Belfast-based cyber security specialist ANGOKA has been awarded the title of ‘UK’s Most Innovative Cyber SME’ at this year’s Infosecurity Europe.
ANGOKA’s solutions for smart cities and smart mobility, which strengthen the cybersecurity and safety of connected devices such as connected and autonomous vehicles, have been recognised by both the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Infosecurity Europe as meeting technology goals, seeing them win the award as the UK’s Most Innovative Cyber SME 2023.
Now in its eighth year, the prestigious contest open to micro, small and medium cybersecurity businesses registered in the UK saw 14 of the UK’s most creative and original information security businesses shortlisted and competing for the title.
ANGOKA’s unique and patented solution represents a paradigm shift by securing the device rather than the network. They provide an integrated identity and key management technology to embed trust in connected devices even over untrusted networks in areas including Critical National Infrastructure, Smart Cities, Smart Mobility, and Industry 4.0
In accepting the award, ANGOKA’s business development manager, Paul Ellis said: “The UK has a brilliant and dynamic cyber sector and to be recognised by your industry peers is a great honour and truly humbling. We’ve approached the important issue of securing IoT and machine to machine communication with a fresh perspective and a unique approach that’s increased traction in the market. We’ve got something different and the judges recognised our innovation and the future of ANGOKA. This recognition will help us continue on our upward trajectory.”
Andrew Elliot, deputy director, DSIT, added: “Cyber SMEs are the backbone of the UK sector, making up more than 90% of the companies in the country. They help drive innovation by bringing new products and services to the market, and that is why we are proud to sponsor this competition. Congratulations to this year’s winner ANGOKA, and all the finalists for making the final decision so tough.”
Nicole Mills, exhibition director at Infosecurity Group, commented: “This competition is a highlight of the event and an opportunity to spotlight innovation and provide a launch pad for up and coming cybersecurity start-ups. We’ve seen past winners really thrive and go on to achieve great things, growing exponentially and receiving funding to continue their growth. ANGOKA are a prime example of a company keeping pace with an evolving industry and spotting opportunities to innovate and meet industry demands.”
Infosecurity Europe is the biggest gathering of the information security industry in Europe, taking place between 20–22 June 2023 in ExCel London.
Digit Music, the cutting-edge platform for hardware, software and sounds, is today proud to announce it has been awarded the highly competitive Inclusive Innovation Award 2022/2023 for its exceptional contributions to inclusive innovation, recognising the company’s excellence in fostering equal opportunity and accessibility in the field of music education. Alongside the initiative and dedication to promoting inclusivity in the industry, providing unparalleled opportunities for all members of the community to access, develop and enjoy the creativity of music.
Fifty pioneering companies across the UK have each been awarded £50,000 to further develop their inclusive innovations through Innovate UK’s Inclusive Innovation Award. The Inclusive Innovation Award recognises that it is vital for all parts of society to engage with innovation as a process that they can both benefit from and contribute to. Inclusive innovation rejects the notion that a product or service should be designed around the ‘average customer.’ By ensuring that accessibility and inclusion are considered from the outset of innovation design, a business can maximise its chances of commercial success by broadening its potential customer base – whilst also mitigating the risk of creating innovations that deepen existing inequalities and widen societal gaps.
As a disruptive force in the music industry, Digit Music has revolutionised the way people learn and create music. Using user-centric principles, the platform has made music creation more accessible than ever before, from complete beginners to professional musicians, Digit Music has something to offer everyone. The award is a testament to the company’s commitment to inclusive innovation that has proven to be an inspiration to the music industry, the community, and beyond.
The Inclusive Innovation Award is a prestigious award presented to the organisation for their significant contributions to advancing innovation while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their respective fields. This year’s award also honours Digit Music’s groundbreaking work in promoting diversity and accessibility in the music industries.
Digit Music’s Founder, Simon Tew, comments: “We are thrilled to receive the Innovate UK Inclusive Innovation award and recognition for Digit Music in making music more accessible. We are proud, not only to be recognised as an innovative company but also one of the first of its kind in this government-facing grant scheme. The grant will mean we can continue on our mission to make music more accessible for everyone, as we are dedicated to breaking down barriers and empowering individuals to create music in their unique way.”
The Organisation’s innovative approach to music making has been not only recognised by the Inclusive Innovation Award but also by leading music educators, industry experts, and its ever-growing user base. Through its user-friendly interface and state-of-the-art technology, Digit Music has opened up new avenues for people to learn and express themselves through music.
Inclusive Innovation Award 2022/2023 represents another chapter in Digit Music’s journey to transform the Music Industry into a more accessible, diverse, and inclusive space.
Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, has today announced the renewal and extension of its sponsorship with Leinster Rugby as part of a new five-year contract. BearingPoint will continue to partner with the club as their Official Innovation Partner with the aim of helping Leinster realise the potential of its people, technology and ideas.
As part of its new five year contract, BearingPoint will now expand its sponsorship to support the women’s game, with BearingPoint becoming the title sponsor for the Under-17 regional Sarah Robinson Cup.
In addition, BearingPoint will become the new title sponsor for the regional Under-16 Shane Horgan Cup and will sponsor the Women’s Young Player of the Year Award at the end of season awards. Current Leinster Rugby players Tadhg Furlong, Ciarán Frawley, Dannah O’Brien and Ella Roberts are examples of the talent that has come through these underage competitions.
As Innovation Partner, BearingPoint will continue to support the achievement of Leinster Rugby’s goals by providing digital transformation, technology implementation and consulting services.Commenting at the announcement, Gillian O’Sullivan, Country Leader for BearingPoint in Ireland, said: “Leinster Rugby is a well-established high-performance organisation. BearingPoint’s Innovation Partnership over the past five years has contributed positively to creating a successful environment within Leinster Rugby. We are delighted to be continuing our sponsorship with Leinster Rugby and look forward to further collaborative innovation. We are particularly excited to be expanding our sponsorship into the female game through our sponsorship of the Sarah Robinson Cup.”
Over the last five years as Innovation Partner, BearingPoint has implemented a number of innovation projects, from fan engagement, virtual reality experiences and facilitating innovation bootcamps with staff from Leinster Rugby’s Centre of Excellence and Academy.
Shane Nolan, Leinster Rugby CEO, commented: “We are delighted in Leinster Rugby to be renewing our partnership with BearingPoint. Since 2018, they have been a key part of the wider Leinster family and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with Gillian O’Sullivan and Eric Conway who made those early days and indeed the days since then, very easy on our part and very quickly a spirit of partnership and cooperation was formed.
“As a club, we are continually looking to innovate and BearingPoint has been a crucial partner in driving innovation at Leinster Rugby. As recently as last year we explored the possibilities of the metaverse with BearingPoint. This was Leinster Rugby’s first foray into this area and one we plan to explore further with BearingPoint. The announcement today allows us to do that and we are hugely excited to now be further cementing the relationship so that we may continue to explore what can be done between both our organisations over the coming years.”
Nolan added: “Leinster Rugby is keen to be market leaders and innovators in everything we do and partners like BearingPoint are vital in helping us achieve that.”
Some of the country’s leading technology wizards are converging on Manchester early next monthto shape a new era of innovation – inspired by father and son entrepreneurs.
Ian Taylor spearheads disruptive ITC consultancy,TECHGIANT Workplace, with his 20-year-old son Oliver. The company was recently named one of the UK’s top 100 SME businesses and is hosting a digital transformation insight event at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium on June 8th.
It will see guest speakers from top tech companies come together to inspire and educate as part of a ‘Foundations of Change’ theme – spanning cloud-based communications, cybersecurity, devices, infrastructure and AI.
“Manchester’s industrial heritage and rich reputation for innovation makes this the perfect place to inspire new ways of working and the next generation of technology leaders.” Ian explained.
“This is a conference all about UK digital transformation, and aims to provide great insight into the ways in which companies can adopt technology to bring them into the 21st century, allowing them to compete on both a domestic and international stage.
“My son is just 20 (fellow Director and Shareholder), and brings in the understanding and knowledge of just what the next generation (Gen Z) expect from the work environment, therefore helping direct the pillars of change across business enterprises.
“We want to reshape and inspire the next generation of tech innovators based on best practice, research, analysis and insight from many industry experts.”
Ian, who hails from Shevington in Wigan, concluded: “The tech giants are coming to Manchester and I’m coming back home. I’ve missed the pies too!”
TECHGIANT Workplace has developed a three-year business plan based on annual revenues of over £5m with further exponential growth planned to reach £20-£30m in just five years.
Launched in Autumn 2022, TECHGIANT wants to ensure organisations can fully embrace and exploit digital transformation and reshape their communication and collaboration strategies, helping companies to invest in the core technology areas which support sustainable positive operational change.
“It’s about creating certainty, finding the right technology fit and developing partnerships which last,” Oliver explained.
“I actually see my young age as a real benefit because I truly do understand the aspirations and demands of this emerging generation in relation to business asks, and in the years to come I hope my company, with its vast market knowledge and global partner relationships, will be of great assistance to both employees and employers alike.
“We want to be the first of a new generation of service providers, a true giant of tech. We are changing the rules, bringing the marketplace to customers and guaranteeing IT buyer certainty for the future. Culture and business productivity is underpinned by technology and so it’s about getting involved in the operational challenges themselves, and looking to apply the right change agents to help companies go faster, compete harder and retain more talent for years to come.
“With huge curiosity around areas such as Artificial Intelligence and return to the office mandates – technology and customer demands continue to evolve, which elevates to a level of critical importance the role of the trusted advisor.”
Skillnet Ireland has announced the partnership of The Innovation Exchange, with the RDI Hub (Research Development Innovation Hub) based in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. The Innovation Exchange is Ireland’s innovation marketplace connecting large companies facing digital transformation challenges with technology companies that can fast-track the solution.
As the newest regional channel partner of The Innovation Exchange, the RDI Hub is a world-class centre for design-led, digital innovation located in Ireland’s South West. It focuses on digitisation, ideation and commercialisation of innovation and research in the Digital, AI, Data and related technologies’ sectors. The RDI Hub is also part of the Fexco’s Innovation division and operates as a not-for-profit public-private partnership with Munster Technological University and Kerry County Council.
There are currently six companies signed up from Kerry; one corporate, Astellas, as well as five SMEs; Graphite Note, Quodos, Galarus, Salaso and Turtle Transformation. Cork-based, RDI hub member Perkforce is also signed up.
The initiative will allow globally ambitious tech SMEs located in Kerry the unique opportunity to pitch to, and collaborate with, large companies looking to access innovation as part of a diverse and curated community of startups and scaleups. As a part of this collaboration, the RDI Hub will bring both corporate entities and scale-up businesses situated in Kerry together as members of The Innovation Exchange, expanding its growing community.
Attending the launch, Norma Foley TD, Minister for Education and TD for Kerry, said: “Ambition in any field should be limitless, but for it to be limitless we must ensure that the right supports are in place. Today we launch The Innovation Exchange, an initiative of Skillnet Ireland. It gives an opportunity to provide a level of support which will be a catalyst for so many businesses to go further and to go beyond; there is great insight here, being provided by the experts. The spirit lauded by this new initiative and development is that together we can go further and further; limitless opportunity, limitless abilities being celebrated and given an opportunity to advance.”
Speaking at yesterday’s announcement, Paul Healy, Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland said: “Today we see the Innovation Exchange developing its footprint in Kerry as part of our drive for a nationwide expansion of this successful programme. The Innovation Exchange is serving an important role in promoting innovation and economic growth in Ireland by building deep links between SMEs and large corporations, encouraging ideation and facilitating the development of new business projects between these sectors. We encourage local SMEs and larger companies with a presence in the South West to join the programme and take advantage of the many benefits it offers.”
The aim of the Innovation Exchange is to establish a nationwide footprint by onboarding up to 10 regional channel partners throughout 2023. Earlier this year The Innovation Exchange announced its partnership with the Galway Technology Centre, which supports innovative, global trading companies in the ICT sector. The expansion of The Innovation Exchange, which currently has in excess of 350 participants, will offer even more SMEs access to the programme’s benefits, including an instant sales pipeline, market intelligence and the capability to sell to large companies
Conor Carmody, programme director of The Innovation Exchange commented on today’s news: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with RDI Hub, as we continue to bring our offering to SMEs and corporates across Ireland. Our main focus is to showcase the amazing talent and capabilities of the companies in the region, while also helping them to scale their businesses. We see this partnership with Skillnet Ireland as an opportunity to expand our network and leverage RDI Hub’s resources and expertise to support our members and drive their success.”
Liam Cronin, CEO of RDI, said: “The ethos at the RDI Hub is all about making connections for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, corporates, and enterprises to create, digitalise, innovate, and scale businesses for future economies. The Innovation Exchange is a perfect partnership for us as it supports the key focus of the RDI Hub of creating new jobs, products, and services in the Southwest. This is a fantastic opportunity for agile companies to innovate and solve specific problems for large corporates, and for corporates to gain fresh perspectives on their business challenges.”
Bertie Murphy, Chief Strategy Officer Fexco and RDI Hub Board Director, said: “This new partnership between the RDI Hub and the Innovation Exchange creates a brilliant opportunity for innovation between SMEs and scaled businesses. This reinforces our vision at Fexco for the RDI Hub as a key enabler of innovation. We have already achieved success at the RDI Hub in creating an ecosystem that has generated exciting new technologies, services, and jobs. This announcement provides an opportunity for the RDI Hub to further build on that success and, in addition, facilitate the ability of SMEs to introduce innovative and transformative ideas and services to larger corporations in the region.”
Skillnet Ireland has committed €5 million to fund The Innovation Exchange which is designed to address the barriers that exist for scaling companies when selling to large companies and multinationals. The programme will support over 1,000 companies between 2022-2025.
Scale-ups and corporates in the Kerry region are being encouraged by The Innovation Exchange to sign up at www.theinnovationexchange.ie.
OPPO is today showcasing a range of its latest innovative technologies at Mobile World Congress 2023 (MWC2023). During the event, OPPO is not only demonstrating a selection of flagship devices including the pocketable OPPO Find N2 Flip but is also introducing a number of industry-leading innovations based on its four Smart Initiatives – smart entertainment, smart productivity, smart health, and smart learning, such as OPPO Wi-Fi 6 Router AX5400, OPPO Zero-Power Tag, MariSilicon Y Bluetooth audio SoC, OHealth H1 family health monitor, OPPO Air Glass 2 and more. By delivering enhanced, connected experiences through these virtuous innovations, OPPO is reinforcing its position as a future-focused company that seeks to unlock new possibilities for smart living.
“As the world’s fourth largest mobile phone brand, OPPO has showcased a series of innovations at MWC23, from folding flagship phones to the latest technology behind the Internet of Experience. By bringing new technology breakthroughs to market, we are unlocking new possibilities for smart living to better serve our users worldwide,” said Billy Zhang, President of Overseas Sales and Service, OPPO.
Revolutionising the vertical foldable experience, OPPO Find N2 Flip will turn flips into users’ first choice
OPPO Find N2 Flip, OPPO’s first vertically folding phone which recently launched globally in London, has become a major draw to OPPO’s booth.
The Find N2 Flip is the best flip phone on the market today. Measuring 3.26 inches, Find N2 Flip’s cover screen is the largest of any flip phone currently available, making everything smarter and easier to do. Its 50MP main camera, MariSilicon X NPU and Hasselblad imaging system combine to deliver a professional camera experience. Equipped with the New Generation Flexion Hinge, Find N2 Flip supports multi-angle FlexForm mode, allowing the screen to be set at any angle between 45-110 degrees. Thanks to the new Flexion Hinge, the crease of Find N2 Flip remains unobtrusive even with long-term use. The Find N2 Flip also comes with a massive 4,300mAh battery and 44W SUPERVOOCTM fast charging, making it the first flip to comfortably last a full day of typical use. Thanks to its disruptive and innovative design and superior user experience, it’s expected to make the flip the format of choice for more users around the world.
OPPO Find N2 Flip and Find N2 have both been appointed the Official Smartphones of the UEFA Champions League. UEFA Champions League Ambassadors and football stars, Michael Owen and Luis Garcia both join OPPO on the first day of MWC, becoming the first global users to experience the incredible OPPO Find N2 Flip.
In addition to OPPO Find N2 Flip, visitors to the OPPO booth can also experience the latest OPPO flagship phones such as OPPO Find N2, and IoT products including OPPO Enco X2, OPPO Watch 3 Pro, OPPO Pad and OPPO 45W Liquid Cooler.
Focusing on Smart Living Initiatives, OPPO showcases milestones in “Virtuous Innovation”
Based on its four internal Smart Initiatives: smart entertainment, smart productivity, smart health and smart learning, OPPO has brought a number of technology breakthroughs to the event, providing more ways to empower smart, connected experiences in the future.
In “smart productivity”, OPPO has further expanded its communication technology product portfolios. OPPO Wi-Fi 6 Router AX5400, based on the Qualcomm® Immersive Home 216 Platform, is OPPO’s first Wi-Fi router product, supporting the Wi-Fi 6 AX5400 standard, and can provide a 2.4GHz+5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi signal at the same time. The combination of its high-gain antennas, OPPO’s self-developed anti-interference algorithm and network directional speed-up technology enables Wi-Fi with wider coverage, enhanced stability, and faster speeds. The elegant cylindrical appearance with hidden antennas makes it fit perfectly within a modern, minimalist home, while the unique internal structure helps improve heat dissipation, ensuring always-on connectivity that covers every corner of the home.
OPPO Zero-Power Tag is the first prototype device based on OPPO Zero-power Communication technology. Leveraging key technologies such as RF signal harvesting, backscattering, and low-power computing, it harvests radio waves from the surrounding area to power its own functionality and communicate battery-free to meet the diverse needs of IoT in the coming 6G era. This is the first time that OPPO has demonstrated the OPPO Zero-Power Tag’s capabilities in item identification and positioning, and data collection from temperature sensors, both powered by RF energy.
OPPO is also showcasing its extensive achievements across other Smart Initiatives, such as OPPO’s first self-developed flagship Bluetooth audio SoC, MariSilicon Y, the new-generation, ultra-light AR glasses, OPPO Air Glass 2, OPPO’s first family health monitor concept device OHealth H1, and OPPO’s first end-to-end power management chip SUPERVOOC S, etc.
In addition, OPPO is also jointly demonstrating a number of technological milestones with different partners, including select proposals from the OPPO Research Institute Innovation Accelerator: EEG Hearables from IDUN Technologies and Cynteract’s glove designed to help people with hand injuries to recover more effectively; hardware accelerated ray tracing technology on the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform; innovative Android features like Nearby Share and Fast Pair on OPPO flagship smartphones, and trials of Google One and YouTube Premium for up to 6 months, with selected OPPO devices.
Actively practicing corporate social responsibility, OPPO has committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2050
Under its corporate mission of “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World”, OPPO has taken action to integrate sustainability into its long-term development strategy. By the end of 2022, OPPO managed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 6,000 tonnes annually. Starting with the European market in 2023, OPPO will remove virtually all plastics from the external packaging of its mobile phone products and will ensure that all packaging materials are made from 100% biodegradable materials.
On the opening day of MWC2023, OPPO has also published its first Climate Action Report, the OPPO Climate Action Report: Climate Pledges and Low Carbon Development Strategy, co-developed with global consultancy, Deloitte. The report prop OPPO’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2050 and outlines its future blueprint for low carbon development. With these plans, OPPO will transform its entire business into a low-carbon enterprise.
To experience OPPO’s innovations and products first-hand, please visit OPPO’s booth in Hall 3, Stand 3M10, at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, from February 27 to March 2, 2023. For further details, please also refer to the OPPO MWC23 official website.
Expleo, a global technology, engineering and consulting service provider, today announces the opening of a Galway innovation hub and a €5M investment in the expansion of its life sciences and engineering research & development (ERD) teams, which will be headquartered there. The Galway base will be critical to bolstering Expleo’s presence in other key industries, including software and automotive. It is part of a wider plan to establish a network of regional hubs to support the company’s rapid growth across the island of Ireland.
The new hub, located in the Galway Technology Centre, Mervue, is forecast to have a significant impact on Expleo’s growing revenues in Ireland, supported by the expansion of its life sciences and ERD teams. By year-end 2024, the company will invest €5M in 70 jobs across the two teams. Team members will work across Expleo’s client sites and its network of offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast. On top of the 200 jobs announced in June last year, these latest jobs will see Expleo grow its island-wide team of over 1,000 by the end of 2024.
Expleo’s life sciences practice in Ireland specialises in product development for the MedTech and pharma while ensuring compliance and helping the sector meet regulatory needs. Meanwhile, the ERD team drives innovative thinking and new ways of working to simplify, enhance and automate key business processes. The jobs created will be in the areas of mechanical, electrical and digital engineering, as well as business consulting and software development and testing.
The new Galway office represents a long-term commitment from Expleo to both current and future customers located in Galway and the surrounding areas. Teams located there, and those working in client sites located in the West of Ireland, will be carrying out work on behalf of international clients who are based in Ireland. The hub will provide flexibility for Expleo staff located in the West, while giving Expleo access to a larger talent pool to support its rapid growth.
The opening of the Galway hub follows Expleo’s announcement last year that it was establishing a network of regional office hubs. The first hub in Mahon, Co. Cork, opened in June 2022.
All team members in the new hub, a mixture of current employees and new hires, will be offered the same flexible working arrangements as those in Expleo’s Dublin, Cork and Belfast offices, allowing them to split their time between working from home and working from the hub office or client sites.
Phil Codd, Managing Director, Expleo Ireland, said:“We are delighted to be continuing our regional expansion plans with the opening of our Galway hub. As Expleo continues to go from strength to strength on the island of Ireland, these hubs will provide us with the talent and momentum we need to deliver on our ambitious growth plans.
“Along with our investment in regional expansion, we are also making significant investments in our life sciences and engineering, research & development teams. As a global company, we bring experience and expertise from many disciplines and areas to support the growing demand in Ireland’s pharmaceutical and medical device design and manufacturing sector.
“Our new hub in Galway will provide cutting-edge services to businesses operating in the life sciences, software and automotive industries, helping them to innovate at speed and scale. Galway’s economy is thriving, and we are excited to be a part of it while also contributing to its growth.”
A report launched today at the Next Generation Construction event hosted by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and EY highlighted that the construction industry in Ireland is at a critical juncture. The report, entitled, A Detailed Description of Needs for the Irish Construction/Built Environment Sector finds that the industry needs to prioritise innovation and digital technology to provide the social, economic and productive infrastructure required to sustain economic growth, and to attract foreign direct investment in Ireland.
The report identifies that the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) approach to building has the potential to increase the speed of new homes through the adoption of innovation by 30%, reduce costs by a potential 25% and advance improvements in quality and energy efficiency.
The report found that 40% of firms in the construction industry are not using any automated technologies, while just 38% stated that there was a ‘great’ or ‘very great extent’ to which their firm was likely to engage in innovation.
Evidence from the survey also found that key barriers preventing firms from implementing new technologies in Ireland include the day-to-day running of the business (59%), a lack of time (51%) and lack of financial incentives to do so (47%).
Produced following research and consultation with firms and stakeholders across the construction industry, the aim of the report was to inform the design of a bespoke Construction Technology Centre to empower industry ownership of the research, development, and innovation processes required to deliver a more sustainable and competitive construction sector.
Speaking at the Next Generation Construction event at EY today, Annette Hughes, Director of EY Ireland Economic Advisory Services and author of the report said, “This report focuses on ‘future proofing’ the construction industry in Ireland by formulating a strategy for the next decade with innovation, digital technology and sustainability at the core.
There are challenges ahead, however, adopting smart construction and digital technology has the potential to transform the construction industry and significantly increase the production of quality, energy efficient new homes.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)
While 62% of firms believe that modular construction will be of ‘great importance’ or of ‘very great importance’ in the next 10 years, the EY report found that utilisation of MMC in Ireland remained low with just 7.4% of firms regarding Off-Site Manufacturing/Modern Methods of Construction (OSM/MMC) as being their main activity. Key challenges cited around the adoption of MMC included capital and financing and specialised labour requirements.
Simon MacAllister, EY Partner added, “The advancements in construction technologies are reshaping the future of the construction industry globally. We need to create opportunities for the industry in Ireland to bring these technologies into Irish projects. Project Ireland 2040, and the various housing initiatives require an effective construction sector which is central to the overall development of our society and economy.”
Technology and Innovation
The use of ‘smart construction’ and digital technology has been proven to increase productivity and the efficiencies of the construction sector by from 10%- 20%, with up to a fivefold to tenfold increase in some circumstances. While 75% of firms said a technology sandbox – a place to explore the latest technologies without having to purchase them – would benefit them, 52% of firms were not interested in Robotics/Automation while 50% were not interested in Materials Prototyping.
Ross O’ Colmain, Department Manager, High Tech Construction and Housing, Enterprise Ireland said, “To fully transform construction enterprises by enabling the adoption of digital technology, it must be noted that true digital business transformation is an ongoing process that requires cultural change. As highlighted in the report, for this Centre to enable Digital Transformation and Innovation across the construction and built environment sector in Ireland, it must focus on developing capability in three core areas – each of equal importance: People, Process and Technology.
Recommendations and Sustainability
The report outlines a total of 11 key recommendations for the Construction Technology Centre and urges it to establish a Sustainability Action Plan within the first 90 days. The Sustainability Action Plan will keep the Centre focused and accountable, by ensuring that every action undertaken is concerned with building a sustainable environment within the industry. This also aligns with survey findings that 80% of firms believe that sustainability and energy will be of ‘great’ or ‘very great’ importance over the next ten years.
Based on the experience in centres across other jurisdictions, and the funding typically allocated to same, the funding for the Centre should comprise a mix of Government, industry, and other sources over time. Centres of this nature will likely require cumulative funding of €10 to €15 million in their initial years.
Sean Downey, Director of Specialist Contracting, Construction Industry Federation, concluded by saying “Post the Covid-19 pandemic, Irish construction stands at a crossroads. We cannot afford to stand still. We have to move to a new level of performance driven by both productivity and sustainability. Some leaders in the construction industry have adopted new technological processes and more advanced construction systems to deliver value to their clients and our vision is for this transformation to be adopted by all players in the industry.”
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced the launch of the 2022 UK and Ireland Sustainathon, a problem-solving competition that challenges university students to address corporate sustainability problems through innovative digital technology, creativity, and teamwork.
Registrations are now open for the 2022 Sustainathon, which invites university students to work alongside TCS and its partner network (via a virtual online portal) during a two-week sprint to devise digital solutions that can help businesses overcome their most urgent sustainability challenges.
“TCS is fully committed to addressing environmental challenges in the countries and communities we operate in, and to building a sustainable future through innovation and adoption of digital technologies,” said Andrea McBride, Head of TCS Global Delivery Centre, Letterkenny.
She added, “This is the first year that the TCS Sustainathon is available to students in Ireland. The competition has had great success in the UK and other regions over the last number of years and we are delighted to be able to offer Irish students the opportunity to be involved this year.”
TCS is engaging with universities across the UK and Ireland, including Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and North West Regional College (NWRC), Derry, to launch the competition, as part of its ongoing commitment to promote STEM skills, nurture young talent and support sustainable enterprise. TCS will work closely with its clients and supporting organisations as the challenge partners for 2022, including Phoenix Group, Lloyds Banking Group and Marks & Spencer.
Participating teams will be given a unique opportunity to join a series of interactive masterclasses, virtual mentoring sessions and online webinars with business and community leaders who will guide them through each stage of the ideation process and help to turn their concepts into a reality.
Irish academics partnering with TCS on this year’s competition, include Dr. Mark Kelly, Head of ATU Galway and Mayo Centre for Sustainability who will deliver an online ‘Sustainability Masterclass’ to all participating students from Ireland and UK and Francine Moran, Lecturer in Science and Sustainable Technologies at NWRC, participating as a guest panellist for a discussion session on ‘Sustainability and Career Paths’.
After presenting their solutions to the judges, the winning teams will be rewarded with sustainable prizes and an opportunity to showcase their ideas at the grand finale event on Tuesday 6th December. The judging panel will be comprised of representatives from UnifAI Technology, the Rail Delivery Group, a selection of not-for-profit organisations, and sustainability experts who are independent from the competition process. The members of the Grand Finale winning team will be offered one month paid internships with TCS.
Last year, the winning team ‘Biophilic’ from University College London was challenged to increase community engagement around sustainability by enhancing the digital functionality of Scotland’s National Entitlement Card (NEC) app. Biophilic was invited to present their winning concept to an audience of business leaders at TCS’ Innovation Forum in London, which resulted in the companies working with the students to develop their ideas into a real solution.
For more information and how to register, please visit:
