Tag: innovate

First Innovate for Ireland National Centre launched – ‘Decarb-AI’

The first Innovate for Ireland national centre, ‘Decarb-AI: AI-Powered Pathways to Climate Resilience’ has been announced today. Created in partnership with AIB and Research Ireland, the €5.7m Decarb-AI national centre will aim to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate Ireland’s transition to a climate-resilient, low-carbon future.

Decarb-AI will welcome 30 iScholars across three intakes. Eight iScholars – from China, Ghana, India, UK, France, Ireland and Kenya – have already commenced their research. All of these iScholars will undertake fully-funded, four-year PhDs under the supervision of leading academic researchers from Irish higher education  institutions, which are:  University College Dublin (lead institution), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, Technological University Dublin, University of Limerick, University of Galway (via the Irish Centre for High-End Computing – ICHEC), and University College Cork. The iScholars’ research at Decarb-AI research centre will focus on using cutting-edge AI to advance climate mitigation and adaptation across Ireland, with key focus areas including:

  • AI-optimised renewable energy systems and datacentre sustainability
  • Machine learning for water quality forecasting and peatland restoration
  • Earth-observation and biodiversity modelling for land-use policy
  • AI-supported sustainable finance tools for SMEs
  • Transparent AI decision-support systems for real-time decarbonisation planning

The launch of Decarb-AI is a major milestone for the Innovate for Ireland programme. It follows on from the programme’s successful launch in early 2025, which saw the recruitment of the first cohort of 11 iScholars working in a variety of research disciplines. iScholars are outstanding researchers with entrepreneurial qualities and a passion for sustainability.

Yvonne McCarthy , Head of Sustainability Research, AIB, commented: “Tackling climate change requires both ambition and innovation. AIB is proud to partner with Innovate for Ireland on Decarb-AI, an initiative that brings world-leading researchers together to accelerate Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon economy. By supporting the development of AI-driven tools for energy and sustainable finance, we’re helping to unlock some of the solutions that will ensure that businesses and communities can make meaningful progress on decarbonisation that allows them to thrive.”

Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO Research Ireland, commented: “By combining advanced AI research with real-world climate challenges, Decarb-AI has the potential to generate solutions that are both scientifically rigorous and nationally impactful. This initiative will train the next generation of interdisciplinary leaders and strengthen Ireland’s credentials in climate research innovation.”

Andrew Parnell, Lead PI and Professor of Data Science for Weather and Climate at University College Dublin, commented “AI is the catalyst required to solve the multi-objective problems inherent in climate resilience. Through Decarb-AI, we are fostering a research environment where advanced data science meets urgent environmental necessity through our new iScholars. Our focus is on creating scalable, academically rigorous, and industry-ready outputs ranging from peatland restoration to sustainable finance. We must ensure that Ireland remains at the global forefront of excellence in AI and sustainability.”

Dr Simon Boucher, Chief Executive, Global Innovators Ireland, commented: “The opening of the Decarb-AI national centre is an important step towards realising the Innovate for Ireland vision of establishing Ireland as a world-leading hub for sustainability innovation and helping to address the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Applications for a second cohort of researchers to Decarb-AI will be invited from ambitious candidates with backgrounds in AI, data science, engineering, environmental science, ecology, geography, finance, and related fields who want to build high-impact AI solutions for climate resilience.

Apple opens new Dublin Office and expands in Cork

IDA Ireland today welcomes Apple’s official opening of its new Hollyhill 5 building in Cork, representing another strong endorsement of Ireland as a location for global innovation and advanced operations. The purpose‑built facility, which can accommodate 1,300 employees, reinforces Apple’s long-term commitment to the South West region and builds on more than four decades of continuous strategic investment in Ireland.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “I’m delighted to open this state-of-the-art new facility in Hollyhill today and to see firsthand the major investment that Apple is making here. The contribution Apple has made in Cork and Ireland over the last 45 years cannot be overstated  – creating thousands of highly-skilled roles and continually investing in their Irish operations.”

Apple’s presence in Ireland has evolved significantly since 1980, growing from a small manufacturing facility to become the company’s European, Middle East, India and Africa headquarters. Its continued expansion reflects both the strength of the Irish talent pool and the competitive environment that supports global technology leaders.

Cathy Kearney, Vice President, Operations, Apple said: “We’ve called Ireland home for more than 45 years and are proud to continue expanding our operations and investing in our people and community here. Our 6,000 team members in Ireland play a critical role in supporting Apple’s customers in Europe and beyond and we’re delighted to build on this later this year with our new office in Dublin.”

IDA Ireland also congratulates Apple on the opening of its new Dublin office – the company’s first permanent presence outside Cork –  which will support the ongoing diversification and development of its Irish operations.

Dónal Travers, Executive Director, IDA Ireland, said: “Apple’s continued investment demonstrates clear confidence in Ireland as a strategic base for its global operations. The new Hollyhill 5 facility, together with Apple’s new Dublin City Centre office, further strengthens the company’s ability to grow, attract talent and innovate from Ireland. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Apple and supporting its continued success.”

Ardanis Technologies to Create 30 New Jobs as it Continues to Expand and Innovate

Irish software and digital consulting company, Ardanis Technologies is to create 30 new jobs to increase its workforce. The expansion and investment will support the company’s strategy to drive international growth and develop software and AI solutions and services that will deliver next generation digital solutions.

In September 2024, Ardanis announced 20 new jobs as a result of its revolutionary AI enablement solution, Aileen.  These jobs have been fulfilled.  The creation of the additional new positions comes in response in Ardanis’ strong growth and increasing demand for its industry-leading services.  The company’s expertise in AI, software development and digital technologies has positioned Ardanis as a trusted partner for some of the world’s largest companies worldwide.  The new jobs will be distributed in Ireland, Portugal where the company has an office in Porto, other parts of Europe, the US, and Brazil.

The 30 new jobs will be created over the next 18 months to serve international clients and will include opportunities for experienced software engineers, scrum masters and software architects, DevOps engineers, software developers and product owners.

“This growth will accelerate our product development roadmap, facilitate customer base expansion, and support the company’s strategy to drive international growth and develop software products and services that will deliver next generation digital solutions”, explains Ivan Goor, CEO at Ardanis.  “The growth has resulted in a move to larger offices in both Dublin and Porto and include a variety of meeting rooms and open spaces to foster collaboration, innovation and creativity – elements which have been the key to our success as a company, and which will continue to fuel our success.”

Ardanis delivers innovative software solutions to progressive, digital organisations globally.  The company works closely with clients to create software systems that can evolve and adapt as customer needs change.  Industry-leading development expertise is inherent to Ardanis.  With their combined strengths and diverse expertise, the company is committed to making a difference to each client’s unique requirements.

Ardanis’ clients span finance and fintech and other large enterprises such as pharma, technology, e-commerce and healthcare companies.