recognition of many years of consistent collaboration and work across Dublin City Council, Smart Dublin and Dublin City Council Culture Company. This designation specifically recognises cities who are striving to be more digitally advanced, sustainable, accessible and more equitable for locals.   Dublin being shortlisted amongst these other leading destinations is a welcome benchmark of our own progress to date and provides many more opportunities for innovation and collaboration going forward. We very much look forward to representing Dublin in Brussels in our bid to become the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism”

Dublin’s Smart Tourism Initiative is a Dublin City Council programme, made in partnership with Smart Dublin and Dublin City Council Culture Company. The programme is led and governed by the Dublin City Tourism Unit and is underpinned by the Innovation pillar of the new Dublin City Council Tourism Strategy 2023-2028 which states: We recognise the enormous opportunity to blend our expertise in technology, culture and tourism to build a more future facing offer in Dublin. We will be a test-bed for innovation within the tourism industry in Dublin, ultimately creating more and better experiences for visitors.  

The goal of the Smart Tourism programme is to establish Dublin as a world-leading ‘Smart Destination’ through innovation, research and partnerships. The programme is responsible for the development of cutting edge visitor experiences such as the new Dublin Discovery Trails App. Last year Dublin City Council received the Digital and Innovation award at the Tourism Innovation Summit in Seville for its development of the Smart Tourism programme.

You can access a brief profile of each of the shortlisted cities here.

The European Capital of Smart Tourism award will be granted to the city that demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism. The award also aims to foster networking and the fortification of destinations while facilitating the exchange of best practices in this field.

Following this stage, the finalists will be invited to present their proposals to a European Jury, tasked with selecting the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism. The chosen city will receive extensive support in communication and branding. This includes the creation of a promotional video, installation of a hashtag sculpture for public exhibition in the city, and the implementation of tailored promotional campaigns aimed at boosting visibility at both the EU and global levels, ultimately resulting in an increase in the number of visitors.

The competition welcomed participation from cities within the European Union and non-EU countries that are eligible to the Single Market programme. An impartial panel of experts conducted a thorough evaluation of the applications, and those applicants who achieved the highest cumulative score across all categories successfully advanced.

GamerFest Winter returns with biggest content line-up ever to Dublin’s RDS on 21st and 22nd October

The biggest ever GamerFest, Ireland’s leading gaming and esports festival, will take place at Dublin’s RDS on 21st and 22nd of October. The epic GamerFest weekend is a celebration of all things gaming and will feature the latest gaming releases, virtual reality experiences, esports, gaming challenges and a host of special guests including top Twitch and YouTube creators.

Visitors to GamerFest can immerse themselves in a huge amount of gaming content across four Key Zones: PLAY, COMPETE, CONNECT and DISCOVER.

PLAY Zone

In the PLAY Zone, visitors to GamerFest can get hands on with the very latest upcoming games including EA FC24, Sonic Superstars, NBA 2K24 and Mortal Kombat 1. The latest VR racing experiences will also be playable with Official Network Partner eir, as well as Forza Motorsport on Xbox with Official Car Partner CUPRA and cutting edge immersive VR gaming titles will be on show with Official Drinks Partners Club Loaded and Energise. The incredibly popular Retro Area will also allow gamers take a trip down memory lane and play the old classics on retro consoles including Mega Drive, Super Nintendo and Atari.

COMPETE Zone

The COMPETE Zone at GamerFest is all about esports. Check out the Grand Finals on the Live Esports Stage as Ireland’s top esports talent battle it out across a selection of titles including VALORANT, Rocket League, EA FC24 and Rainbow 6 Siege. Visitors to GamerFest can also take part in various causal tournaments at the event including CS:GO, EA FC24 and Rocket League. Fans of racing can test their skills in the Curry’s Fastest Lap Challenge, competing in cutting edge sim racing rigs for prizes.

CONNECT Zone

A hugely important part of GamerFest is community, and the CONNECT Zone is the place to meet Ireland’s leading content creators. The Mooju Live Stage will also host a packed line-up of content for the whole weekend including gaming challenges, the Cosplay Challenge and content creator Q&As. Visitors to the event can also purchase the latest gaming equipment and merch from companies including Trust Gaming and GG Machines.

DISCOVER Zone

For everyone that wants to learn more about gaming, the DISCOVER Zone highlights the incredible education and career opportunities that the games industry offers, with leading companies and colleges including 2K Games, Black Shamrock Studios and Pulse College in attendance. Visitors can also check out the latest games from Ireland’s indie game developers and give their valuable thoughts and feedback. Budding PC gaming enthusiasts can also take part in workshops provided at the event showing How to Build a Gaming PC with thanks to GG Machines.

Founded six years ago, GamerFest has firmly established itself as a diverse, community-led gaming event for everyone with a passion for gaming, with over 25,000 visitors to date. The event welcomes a broad range of gamers including causal gamers and families right through to professional esports players and teams.

The upcoming GamerFest in October will be the organisation’s biggest festival yet, with floor space increasing by 50% to 4,500m2, including a new dedicated hall for the GamerFest COMPETE Zone.

GamerFest CEO Stuart Dempsey says: “We’re incredibly excited to see GamerFest growing with each event and this October will be our biggest and best yet. Whether you are a seasoned gamer, or just curious to find out more about the event, GamerFest has more gaming experiences than ever for all to enjoy.”

GamerFest takes place at The RDS, Dublin this 21st and 22nd of October with

tickets on sale now at GamerFest.ie.

Integrity360 invests €8M in new Security Operations Centre in Dublin and creates 200 jobs

Integrity360, one of the leading pan-European cyber security specialists today announces that it has invested €8 million in its new Security Operations Centre (SOC) facility in Dublin.

As part of its growth plans, the company is also set to create approximately 200 jobs across the group over the next three years, with 50 of those based in Ireland. The majority of these roles will be for cyber security consultants, analysts and architects. Currently, Integrity360 employs circa 100 people in Ireland and approximately 500 across the wider group.

Based in the high-tech, fully secure Termini building in Sandyford, the new facility spans 16,000 square feet. It comprises the SOC and seven customer suites, as well as a training and innovation centre. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and infrastructure, along with modern collaboration areas, workspaces and meeting rooms.

The purpose-built facility will expand the company’s pan-European network of SOCs and will enable it to drive further business growth and client success in both Ireland and further afield through cutting-edge solutions and services – including Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions, all of which provide for the monitoring and management of customer IT networks on a 24/7 basis for potential cyber attacks and threats.

Furthermore, the Sandyford facility will be the group’s largest SOC utilising the latest technology and secure biometrics systems. The organisation has three other SOCs located in Sofia, Stockholm and Naples. As one of Europe’s leading cyber security specialists, Integrity360 has offices in the UK, Bulgaria, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Lithuania, and Ukraine and serves approximately 2,000 customers across the continent.

This investment follows a number of acquisitions by Integrity360 in recent years. Back in June 2021, Integrity360 received a major strategic investment from leading London-based private equity firm August Equity, operating in partnership with IT and cyber industry veteran Ian Brown who serves as the CEO and Chairman of the group.  Since then, it has acquired Caretower in the UK, Netsecure in Sweden, and Advantio which operates across continental Europe.

Through the rapid expansion of the organisation’s operations across the UK, the Nordics and continental Europe, group revenue is expected to exceed €115 million in 2023. Founded in Dublin in 2005, Integrity360 has built up an impressive customer base over the years which consists of both mid-market and enterprise companies across a wide range of sectors including financial services, insurance, government, healthcare, retail, telecoms and utilities.

The Integrity360 group specialises in and provides a comprehensive range of professional, support and managed cyber security services that identify and assess, protect and prevent, detect and analyse and respond and recover cyber risks and threats. These include incident response, penetration testing, consulting and compliance, cyber infrastructure design and project management.

Speaking at the opening, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney welcomed the announcement: “I am delighted to join the Integrity360 team in their highly impressive new Security Operations Centre. Integrity360 is an Irish indigenous company that has grown and developed to compete on a global scale and the announcement today of 200 new jobs globally with 50 based here in Dublin shows that Ireland is to the forefront of development and innovation in the cyber security space. The Government through Enterprise Ireland looks forward to continued engagement with Integrity360 to support their business development.” 

Ian Brown, Chief Executive and Chairman of Integrity360, said: “We are delighted to have made a further significant investment in Ireland with the opening of our new state of the art facility in Sandyford, which includes our largest SOC. The investment is another significant step in our growth plans as we look to expand our team, and enhance our service offering to help our customers stay ahead of the merging threat landscape. It will allow us to further strengthen our position across Europe and the UK as a leading cyber security specialist.”

Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland has been working with Integrity360 since 2012 and seen first-hand how this innovative company has gone from strength-to-strength, growing a strong customer base internationally and continuing to recruit here in Ireland. It is a testament to the vision and hard work of the team that this Irish company has grown to be a significant international player in the growing cyber security sector working with global brands. Supporting Irish companies with the ambition to scale globally is a key priority for Enterprise Ireland and we look forward to working closely with Integrity360 to optimise their full international growth potential, creating and sustaining jobs in Ireland.”

Google to host in-person digital training series for SMEs

Google has today announced a new training programme aimed at supporting SMEs in Ireland. You’re The Business Live Sessions, hosted in Google’s Dublin offices, will include five in-person training sessions suitable to SMEs at the early stages of their digital journey right through to those more digitally-sophisticated businesses who are ready to export globally.

The initiative is part of the You’re the Business programme, an initiative created by Google, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices last year to help upskill Irish SMEs. The You’re the Business programme aims to help accelerate Irish SME growth through digitalisation, which is in support of the Irish government’s ambitious goals around SME digitalisation and internationalisation.

Today’s announcement follows recent Google Search data which found that Irish people are increasingly seeking to gain new certifications, particularly in digital skills. The last year has seen increases in searches for certifications in UX Design (+80%), IT Support (+60%), Data Analytics (+60%) and Project Management (+50%).  There has also been a 180% rise in searches for “artificial intelligence courses” over the last five years, with an increase of 150% for data science-related courses.

Cera Ward, Managing Director at  Google Ireland  said:

“Our partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices was devised following research last year that identified gaps in the digital capabilities of Ireland’s SMEs. It found that only 45% of Irish SMEs had a website while 50% said they lacked the basic knowledge about which digital skills to prioritise and invest in.  Irish SMEs need support which is why we partnered with Enterprise Ireland to launch You’re The Business last year and we’re delighted to continue our partnership for the benefit of SMEs in Ireland in 2023.”

The first training session will take place on Friday 15 September with live and in-person modules occurring every two weeks in Google’s Dublin headquarters. The five online training modules will help Irish SMEs to:

 

  • Get your business online

  • Help your business grow online

  • Ensure your business is secure online

  • Get your business to go global

  • Boost your productivity with AI

 

To sign up for these live training modules or for further information, please visit: rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/ytblive.

Dublin City Council Launch ‘DiscovAR Dublin’ – Ireland’s First Augmented Reality Map

Dublin City Council has today announced the launch of a new augmented-reality (AR) mapping feature that allows users of the Dublin Discovery Trails app to open up a 3D map of Dublin on their device and allow them to explore the city in a new, innovative way.

‘DiscovAR Dublin’ is a first for Ireland in utilising new open Google Maps technology to form an interactive 3D map where users can be transported into the city to interact with the map to uncover Dublin landmarks, museums and attractions. Users can also learn more about the history and significance of locations such as the Guinness Storehouse, EPIC – the Irish Emigration Museum and 14 Henrietta Street.

The project is a collaboration between the Dublin City Council, Smart Dublin and Virgin Media Business alongside Peel X, who developed the feature for the Dublin Discovery Trails app.

Launched last year, the app is a platform on which the Dublin local authorities can develop new and exciting immersive experiences combining the real-world history with smart technologies. Already there are unique experiences published including Doors into Docklands, Balbriggan and Castleknock heritage tours.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, launching this exciting new feature said, “This is first for Ireland, the user can ‘literally’ step into the city from anywhere in the world and explore Dublin in the palm of their hand. This innovative technology will help further position Dublin as a world-class destination with this new experience. I’m delighted to launch DiscovAR here today and I’d encourage everyone to download the app and try it today to explore the best of what Dublin has to offer.”

Tourists and locals alike can use the app before they visit the city, or while they are in the city with the vision that it will assist users to learn more about Dublin and its extensive history, sights, monuments and streets across the capital city.

Also commenting on the launch of ‘DiscovAR Dublin’, Jamie Cudden, Smart City Lead, Dublin City Council said, “DiscovAR offers a new way for visitors and locals to experience the capital city. Through our Smart Dublin programme, we are always thinking about how we can embrace new technologies to enhance how people engage with our Capital City. This app through its immersive AR technology is a new and fun way to explore the City’s culture and history and we see huge potential to expand this.”

The Dublin Discovery Trail app is part of a larger Smart Tourism strategy to invest in digital to transform Dublin’s tourism experience for how we tell the story and history of the city and was developed as part of the new Dublin City Council Tourism Strategy 2023-2028 – Innovation Pillar. Using new and immersive technologies, such as augmented reality, will help further position Dublin as a world-class tourism destination with this new digital experience and allow for further unique and tailored customer experiences that will keep the city relevant for tourists.

For more information on ‘DiscovAR’ and to download the app visit http://dublindiscoverytrails.com or search Dublin Discovery Trails on Apple App Store or Google Play..

Amazon Dublin Celebrates First Anniversary

The team at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dublin recently celebrated its first anniversary by hosting a week of activities for employees, including a fancy-dress day, prize giveaways and carnival games.

The state-of-the-art fulfilment centre, which created 500 jobs when it opened in August 2022, provides faster delivery for customers across the country, including one-day delivery on hundreds of thousands of items.

The 630,000 square foot centre at Baldonnell Business Park, holds millions of items that are picked, packed and shipped to customers across Ireland as well as the rest of Europe.

One of the team celebrating the first anniversary during the week of fun activities was Colm Jennings. Colm said: “Amazon has provided me with amazing opportunities to work on numerous projects, including site visits from the Tánaiste and volunteering at local charities. It’s great that we can celebrate all of our achievements and these events have been the perfect way to have fun and round off our first year together.”

Since opening its doors, the Dublin fulfilment centre has supported many community organisations locally, with donations totalling €24,000. Charities supported by the team at Amazon in Dublin include Cliona’s Foundation, Jigsaw and LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.

Lee Cox is one of the employees who helped launch the Dublin fulfilment centre and ended up with more than just a job. He said: “The past year has been full of amazing opportunities and experiences thanks to the Amazon family in Dublin. Before joining, I started my training in Edinburgh and didn’t realise that I would meet my future wife along the way.

Lee Cox

“Thanks to our paths colliding, we have a new member of the family with the birth of our first son. Without the opportunity to launch Amazon in Dublin, I would never have met my partner, had my little boy and made the amazing friends I have here in Ireland.”

Tule Skurzinskaite is an inventory control and quality assurance manager at Amazon in Dublin. Tule added: “The highlight of my time at Amazon in Dublin is the opportunity to develop within my role alongside a supportive and positive team. Thank you, Amazon, for believing in me and supporting my growth as an employee and as a person.”

Darragh Kelly, General Manager at Amazon in Dublin, said: “It has been a privilege to work with the many great teams that have delivered the significant investment in Ireland to enable even faster delivery speeds for our customers. I am proud that we offer all kinds of jobs across a wide range of disciplines reflecting the range of skills and abilities in communities across Ireland. In the first 12 months of operations, it has also been great to welcome many of our local political representatives to the site.

“Over the past two weeks we have taken time to celebrate the first year of full operations of our centre in Baldonnell. We continue to forge strong links with the community, including charities such as Angel Eyes, Barretstown and many more. I’m excited for the future where we will continue to build on the success of what we have achieved so far.”

Amazon provides competitive pay, excellent benefits, and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees. Amazon pays its employees in Dublin, whether they are full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal, at least €14.25 per hour. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including include private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.

Amazon offers employees Career Choice, an innovative programme which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to €12,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.

Dublin set to be home to new international arts and technology festival – Beta

The Digital Hub, in partnership with Aisling Murray and with the support of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), are putting in place plans for a new international arts and technology festival for Ireland. Beta, which will take place across 4 days in November, is seeking to critically engage with technology’s impact on society through a combination of creativity, debate, and experimentation.

Beta will focus on a number of key themes which are dominating the technology discussion at present, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, data rights and sustainability. The festival has identified a need to bring together Ireland’s research and digital arts communities in order to foster a discussion about how the two disciplines can combine for the benefit of society.

Beta is led by Aisling Murray, a curator and creative producer with 15 years’ experience across exhibitions, festivals, literature, spoken word, theatre and dance. She most recently worked with the Goethe-Institut Irland in developing their Quantum Technology Art residency and curated the inaugural art and science stage at Electric Picnic funded by SFI. Prior to this she worked for Science Gallery Dublin where she produced national and international creative programmes converging art, science, technology and society.

Ultimately, the festival organisers are aiming to position Ireland as a leader in the intersection of art and technology programming in an audience-centred way to engage the public playfully and critically with new technologies. Beta will also include performances, discussion, workshops and a nighttime programme over the 4 days.

Beta has already confirmed a number of acclaimed artists to participate in this year’s festival including Libby Heaney, Leon Butler and Peter Power.

Two unique works have been commissioned to support the launch of Beta. Artist Leon Butler has imagined what the identity of a festival of art and technology could be and has generated a new font seen in the Beta logo. The final logo almost looks hand drawn or screen printed with beautifully imperfect edges – this intersection of cutting-edge technology and human creativity is exactly what Beta will explore with the festival.

Beta’s website, which launched today, features a new commission from artist and designer Farouk Alao. Specialising in 3D motion and web design, he has drawn inspiration from nature, his world, and human emotions. His vision explores the intersection of reality and imagination. The motion piece on Beta’s website, called the Beta cube, positions Beta as a centre point in which art, technology and creativity resolve and makes use of the unique font designed by Butler.

Beta is also launching a new international residency in partnership with transmediale in Berlin supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. Transmediale is one of the leading and longest running festivals for art and digital culture in Europe. The Beta x transmediale residency will bring together four artists from Ireland and Germany to explore critical perspectives on artificial intelligence and digital art. Taking place as a hybrid residency with 2 weeks online, 3 weeks in Dublin, Ireland and 3 weeks in Berlin, Germany, the residency programme will provide space, resources and mentorship to four artists to develop new artworks that generate new imaginaries around climate resilience and political polarisation.

Aisling Murray, Director of Beta, said:

“Beta has the potential to really put Ireland on the map in terms of the intersection of research, technology and digital arts. Each of these disciplines continues to grow from strength to strength, which is why it’s very timely that Beta is now coming to fruition. The Digital Hub are the ideal co-founder for this with their experience both creatively and with industry, I’m so grateful for their support and excited to create an anchor point in the year for the communities interested in these themes.. I’m hugely excited for what is going to be 4 days of immersive content, performance and discussion in Dublin 8. The Liberties is a really important aspect of this festival, steeped in history, culture and innovation it is the perfect meeting place for what we want Beta to symbolise.”

The Digital Hub has a strong track record in supporting digital technology industries, creative enterprises, and community learning programmes in Dublin 8 and beyond. Beta is aimed to be both the culmination of various activities within the Liberties campus, as well as a starting point for further discussion on how to make complex technologies more accessible to communities.

The Digital Hub and Aisling Murray are being supported in its preparations for Beta by SFI, The Arts Council, Project Arts Centre, Goethe Institut, Alliance Française, British Council, ADAPT Research Centre, and NCAD Gallery. More information: https://betafestival.ie/