Tag: trinity

International Cybersecurity Expert to Explore the Disruptive Danger of Disinformation in the Age of AI at Public Lecture

Trinity College Dublin and the ADAPT Research Ireland Centre today announced an upcoming visit of internationally renowned expert in cybersecurity, Professor David J. Hickton of the University of Pennsylvania, in March. Professor Hickton will deliver a public lecture titled: “The Disruptive Danger of Disinformation in the Age of AI” on Wednesday 5th March at 5pm in the Swift Theatre in Trinity College Dublin’s Arts Building.  The event is free and open to the public.  Registration here: https://forms.gle/rSNvsQaJXaccQpd66

Professor Hickton, a former U.S. Attorney and Founding Director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, will deliver this lecture as part of his March visit to Trinity College Dublin. During his time in Dublin, he will also engage with faculty, researchers, and students along with policymakers and other stakeholders through workshops, guest lectures, and roundtable discussions. During his visit, Professor Hickton will also assume the role of Adjunct Professor in the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin.

This timely public lecture will examine the pervasive influence of disinformation in an era defined by rapid technological advances and the rise of generative AI. Professor Hickton will explore the historical roots of disinformation, its role in undermining trust in institutions and science, and the urgent need for global cooperation to address these challenges. The lecture will also discuss potential pathways to address this growing crisis, balancing free speech with the urgent need for regulation.

Professor Hickton’s visit builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last year between Trinity and the University of Pittsburgh, establishing a partnership to drive innovation in AI safety and governance. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to addressing the complex challenges of the digital age,” said Professor John Kelleher, Director of ADAPT. “We are honoured to welcome Professor Hickton to Dublin and look forward to the rich insights and contributions he will bring.”

To learn more about Professor David Hickton and his work, please visit: https://www.cyber.pitt.edu/people/david-j-hickton-jd

TEKenable Announces AI Research Partnership with Trinity College

Digital services company, TEKenable has announced a new AI research partnership with Trinity College Dublin (TCD) supported by Enterprise Ireland to advance responsible AI that benefits both people and business.

The AI research partnership creates the potential for researchers and technologists from TEKenable and TCD to more closely collaborate on AI research projects in areas of shared interest across a range of disciplines. The partnership will see TEKenable’s Jane Slevin, with a team of six researchers, explore how AI can be brought into and used by businesses utilising practical AI solutions. These AI solutions will significantly transform how businesses operate across their entire business including internal processes, financial management, customer interactions etc.

The team will work collaboratively with TEKenable, providing valuable recommendations and information for AI and data to drive digital transformation services.  TEKenable is a Microsoft Advanced Specialist and employs AI and data utilising cloud solutions to drive digital transformation to many sectors of the marketplace.

“We are excited to enter this partnership with Trinity and tap into the University’s renowned academic expertise”, explains Nick Connors, Group CEO at TEKenable.  “TEKenable’s extensive work in the AI space makes us a leading authority on the integration of AI with business processes to fast-track growth.  Partnering with TCD will allow us to further strengthen our knowledge and capabilities”.

“By partnering with TEKenable, we can apply academic insights to real-world challenges, creating a powerful synergy between theory and practice,” added Prof. Anthony Ventresque, Director of the Complex Software Lab in the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin.  “We are thrilled to evaluate the measurable impacts of AI-driven tools within business.”

TEKenable was recently awarded by Microsoft ‘AI Partner of the Year’ and also was selected as one of four sustainability & digital transformation experts working in the Digital4Sustainability 2024-2026 consortium of EU organisations.  Digital4Sustainability is an EU co-funded EUR 4 million industry-driven project to boost Europe’s skills for the green and digital transition.

Trinity and CKDelta take AI approach to tackle key challenges of utilities sector

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin are partnering with CKDelta to take an AI-driven approach to tackling some key efficiency and sustainability challenges faced by the utilities sector.

CKDelta is an AI software business within CKI Innovations Opportunities Development (CKH IOD), a member of CK Hutchison Holdings, leveraging data, expertise and intellectual property to drive improved business performance. Headquartered in Dublin, CKDelta is providing €865,000 in funding  to support the appointment of a postdoctoral researcher and a number of PhD students, who will work on a range of research projects under the supervision of Professor Gregory O’Hare, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Head of Trinity’s School of Computer Science and Statistics.

The research projects will fall under two main umbrellas: predictive maintenance and early warning systems.

Predictive maintenance is a data-driven approach that uses AI to monitor the condition and performance of assets and predict when they need servicing or replacement. As a consequence maintenance can be scheduled at the optimal time, avoiding unnecessary downtime, reducing operational expenses, and improving safety and reliability.

The research collaboration will seek to deliver predictive maintenance models that provide better insights for informed decision making, with maintenance currently often driven on the foot of customer complaints and logs of issues as they arise.

Early warning systems represent a set of tools and methods that aim to detect, monitor, and forecast potential threats or disruptions to utility companies. In the case of the water industry they provide benefits in cases such as leaks, bursts, floods, sewerage overflows and blockages.

The research programme also seeks to enhance an early warning system to improve the efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the water network, reduce operational and maintenance costs, enhance customer satisfaction and trust, and protect public health and the environment. It also aims to develop an anomaly detection system to identify near real time differences from expected behaviours, which may be reusable/adaptable to other situations.

In addition to the funding, experts from CKDelta will be providing the platforms in which the Trinity researchers can investigate the data, as well as offering data engineering and data science support.

Prof. Gregory O’Hare, Trinity, said: “We are very grateful to CKDelta for their support and look forward to pooling our expertise as we seek to address some of the most pressing challenges affecting the utilities sector. The scale of the challenges means there is also a significant opportunity to improve sustainability and efficiency, and we believe our data- and AI-driven approach offers great potential in taking a tangible leap forwards.

“We hope that this collaboration will form the basis of a sustained, trusted and mutually beneficial relationship. This will be centred around a co-laboratory where the shared expertise of both Trinity and CKDelta will help with the effective, informed and judicious adoption and deployment of appropriate cutting edge AI technologies within the CKDelta utilities client portfolio and beyond.”

Joe Parker, CEO of CKH IOD, said:  “This collaboration combines two complementary forces in AI: the frontier research capabilities of Trinity College Dublin—and its ability to experiment, innovate and test new ideas without restriction, in a way that few commercial organisations can; with CK Delta’s unique capacity to apply innovation directly to real-world commercial challenges, to help businesses thrive in an increasingly data-driven economy.

“Throughout the next four years, the partnership will generate new streams of knowledge transfer, with cross-pollination of skills, perspectives and specialisms that may otherwise be impossible.”

Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute at St James’s Hospital becomes first in Ireland or UK to introduce robot to make chemotherapy drugs

The Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute at St James’s Hospital in Dublin has become the first hospital in the UK or Ireland to introduce a compounding robot to produce cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs for cancer patients. As part of the evolving robotic programme in the hospital, this new initiative has the potential to supply chemotherapy products more efficiently and safely, increasing productivity and leading to a better experience for cancer patients at the hospital.

Chemotherapy is traditionally produced using a highly manual process carried out in pharmacy departments. Overseen by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, it is physically intensive, involving measurement of doses, reconstitution of commercially sourced drugs and dilution into patient specific doses. Therefore, there is a risk of human error and a need for high levels of quality assurances and verifications. Staff globally often report repetitive strain injuries due to the labour intensity of production, as well as burnout.

The Aseptic Compounding Unit at St James’s Hospital is the busiest in the country, producing 30,000 products annually. With cancer levels rising alongside a growing and ageing population, this demand will rise in coming years. Funds for the new robot were raised by the St James’s Hospital Foundation.

Gail Melanophy, Director of Pharmacy at St James’s Hospital said: “This is a major step forward for our staff and our cancer patients at the hospital. We  aim to produce up to 50% of the oncology/haematology day ward’s chemotherapy needs within weeks of introduction and we hope this will significantly increase when at full capacity, including inpatient needs. This will free up time for our pharmacists to produce other products that the robot does not make and ensure that our valued patients never have to wait for their treatments.”

Aleena Mary James, nurse, Liz Hogan, patient, and Brid Curran, Clinical Nurse Manager.

The first patient received their treatment made by the new robot at the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute today (11th April) on the hospital campus. Liz Hogan from Ratoath, County Meath is being treated for cervical cancer at the hospital and was infused with a customised dose of the chemotherapy produced by the robot.

She said: “I noticed no difference at all when I received my dose of chemotherapy today at St James’s Hospital – but I am reassured by the wonderful staff here who have told me that the new robot will help to ensure the chemo for all the cancer patients like me will be of very high quality.”

13 of the most commonly used cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs used at St James’s Hospital have been initially selected to be produced by the robot. Trials at the hospital have demonstrated that the advance preparation of the drugs is readily achievable, meaning they are available in the clinics when patients arrive for their sessions.

For the pharmacy staff, the use of the robot protects them from repetitive strain injuries commonly associated with this type of manual process, as well as from exposure to hazardous drugs used in the compounding of chemotherapy. Patients can be assured of the quality of the chemotherapy produced due to the environment in which the robot is housed as well as the flexibility to use the range and scope of products previously produced in the pharmacy. There are also potential cost savings to be realised as the robot can store partially used drugs for use in the production of subsequent doses, thus optimising the use of expensive drugs.

Aisling Nolan, Director of Development at the St James’s Hospital Foundation, said: “I am delighted that the hard work of the Foundation supporters, from patients to families to our own staff, has paid off with the installation and use of this new robot. Cancer care is a core service at St James’s Hospital and this robot will help our cancer patients and the staff who care for them every day.”

The project was made possible due to a highly collaborative multidisciplinary team including pharmacists, technicians, engineers, electricians and ICT staff along with commercial partners to plan, implement and test the technology.

CEO of St James’s Hospital Prof Mary Day said: “The Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute aspires to being a comprehensive cancer centre where patient care, research, clinical trials and cutting edge treatments combine to lead to better patient outcomes and experiences. Being the first hospital in the UK or Ireland to use this new robot to make chemotherapy drugs is another example of how we are constantly striving to find new and better ways to serve our patients and assist our staff.”

IDA Ireland supports IBM multi-year training programme with Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD and IDA Ireland today welcomed the news that IBM is launching a further significant phase to a multi-year transformational training programme across its research and digital sales teams in Ireland, which is intended to be worth more than €10m over approximately the next five years. The programme is supported by the Government of Ireland through IDA Ireland.

The skills transformation is part of IBM’s new ‘reimagined workforce’ and includes an innovative bespoke training programme under which IBM intends to hire approximately 35 pre-PhD research candidates to work at IBM’s research’s lab in Dublin, and train across cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum, information security and Accelerated Discovery. The pre-PhD programme is undertaken in conjunction with Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. Significant transformative skills training will also be provided to IBM’s digital sales team covering sales leadership, client acquisition and a new early career development programme.

Welcoming the new investment by IBM, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD said: “I am pleased to see that IBM is making this new investment of over €10m across its research and digital sales teams in Ireland. The ‘reimagined workforce’ initiative will provide about 35 pre-PhD students with an incredible opportunity to receive the most advanced technological training available from the excellent teachers and resources in Trinity College. A culture of partnership between industry, academia and Government, is essential in promoting innovation and developing a skilled workforce, creating employment opportunities for qualified students into industry. I wish all involved the best of luck.”

Headquartered in Armonk, New York, IBM has been operating in Ireland since 1956 with over 2,500 staff primarily based in Dublin, Cork and Galway; including its IBM Research lab – the only one in the EU – and its pan-European Digital Sales Centre.

Deborah Threadgold, Country General Manager, IBM Ireland said: “IBM’s business has transformed repeatedly over the six-plus decades it’s been established in Ireland. Central to this ability to evolve and grow has been our capacity to attract highly skilled people, and their willingness to keep learning and developing. This innovative multi-year programme will provide the foundation for exciting developments in strategic and emerging technologies and support how we engage with our clients in their digital transformations.”

Commenting on the announcement Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland said: ‘’This new investment in training by IBM is most welcome news and is very much aligned to IDA Ireland’s Transformation pillar that is central to our current strategy. IBM’s commitment to Ireland over its long history here has played a significant role in the development of the technology and innovation ecosystem we have here today. I wish IBM every success with this multi-million-euro investment.”

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics, and is being explored as a technology that could solve problems too complex for classical computers.

IBM is also making contributions to help advance Ireland’s quantum research and development capability, including collaborations with other research institutions, multinationals and indigenous companies through its community-driven outreach and IBM Quantum Network to help develop innovative use cases for quantum computing.

Storm Technology futureproofs Trinity’s internal communications strategy in digital transformation deal

Storm Technology, the market-leading digital solutions provider, today announces that it has futureproofed how Trinity College Dublin staff communicate and access information internally in a digital transformation deal.

A world-leading university and Ireland’s highest ranked university, Trinity has approximately 3,500 staff members and serves a community of 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. To bring staff together on a communications platform and support the organisation’s strategic goals, Trinity partnered with Storm Technology to roll out a new staff intranet.

Leveraging SharePoint, which was already in use across the campus, a one-stop knowledge centre and communications hub was implemented by Storm Technology to address the requirements of university staff.

The solution ensures that staff have instant access to the resources they need on a day-to-day basis – including news, events, job listings, health and safety information, and learning and development resources.

It also helps the communications team to maximise the impact of their own content by measuring same, in terms of engagement and reach. The platform also automatically pulls content from social media channels and allows staff to interact with posts – while protecting employee privacy through the anonymisation of data.

Furthermore, the cross-organisational initiative streamlines internal communication processes within Trinity and enhances user experience by enabling two-way communication via a centralised and easy-to-use channel.

By streamlining communications, content and accessibility for staff, the intranet minimises the impact on Trinity’s internal IT resources. In fact, the system can be easily managed by the in-house communications team, reducing the need for ongoing third-party support and associated costs.

Mike Lillis, Chief Commercial Officer, Storm Technology, said: “By digitally transforming the way Trinity staff share, publish and access information, we are driving success for the organisation. This is both enhancing how they work today and will enable them to scale and maximise value for the future. In turn, this helps Trinity to deliver educational support to thousands of students and remain a leader in its field.”

Trinity’s Deputy Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Sally-Anne Fisher, said: “Our aim was to create a community for staff and modernise our methods of communication, moving from the dependence on internal emails to a hub where people can easily interact, collaborate, and innovate. By transforming the employee experience, we are improving not just their working lives but how we operate as an educational establishment.

“Our decision to partner with Storm was an easy decision, given their experience and expertise in intranet design and user experience. It has also been key to project success. We were impressed by the professionalism of the entire team – a team which looked beyond the technical implementation, providing us with tips and advice to support roll-out and system adoption, this was really appreciated and added to the overall positive experience.”