Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Just under a third of electricity came from renewables in July, the first month of a new coal-free era for Ireland's power system. Provisional data from electricity grid operator EirGrid shows that 32% of electricity came from wind, grid-scale solar and other renewable sources last month. Wind energy met 24% of total demand, with 6% coming from solar. July saw another significant peak in grid-connected solar generation with a new record of 798 MW registered, up 30 MW from the previous record. July also marked the first full month in which coal did not feature in Ireland's electricity fuel mix, after its use was discontinued at Moneypoint in June after 40 years. Gas was the single largest source of electricity generation in July at 51%, with imports at 15%. Overall electricity system demand stood at 2,734 GWh (Gigawatt Hours) for July. Once again, fluctuations in electricity demand were noticeable during this year's GAA All-Ireland finals last month, with increases of around 80 MW coinciding with half-times as viewers switched on kettles and other appliances during breaks in play. Investment in the electricity grid, such as that announced in the National Development Plan last month, will be vital for enabling the necessary upgrades and reinforcements to the grid to ensure it is resilient and capable of accommodating greater amounts of renewable energy in future. Commenting on the data, Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said: "As the power system marked the first full month of a new coal-free era, we've continued to see new milestones set for grid-scale solar power with the peak now standing at just below the 800 Megawatt mark as of July - a figure that may still be surpassed over the coming months."

By David Stephen An indicator of superintelligence, for AI, would be the solution to a major scientific problem. To achieve this, what may be necessary would be scientific data, a new memory architecture, and extensive math models. Already, large language models [LLMs] can answer several scientific questions. But they remain limited in theorizing fundamentals answers. How does AI get there? This can become a trajectory for general intelligence from niche, transcendent intelligence. Take the brain as an example, to explain a mental state, say of an emotion or a feeling, how would AI be able to say something absolutely original and quite accurate? Also, arriving at this capability, how will alignment be maximized to ensure safety against misuse? How close are we to AI Superintelligence? Storage Layering The first step towards a mini-superintelligence, for science, or specifically brain science, is storage. Data will not be stored with the current memory architecture. There will be an absolutely new model for data storage that collects patterns at the store. In mechanistic interpretability, concepts [with relationships] are often adjacent. It will be necessary to have a similar model for memory. This would be like having a hard drive partition for just neurons. Though, the form of storage would be much different because of [say] specifications [with data] solely for neurons. So, everything [established in empirical brain science] about neurons will be a store. Then electrical signals as a store as well, then chemical signals as a store. Another store would be neurons in clusters - nuclei and ganglia. Then electrical and chemical signals as a collection. While there would be different architectural explorations for these storages, the target would be to store data like the human brain. The human brain, it is conceptualized, has thick sets [of electrical and chemical signals]. A thick set collects whatever is common between two or more thin sets. So, door is a thick set representing all doors, so is fence and so forth. There are unique elements that may remain thin sets, but most interpretations use thick sets. It is what makes it easier for the brain to store much more for less space [and energy] than computers. There are rarely repetitions, so access is faster, learning requires new fewer examples and so forth. Therefore, the partitioning or specificity of storage would provide an opportunity to directly mimic human memory. The next step will be to layer those storages. Such that, instead of say sectors on a disk, they are like layers, for patterns to match what is common in the binary data. The objective is to ensure that storage is prepared for intelligence. Not just to have intelligence use repetitive memory, like what is obtainable at present. For example, the text 'door' is stored differently from the image or the video. Also, there are all kinds of videos, image types and so forth. Then there are several information about doors, as well. In the brain, door is a thick set, containing the text, images, videos, physical structure and so forth. In this new memory architecture for computing, whatever is common in the binary segments of door would be collected. So, instead of storing it alone, it is stored together and accessed in that collective form, as layers, so that creativity meshes are probable. For this new memory for superintelligence, after storing specific data and collecting binary commonalities, then layers would be added, so that more binary segments would be collected. The technical details and likelihood of these can be explicated and estimated. However, to really have superintelligence that can be original enough beyond prediction, or basic reasoning, it may not begin with deep learning but with a new storage architecture. Mathematical Models Existing math models in deep learning would accelerate progress further, given new storage layers. Since patterns would already be available from the source, there can be...

Ireland Esports Leagues has officially launched, uniting students, professionals and schools across the island into one dynamic competitive pathway - powered by Nativz Gaming. In a historic first for Irish esports, a single platform will connect grassroots players across schools, universities and into the workplace. Building sustainable, community-first esports experiences across the island. Ireland Esports Collegiate Series enters its 8th edition this October, representing 16 universities and colleges. Company Series pilot tournament successfully concluded in June and returns for Season 1 in September 2025. Collegiate Advisory Committee formed to deepen collaboration with senior university stakeholders. New Schools Series designed to support development of skills needed to succeed in an increasingly technology-driven society. Growing collaborations with Ireland's National Esports Communities will build on existing relationships. "This is a milestone moment for esports on the island of Ireland. For the first time ever, we've built a national structure that connects students, schools, educators and professionals - not just as players, but as future coaches, creators, analysts and leaders," said Kurt Pittman, Founder & CEO of Nativz Gaming. Karl added: "This is the next logical step for a scene that's been steadily growing, and with the people and experience we've brought together, we're best placed to do the job properly. We've delivered the biggest competitions on the island - now we're uniting them to build something even more impactful." Ireland Esports Leagues mission is to build the competitive structure, tell the cultural story and grow the talent pipeline for Irish esports - from schools to society. Ireland Esports Leagues will do this by connecting players across every stage of life, delivering meaningful competitions, developing talent and continuing to grow the ecosystem from the ground up - all while working alongside and supporting Ireland's national esports communities. For more information please visit www.irelandesportsleagues.com and explore the leagues below: Schools Series www.irelandesportsschools.com Collegiate Series www.irelandcollegiate.com Company Series: Office Showdown www.officeshowdown.com Subscribe here to stay up to date, get notified about registration deadlines and access exclusive content as the 2025/26 season unfolds. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Guest post by Ronnie Hamilton, Pre Sales Director, Climb Channel Solutions Ireland There have been hundreds of headlines about the AI skills gap. Analysts are warning that millions of roles could go unfilled. Universities and education providers are launching fast-track courses and bootcamps. And in the channel, partners are under pressure to bring in the right capabilities or risk being left behind. But the challenge isn't always technical. Often, it's much more basic. The biggest question, for many, is where to begin? More often than not, organisations are keen to explore the potential of AI but they don't know how to approach it in a structured way. It's not a lack of intelligence or initiative or skill holding them back - far from it, it's the absence of a shared framework, a common language, or a clear starting point. From marketing departments using ChatGPT to create content to developers trialling Copilot to streamline workflows, individuals are already experimenting with AI. However, these activities tend to happen in isolation, with such tools used informally rather than strategically. Without a roadmap or any kind of unifying policy, businesses are often left with a fragmented view or approach - the result of which is that AI becomes something that happens around the organisation rather than being a part of it. This can also introduce more risks, particularly when employees input sensitive data into external tools without proper controls or oversight. As models become more integrated and capable, even seemingly innocuous actions, like granting access to an email inbox or uploading internal documents, can expose large volumes of confidential company data. Without visibility into how that data is handled and used, organisations may unknowingly be increasing their risk surface. Rethinking what 'AI skills' means The term "AI skills" is often used to describe high-end technical roles like data scientists, machine learning engineers, or prompt specialists. Such an interpretation has its drawbacks. After all, organisations don't just need deep technical expertise, they need an understanding of how AI can be applied in a business context to deliver value. For example, organisations may want to consider how these tools can be used to support customers or identify ways of automating processes. Adopting AI in this way can encourage communication around it and allows people to engage with AI confidently and constructively, regardless of their technical background. Unfortunately, the industry's obsession with large language models (LLMs) has narrowed the conversation. AI has become almost entirely associated with a select number of tools. The focus has moved to interacting with models, rather than applying AI to support and improve existing work. Yet for many partners, the most valuable AI use cases will be far more understated - including automating support tickets, streamlining compliance checks, and improving threat detection. These outcomes won't come from prompt engineering, but from thoughtful experimentation with process optimisation and orchestration. Removing the barriers to adoption For many businesses, the real blocker to full-scale AI adoption isn't technical complexity, it's structural uncertainty. AI adoption is happening, but not in a coordinated way. There are few formal policies in place, and often no designated owner. In many cases, tools are actively blocked due to data security concerns or regulatory ambiguity. That caution isn't misplaced. The EU AI Act, for example, requires any organisation operating within or doing business with the EU to ensure at least one trained individual is responsible for AI. By itself, this raises important questions in terms of accountability and strategy. This lack of ownership - as opposed to the technology itself - is where the real risk lies. There's also an emotional barrier at play. We hear it all the time: the sense that others are further ahead, and that trying to catch...

A landmark moment was reached this week on the Celtic Interconnector project, as laying of the submarine cable commenced on the key energy project linking the electricity grids of Ireland and France. The next phase of the project was signalled by the arrival of the specialist marine vessel Calypso, which will lay the high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable for the project, which is being developed with EirGrid and its French equivalent, Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE) and co-funded by the EU Connecting Europe Fund. When complete, it will be the first interconnector between Ireland and continental Europe, travelling from east Cork to the north-west coast of Brittany. The vessel, which arrived from Norway into the Port of Cork, has started the cable laying along an 84km section of the route. When fully complete, the HVDC cable will span 500km from east Cork to the north-west of Brittany and will allow the exchange of 700MW of electricity, equal to powering 450,000 homes. The cable is being laid onto the seabed by the Calypso, with burial works done by two further vessels. The HVDC cable is currently being laid along an 84km section of the Celtic Interconnector route. The cable lay and burial operations are weather sensitive and are being carried out in summer, to align with the best weather conditions. Marine survey teams have mapped the seabed in advance of works to chart the optimal route for the cable, with EirGrid liaising with local fisheries and marine users throughout. Speaking about the marine campaign, Michael Behan said: "EirGrid is proud to welcome this latest phase of works on the Celtic Interconnector project, which really shows the progress being made on this key energy project for Ireland. This feat of engineering that will take place over the coming weeks is a testament to the collaboration, innovation and care required to deliver this critical infrastructure. We remain grateful for the continued patience and support of communities, landowners, and stakeholders as we progress this project." The cable laying installation is just one element of this strategic infrastructure project being developed by EirGrid and its French counterpart, Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (RTE). The project's onshore phase has seen approximately 10km of high voltage alternating current (HVAC) cable installed in roads, with HVDC cabling works currently being progressed. Meanwhile, civil works at the project's converter station, located at Ballyadam, near Carrigtwohill, are near completion, with internal fitouts of the converter hall progressing well.

The finalists for the 2025 Diversity in Tech Awards (DITA) have been announced today. Taking place on Thursday, 19th September at 6:00 pm in a new location - the Gibson Hotel, Dublin - the event will gather over 300 guests to honour individuals and organisations leading the way in diversity, inclusion, and innovation across the tech sector. Now in its eighth year, DITA celebrates a broad spectrum of diversity - from gender and culture to disability and neurodiversity - and continues to spotlight the changemakers reshaping the tech industry for the better. This year saw more than 300 entries, with the Rising Star and Startup Visionary awards attracting the highest number of submissions. Claire Rushe, Executive Director Global Technology of JP Morgan and a member of the judging panel, said; "JP Morgan is thrilled to continue our partnership with the Diversity in Tech Awards in 2025. This year, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation and opportunity. These awards honour the trailblazers who are making the tech industry more inclusive, aligning with our belief that technology thrives when every voice is heard and valued. This is an opportunity to recognise those who think outside the box, driving ingenuity and progress through diverse insights. By supporting these awards, we not only honour the groundbreaking strides being made but also reinforce our commitment to fostering a tech landscape where bold ideas and inclusive thinking lead the way." Clare Kilmartin, COO of the Diversity in Tech Awards, added, "The 2025 finalists represent the very best of what our industry has to offer - bold thinkers, brilliant innovators, and inclusive leaders who are breaking down barriers in every direction. These awards are a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we create space for all talent to thrive. I look forward to celebrating them in style this September." 2025 Diversity in Tech Awards Finalists Cultural Inclusion Award EPAM Systems Fiserv Integral Ad Science LearnUpon MEG Rewriting the Code SHEIN DE&I Special Initiative Recognition Access Avenue Datapac JP Morgan TiLT Role-Play Limited Yahoo International Limited DE&I Support Network of the Year BearingPoint EPAM Systems ESB Limit Break Logitech DE&I Excellence in Leadership Datapac Indeed JP Morgan Yahoo International Limited Disability Inclusion Award Access Avenue EPAM Systems ESB Nexus Inclusion Diverse Company of the Year Award BearingPoint Cognizant Datapac Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) Oracle EMEA Ltd. Uisce Éireann Yahoo International Limited Inspirational Diversity Role Model Award Accenture BNY Greenhouse Software Microsoft Optum Uisce Éireann LGTBQ+ Inclusion Award Gas Networks Ireland Greenhouse Software myGwork Shane Collective Neurodiverse Inclusion Award auticon BearingPoint EPAM Systems ESB Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) Laois County Council Rising Star Award Dr. Sheetal Dash of Barclays Israel Ngombo of BNY Apurva Kiran Vangujar of Jaguar Land Rover Lynsey Byrne of Bord Gáis Energy Faith Omotayo of Rewriting The Code Aisling Kearney of Squarespace Ireland Limited Naa Korkoi Addo of Taighde Éireann Research Ireland Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence Social Impact Award Datapac JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) Logitech Oracle PayGap.ie Therapix Women in Technology & Science Ireland Startup Visionary Award Deirdre McCarthy - AllSkills Tech Rena Maycock - Chirp Cuty Gupta - Cozmotec Emer Mugisha - Cyberminds Corina Popov - Digitax Hannah Wrixon - KELLA Victoria Finlay - The MenoPal STEM Champion Award Sara Grimaldi -Amazon Web Services Amy Everson - Baker Hughes Elfreeda Sunny - EY Catherine Casey - Fiserv Faith Omotayo - Rewriting The Code Svitlana Samko - Verizon Connect Lidia Maria Muñoz - Vodafone Business Tech Leader Award Karen Morton - Ekco Rebecca Keenan of Expleo Marisa O'Shea - North (NAB_IRE Ventures Limited) Marie O'Connor - Sogeti Ireland Dorothy Zbikowski -...

Pure Telecom, Ireland's high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, has announced the results of its annual Connected Lives survey which reveals 370,000 adults1 in Ireland have engaged in a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot within the last 12 months. The research indicates a growing interest in AI for romantic connections, with a further 12% of adults - almost half-a-million people - revealing they wouldn't rule it out in the future. The nationally representative survey was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveying 1,001 adults in Ireland. The research examines the evolving relationship between humans and AI, in particular their personal relationships with chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini. As the lines between humans and technology become increasingly blurred, chatbots have opened the door for people to explore a new form of emotional connection. Much like with human partners, AI 'relationships' are formed when an individual develops a sense of attachment to an AI chatbot through the sharing of daily experiences and engaging in deep conversations. The bot reciprocates this affection and can recall previous conversations, thus building a rapport and reinforcing the recipient's perception of a relationship. Pure Telecom's research revealed that in the last 12 months, 13% of men have conducted a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot. This is almost double the 7% reported by women. Across age groups, the figure was highest among 25-34-year-olds at 16%. The survey also indicated an openness among many to conduct a romantic relationship with an AI chatbot at some point in time. Almost half-a-million (12% of adults) wouldn't rule out a relationship with an AI bot in the future. In keeping with this outlook, 20% believe romantic relationships with AI would be less complicated than humans ones. A further 10% maintain romantic relationships with AI are a good way to practice real life relationships. This belief is higher among men at 16% in comparison to women at just 6%. The humanisation of chatbots doesn't end there. Almost one in five (19%) of adults speak to AI like it's a friend, while 36% admit to saying 'please' and 'thank you' to their AI chatbot. Furthermore, 18% use it to research health symptoms and treatments, while one-in-10 use it as a form of therapy and to get life advice. The same proportion use it to prepare for difficult conversations, like a break-up or confrontation. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: "This research highlights the pivotal role that AI is beginning to play not just in our professional lives, but our personal ones also. As people and technology become increasingly integrated, and AI becomes progressively more advanced, adults in Ireland have found it to be an unexpected source of emotional connection. The recent AI boom means that these bots are now readily accessible to all of us - and there's no agony of waiting around for a reply! "While relationships with bots may seem unconventional, it underscores the remarkable capacity of artificial intelligence to foster connections as it becomes increasingly responsive to our needs. The use of these large language models (LLMs) requires fast, reliable internet access and as a provider of this, we at Pure Telecom are excited by the possibilities that AI unlocks. However, it is no replacement for the rewarding spontaneity and depth of human connection." See more stories here.

Kota, the Irish-founded employee benefits platform, has launched the country's first Instant Auto Enrolment Solution following its €12.6 million Series A investment in May. Their purpose-built solution gets Irish employers Auto Enrolment ready in just a few clicks. With 1 in 4 businesses unprepared and statutory contributions set to begin on 1 January 2026, employers have just five months to get ready. Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary is urging businesses to "act now", describing auto-enrolment as "the biggest transformation of pension policy in the history of the State." Kota's new offering enables HR and finance teams to implement a compliant occupational pension with Irish Life within minutes. Organisations can sync employee data, set minimum contributions, and have eligible hires automatically enrolled, while staff get an easy-to-use platform to view and manage their savings. "We've spent thousands of hours working alongside Irish employers as they prepare for the upcoming changes" said Trevor Gardiner (QFA,RPA), Head of Benefits at Kota. "Auto Enrolment has been a really positive catalyst, prompting Irish employers to talk seriously about retirement benefits. But from our conversations, it's clear the State scheme won't work for everyone. That's why we've built a solution for companies that want more control over employee experience, cost, and compliance, without the complexity." While a positive step in improving retirement readiness, The Government's 'My Future Fund' offers limited flexibility, increases administrative burdens on employers and includes strict limits that many companies and higher earning staff find unattractive, such as: No Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVCs) and savings locked up until the National Retirement Age of 66. Fixed contribution rates with no room for employer discretion. €80k salary cap on contributions, and reduced tax relief for those taxed at 40%. A Government managed portal that gives employers no control over their employees' experience. However, choosing an Occupational Pension instead of Auto Enrolment presents the challenge of ensuring the scheme is correctly set up to qualify for full exemption. Failure to do so can result in businesses running two pension schemes simultaneously, an outcome both the Government and major pension providers agree causes unnecessary complexity and administrative burden. Yet many employers are receiving limited clarity or practical guidance from their existing brokers, leaving them uncertain about the right course of action and often unaware of these nuances. Kota's purpose-built technology solves this by automatically enrolling employees onto the employers' occupational pension as soon as they're added to their HR System, eliminating the manual work and, thereby, the potential for errors and delays typically involved. Already trusted by Remote.com and hundreds of EU scale-ups including Tines, Protex AI, &Open and Car Wow, Kota delivers a future-ready, robust approach to workplace pensions. This includes: Seamless setup: Sync HRIS & payroll to launch an occupational pension with Irish Life in a few clicks. Always compliant: Synced employee data and eligibility rules ensuring everyone stays covered by the company's Occupational Scheme. Employee engagement & understanding: Consumer-grade app where employees can access, understand and make in-app changes to their savings for retirement. Regulated & secure: Kota holds a Central Bank of Ireland intermediary licence and integrates directly with Irish Life for real-time enrolments and accurate reporting. Proven at scale: Powers benefits for Remote.com and hundreds of EU scale ups. "Thousands of Irish employers are telling us that auto enrolment is a growing concern, with little guidance from traditional brokers," added Luke Mackey, Co Founder & CEO of Kota. "Our goal is to make compliance effortless in just a few clicks, while giving employees the transparent, mobile first experience they e...

Storm Technology, a Littlefish company, has announced new findings from its survey which found that 68% of IT leaders believe the use of AI by staff reduces stress levels. The research - involving 200 IT decision-makers and leaders across Ireland and the UK (100 respondents per market) - found that 60% think AI will help reduce burnout in their organisation, with almost three quarters (72%) of respondents of the opinion that AI would help employees to achieve a better work life balance. Meanwhile, some 66% think AI would allow employees to reduce manual repetitive tasks and focus on more meaningful work, with 57% revealing employees are optimistic about the potential impact of AI on their day-to-day routine. Showing the influence of AI and the current level of uptake across businesses in Ireland, some 69% of IT leaders in this market would prefer to work for a company that is more advanced in terms of AI adoption. The research found that 70% of respondents in Ireland are in organisations which already permit the use of AI and 68% are using the technology to assist with their own work. In fact, over half (51%) use AI on a daily basis for work purposes and only 2% never use it at all. However, the research found that barriers remain when it comes to AI adoption, the most cited one being a lack of understanding within the wider organisation about potential applications or benefits - selected by 31% of all respondents. Backing this up, almost three quarters (73%) of IT leaders agree that user adoption is a concern when it comes to AI implementation. Furthermore, almost a third (30%) do not believe senior management in their organisation understand the potential of AI. The other top barriers to AI adoption were the management of data, privacy and security (28%), lack of trust in AI (27%), employee resistance (27%), and a lack of AI skills in the organisation (27%). On the topic of AI skills, 40% of IT leaders do not believe their team currently has the technical skills or knowledge to implement or adopt AI. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, 70% think employees expect to receive AI training and enablement. John Tallon, M365 Productivity & Adoption, Azure Application Innovation and Azure Data & AI Practice Director, Storm Technology, said: "AI is creating a predicament for people and businesses. On the one hand, it is seen as a means of reducing workload stresses, supporting creativity, and productivity. However, on the other hand, there is reluctance to adopt AI, stemming from a gap in understanding and the necessary skills required. Businesses will need to bridge this knowledge gap to capitalise on the benefits of AI. Empowering people will drive the biggest impact across the whole business." See more stories here.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, is celebrating 15 years of partnership with global airline alliance SkyTeam. Since 2010, TCS has supported SkyTeam in delivering digital initiatives that have enhanced the air travel experience for millions of passengers. Their collaboration remains focused on accelerating digital transformation and reimagining airline customer experience for the future. Through this partnership with TCS, SkyTeam has embedded technology at the core of its strategy, products and services. Together, the two organisations have created a range of industry-first digital solutions that deliver a smarter and more integrated travel experience across SkyTeam's global network of 18 member airlines. Key successes of the partnership include: • SkyTeam's Digital Spine - A scalable, technical backbone that connects member airline global distribution systems and supports all digital solutions • Seamless check-in - Enabling travellers to check in for multi-airline itineraries through their preferred airline app or website • Loyalty program integration - Development of core loyalty applications including Auto Accrual, Elite Customer Recognition and Retro-Crediting to recognise and reward customers • Lounge Access Management System - Streamlining lounge entry through real-time verification of passenger eligibility • Customer-facing tools - Interactive digital tools like the Carry-on Calculator and Loyalty Benefits Calculator that enhance traveller experience and support loyalty engagement. Patrick Roux, CEO, SkyTeam, said, "SkyTeam's 15-year partnership with Tata Consultancy Services has been essential in helping us meet the evolving needs of customers across our global network. As an alliance, our role is to bring airlines together and deliver shared solutions that drive progress for all members. TCS's technical expertise has made them a trusted partner in enhancing the experience for both our members and millions of travellers. Digital innovation has been central to SkyTeam's success - and it will remain a top priority as we look ahead to the next chapter of our collaboration." As SkyTeam enters its 25th year, TCS will continue its partnership with the airline alliance. TCS will aim to advance shared technology and loyalty innovation and create a seamless journey for all SkyTeam passengers. The collaboration will be focused on advancing digital capabilities, including seamless check-in across member airlines and integrated loyalty experiences. TCS will help in transforming SkyTeam's baggage tracking ecosystem by enabling accurate, real-time interline baggage tracking across member airlines. It will work to enable intermodal travel through partnerships with Eurostar and Trenitalia, creating smoother connections between air and rail. Further, it will modernise and streamline travel miles accrual between operating carriers and frequent flyer programs. Arun Pradeep, Business Head, Travel, Transportation and Hospitality, EMEA TCS, said, "Our long-standing partnership with SkyTeam reflects perpetual adaptability, navigating industry shifts with agility, shared purpose and innovation. Digital innovation has been the cornerstone of this journey, enabling SkyTeam to stay ahead of evolving passenger expectations and industry dynamics. Together, we have built intelligent, connected digital solutions that strengthen alliance-wide synergy, and deliver seamless travel experiences. As SkyTeam marks its 25th anniversary and enters the next chapter to shape the future of connected travel, TCS remains a trusted partner in co-creating the next wave of transformation and delivering a more connected, customer-centric travel experience." TCS has served as the go-to digital transformation partner to the world's leading aerospace companies and airlines for over three decades. Its innovation-led approach is designed to help aerospace organisations harness AI, digital twins, and adv...

Guest post by Ciarán Quilty, Senior Vice-President for International at Intuit Digital transformation has flooded business leaders with tools but what it hasn't delivered, consistently, is confidence. That is the gap that matters more than ever now in the rising AI economy. Above adoption and access is confidence. Despite clear evidence that digitally connected businesses are 2.4x more likely to report higher productivity and 2.3x more likely to see increased revenue, more than 25% of UK small businesses still don't use basic digital tools Because leaders aren't struggling with information, the real challenge is noise. This includes data points with no priority, dashboards without context and ultimately, insights that land too late or vaguely to guide real decisions. The result is something quieter than failure: hesitation. More tools, less certainty Small and medium-sized businesses are making decisions under pressure, with fewer resources and thinner margins than their larger peers. They don't have the luxury of testing every new platform or hiring teams to interpret dashboards. They need to know what matters now. Yet too often, that's not what tech delivers. The reasons aren't surprising: cost, complexity, and a growing sense that many systems overpromise and underguide. If digital tools don't help leaders make faster, more confident decisions, they add friction rather than value. Instead of helping leaders move faster, the wrong tools add layers of prep: comparing dashboards, cross-checking systems, chasing consistency. Insight becomes one more thing to manage, not a source of direction. What confidence actually looks like It's easy to treat confidence like a personal trait. But in business, it's a system-level outcome that comes from seeing what's changed, knowing what matters, and acting early before issues pile up. This is where AI shows real promise. Not in automation at scale, that's a given, but today it's about surfacing signals leaders didn't know to look for. We've seen this already. One SMB leader sends out an invoice. Before hitting send, an AI agent flags the customer's consistent late payments and suggests a late fee. The change takes seconds but improves the chance of on-time payment tenfold. More than a clever feature this is something designed to be relevant to the needs of the business and this is what builds confidence. Because it shows up at the right moment, with a specific, financially relevant prompt, the system provides support, while earning trust while turning technology into partnership. The stack that works: AI and human expertise Technology doesn't build trust alone. Data from the Institute of Coding reveals that just 12% of SMEs have invested in AI training, even though 52% cite lack of skills as a major adoption barrier. The best results come when AI and human advice work in tandem, spotting patterns, prompting better decisions, and giving leaders space to think. Decision-support agents are already shifting what's possible. They flag anomalies, suggest actions, and scale insight without adding weight. But they still leave room for human instinct and judgment. The point isn't to replace the leader but support them in the moments that matter. Done right, this is how technology fades into the background, and true leadership moves forward. Focus over function When leaders are overwhelmed, it doesn't mean they stop caring, they just stop trusting. Second-guessing the data and delaying action, as they wait for certainty that rarely comes. And over time, that doubt creates drag: Momentum slows, decisions stack up and strategy recedes into the background. If we want to rebuild that momentum, we need to stop layering on features and start designing for focus. Because clarity, not complexity, is what turns information into action. Think of a cash flow dashboard that shows declining revenue vs. an alert that tells you: 'Revenue has dipped 12% this month due to two major late payers, would you like to ...

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has announced the scheduled launch of a cutting-edge 5 Gbit/s broadband offering, marking another milestone in the evolution of rural Ireland's digital infrastructure. With download speeds currently ranging from 500 Mbit/s to 2 Gbit/s, NBI is already delivering some of the fastest broadband services available in Ireland; however, the wholesale network operator, announced plans to further enhance its offering by notifying Broadband Providers of the upcoming launch of a 5 Gbit/s fibre broadband product. This next-generation capacity will deliver ultra-fast, reliable connectivity to premises in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) rollout area, accelerating economic growth, innovation, and social inclusion. This product launch sees more than a doubling its current top speed and positions users of the NBI Network as those capable of accessing some of the fastest broadband speeds globally. Key Highlights • Rural Ireland: Prioritising rural and underserved areas, the 5 Gbit/s product will be available to any premise in the National Broadband Plan rollout area. Residents and businesses can check eligibility via the NBI website (www.nbi.ie) by entering their Eircode. • Partnerships for Progress: Collaborating with over 50 different broadband providers who offer internet services over the NBI Network empowers users to choose a solution and a competitive price-point that is right for them. • Product Specs: This product includes differentiated upload speeds with a 5 Gbit/s / 500 Mbit/s (download / upload) offering for businesses including SME's, with a 5 Gbit/s / 250 Mbit/s (download / upload) offering aimed at residential users. • Use Cases: Applications of 5 Gig broadband services extends across many premises, from individual consumers using high-speed internet at home, through complex industry-specific environments requiring ultra-reliable and low-latency. Ideal for high-demand online activities such as 4K/8K streaming, online gaming, large data file transfers, remote work, accessing cloud services, IoT applications, AI driven start-ups, and supporting multiple smart devices simultaneously without lag. T.J. Malone, Chief Executive Officer of National Broadband Ireland, stated: "NBI's 5 Gig service isn't just about speed, it's about unlocking potential of virtually every sector in the country. From farmers using precision agriculture to students accessing virtual classrooms, this offering will help redefine what's possible for every home, school, farm, business and indeed community in our rollout area." Commenting on the forthcoming launch, Joe Lavin, Chief Commercial Officer of National Broadband Ireland, said: "When you look at consumer trends, whether that be smart TV adoption, 4K or higher broadcasting, the proliferation of connected home devices, as well as in-home IoT medical care applications, it's easy to understand why data usage is increasing. In response to those trends and to support our customers - broadband providers - in delivering an even better experience for users on the NBI Network, we're excited to make our 5 Gig product available in the market." National Broadband Ireland (NBI) is the company rolling out the National Broadband Plan (NBP) on behalf of the Irish Government and expects to be connecting end users to 5 Gbit/s Fibre Broadband from October 2025. See more stories here.

Over 6,450 people have registered for the Law Society's free online course on Artificial Intelligence, which is open to everyone, including members of the public. In a record year, a total of 6,455 people from 84 different countries have already registered for the Law Society's annual free five-week online, on-demand course, making it the most popular course since the annual offering began in 2014. Due to high demand, this year's course closure date has been extended until Tuesday, 19 August. Course Overview The course offers participants an opportunity to delve into the world of AI, to better understand its benefits and challenges, learn what AI can be used for now and in the future, and to become with familiar with issues surrounding data security, ethical concerns and economic consequences. President of the Law Society, Eamon Harrington, said, "You don't need to have prior knowledge about AI to get something from this course. Instead, it aims to remove the mystery and instil confidence in understanding the scope and power of AI tools." Iryna Koliada, Fraud & Deception Project Manager, Meta, was a participant on this year's course. She said, "The course on Artificial Intelligence by the Law Society was a truly insightful and enriching learning experience. I appreciated how it combined legal analysis - especially around EU legislation - with broader, practical discussions that are relevant across industries. "The format was accessible and engaging, with excellent reading materials, expert-led video content, and interactive discussion forums. The final knowledge check was a great tool to reflect on key learnings. I'd highly recommend this course to both legal and non-legal professionals interested in understanding the real-world impact of AI." David Slattery, Enterprise Account Executive, SurveyMonkey, also completed this year's AI course. He said, "The Law Society's recent course on AI exceeded my expectations. The timely and practical course offered clear insights into how AI is already shaping legal practice and wider sectors. The content was thoughtfully delivered by expert speakers and the communication throughout the course was exceptional." How to Register "This AI course is open to anyone and everyone, anywhere in the world," explained Mr Harrington. "From school children upwards, if you have an interest in learning about AI and its influence on wider society, you are invited to take part and upskill for free. With the course deadline extended, participants can now access and complete the course up until Tuesday, 19 August 2025." For more information and to register, visit: MOOC on AI 2025

A research team from the University of Galway has captured a rarely observed ocean mixing process during an expedition to the Greenland Sea, a finding that could improve our understanding of Arctic climate change. The research team spent several weeks at sea during the summer of 2023 aboard the Marine Institute's research vessel RV Celtic Explorer, carrying out surface ocean measurements in one of the most remote and climate-sensitive parts of the world. The team focused on a phenomenon known as cabbeling. This process involves the temperature and salinity (concentration of salt) in the ocean, which together make up the ocean density. Cabbeling occurs when two water masses with different temperatures and salinities, but the same density, are mixed together. The result is a denser mixture than either of the original water masses, a consequence of the non-linear behaviour of seawater. This denser mixture then sinks, triggering turbulence and vertical mixing. Cabbeling has important implications for melting Arctic sea ice as it can increase the amount of heat from below to the ocean surface. The study has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. To observe the cabbeling process, the team deployed a robotic instrument known as the Air-Sea Interaction Profiler (ASIP), which is a unique instrument specifically designed to study small-scale processes at the ocean surface. The ASIP is 2.8 metres in length, weighs about 90 kilograms, and is completely autonomous. Repeated dives and ascents by the robotic instrument carry its sensors through the upper 100 meters of the upper ocean, making fine-scale physical measurements including turbulence, temperature, and salinity. The results have implications for improving scientists' understanding of cabbeling and its potential role in models of sea surface warming and Arctic ice loss, particularly as climate patterns shift. The Greenland Sea is expected to experience increased freshwater outflow from melting ice in a warmer climate, altering the regional dynamics. Understanding and incorporating the effects of cabbeling will enhance the accuracy of predictions of ocean heat transport, especially in polar regions where warming is accelerating and sea ice is in decline. The study was led by PhD candidate Kevin McGraw, Professor Audrey Morley and Professor Brian Ward from the University of Galway, and took place along the East Greenland Polar Front, an area where cold, fresh Arctic water meets warmer, saltier Atlantic water. Kevin McGraw, PhD candidate at the School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, said: "Cabbeling is rarely observed because it is sporadic and short-lived, with its intensity and reach varying across Polar Regions. Our underwater robotic platform, Air-Sea Interaction Profiler, is a unique instrument designed specifically to study the upper ocean without interference from the ship. Because it can capture rapid changes on the scale of seconds to minutes, it allowed the team to detect cabbeling in action, which would have been nearly impossible with conventional methods." Professor Audrey Morley, Professor of Marine Geology at the School of Geography and Archaeology, University of Galway, said: "The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a system of ocean currents that circulates water within the Atlantic Ocean, bringing warm water north and cold water south, thereby distributing heat around the globe. Density gradients have been identified as a main driver of the AMOC, which may be altered by high-latitude cabbeling in a warming ocean. This suggests that the cabbeling effect needs to be considered to explain past and future AMOC variability." Professor Brian Ward, Professor of Ocean Physics at the School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, said: "These observations are a good example of the subtle processes associated with climate change and how small-scale processes can have broader implications. New methods of detection, such...

Ireland's first toy sharing platform, The Toy Library, is encouraging people across the country to redistribute school equipment like bags and pencil cases to support the environment and the circular economy. The Toy Library's Back-To-School campaign also looks to relieve the financial pressures of what is considered one of the most expensive times of the year for parents. The campaign invites families to donate pre-owned school bags and equipment that are in good condition by taking a picture of the item and sharing it on The Toy Library website, https://www.thetoylibrary.ie/p/back-to-school. The initiative involves using the platform's geo-location to find pre-loved school bags in a person's locality or in locations across the country. The website is free and allows families to browse the library and request items for collection. The campaign supports The Toy Library's ongoing mission, which has seen 2,480 families across Ireland participate, with 2,282 toys recirculated since it was established in June 2024. Their annual social impact report shows that The Toy Library helped save 1,700 kg of plastic, which amounts to almost €37,000 worth of toys. The social enterprise was established in Co. Cork to target the environmental impact of plastic toys, provide sustainable and affordable options for parents and offer accessible experiences for children. The Toy Library also organises monthly Swap & Play events in locations across Ireland. The next event will take place in Co. Meath in Ashbourne Community Centre on August 9th from 11 am-2 pm. Giorgia Anile, Founder of The Toy Library, said: "The cost of the back-to-school period is always challenging for parents. The Toy Library's Back-To-School campaign offers a solution where families can donate pre-loved bags or pencil case,s which other children can choose from on our website. "The success of The Toy Library this past year pushed me to look at new ways in which parents can save money and also contribute to saving the environment. Our mission has been to redefine consumption by providing sustainable and affordable practices. This approach saves money and encourages children to swap, borrow and reuse, which is a vitally important message for the future." For more information about The Toy Library and how to get involved, visit https://www.thetoylibrary.ie/p/back-to-school or follow The Toy Library on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Mastodon.

Global venture capital (VC) investment in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) surged to $49.2 billion in the first half of 2025, outpacing the total for all of 2024 ($44.2 billion) and more than double the total for 2023 ($21.3b), according to EY Ireland's latest Generative AI Key Deals and Market Insights study. The sharp rise in overall deal value comes despite a near 25% drop in the number of transactions for the first six months of 2025 versus the second half of 2024, as VC firms concentrate on more mature, revenue-generating AI companies, resulting in fewer but significantly larger deals. Average transaction size for late-stage deals more than tripled to more than $1.55 billion, up from $481 million in 2024, while early-stage VC rounds declined, and angel and seed rounds saw no change. A wave of high-value investment into some of the most established players has underpinned this record first half of the year, including SoftBank's commitment to OpenAI which could reach $40 billion, xAI's $10 billion funding round, and major investments in Databricks ($5 billion), Anthropic ($3.5 billion), Mistral AI ($600 million), and Harvey ($600 million). Additionally, Agentic AI - which enables systems to perceive, decide and act autonomously - has emerged as a key growth area. Capgemini's $3.3 billion acquisition of WNS and Berlin-based Parloa's $120 million raise, propelling it to a $1 billion valuation, are among the notable deals in this area. While not covered in the data for the first half of the year, the recent acquisition of Irish predictive media analytics firm NewsWhip by Sprout Social is a welcome boost to the local sector. Commenting on the findings Grit Young, EY Ireland Techology, Media and Telecoms Lead said: "GenAI continues to reshape the investment landscape at an extraordinary pace. The first half of 2025 has already surpassed last year, which was also a high-water mark. That momentum is expected to continue and build further into the second half of the year with the launch of new GenAI platforms and their faster revenue generation capabilities. "While there was substantial concern at the start of the year with the launch of DeepSeek that investment in GenAI was likely to trend downwards, the results for the first half of the year point to a very different scenario. We are seeing a clear pivot to fewer but more substantial investments, which are pointed towards more mature companies and platforms that can demonstrate they can deliver real-world impact and return on investment. This growth is being fuelled by rising adoption across industries, high demand for sector-specific solutions and continued innovation in AI hardware, particularly semiconductors. "GenAI is entering a new phase, and the scale of investment reflects growing confidence in its commercial potential. The recent results from the 'Magnificent Seven' underscore how rapidly this technology is being adopted by customers, and we would expect that the investment trajectory is likely to accelerate through the second half of the year and beyond. "It would appear that GenAI has skipped through the traditional 'trough of disillusionment' for new technology adoption quite quickly and has now moved into another upswing cycle." Opportunities remain for Ireland Ireland has emerged as a strong adopter of AI, with 63 per cent of startups using the technology and 36 per cent embedding it at the core of their business models. However, many AI startups are struggling with access to capital and infrastructure. Grit Young says: "In Ireland, the appetite for AI adoption is strong, and we are working with many indigenous and international companies who are already well established on their AI journey. However, for AI startups, the funding environment remains challenging, particularly in the €1 million to €10 million funding space. "Many high-potential startups find themselves in a difficult middle ground, too advanced for early-stage support, yet not quite large ...

A top international hydrogen investor says Ireland's wind energy potential makes it an ideal location for growing our energy industry and future power options. Alicia Eastman will be a key speaker at the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention in Dublin this October. Up to 2500 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will be worth up to €4m to the economy. With nearly three decades of experience in investment, strategy, operations, and diplomacy, Alicia Eastman stands at the forefront of global sustainability and energy transition efforts. She is instrumental in developing some of the world's largest green hydrogen and ammonia projects across Australia and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Eastman is pointing to Ireland's export-led economy, strong demographics and specific energy needs as further evidence of a bright future for energy investment here: "The Irish Government's programme for capital investment in energy and infrastructure is well recognised. One of the biggest arguments for investing in a hydrogen project in Ireland is the potential to draw on a fantastic offshore wind resource - it's a wonderful, stable source of energy that can serve the country well. When combined with solar and hydrogen, the capacity factor in Ireland could be quite high, lowering the costs and need for batteries or fossil fuel backup. In addition, Ireland is known for being a positive, welcoming place to establish a business with a highly educated workforce and attractive business support". When it comes to moving away from fossil fuels, Alicia Eastman is committed to an energy optimisation approach: "Nobody is expected to start from zero. My primary focus is energy optimisation, so first, I am interested in any technologies that optimise energy usage, as that's a clear win financially and environmentally. Replacing fossil fuels becomes easier as we can be green and maintain or even reduce the total cost of ownership. This requires evaluating all existing and future energy resources that do not produce greenhouse gases and layering them in as they become technically and economically feasible, such as hydrogen and derivatives." Paul McCormack is CEO of Hydrogen Ireland, which will host WHTC2025. He welcomed Alicia's approach: "We've been highlighting that hydrogen is not a silver bullet for our future energy needs for several years. Its role is as a vital energy vector that will act to maximise the potential and interaction of multiple forms of energy in our future lives. We are building a programme of speakers for the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention this October that will present forward-thinking ideas and solutions in a location that is seen as having a bright and prosperous future in the world of renewables. There is no better place or time to bring these experts to our audience and spark new connections and possibilities in our sector". The World Hydrogen Technologies Convention is one of the best-known conventions in the fields of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology. Garrett Monaghan, Partner, Pinsent Masons Ireland LLP and Chairperson of Hydrogen Ireland, says this is an exciting time for Ireland to host such a prestigious event: "Internationally, hydrogen has rapidly evolved as an asset class with sharper and realistic focus on use cases, support schemes and project economics. With the volume of projected renewable electricity generation, Ireland can play a particular role in the production and application of hydrogen to existing and new sectors of the Irish and global economy. My colleagues at Hydrogen Ireland, our sponsors, and I are all looking forward to bringing everyone together". WHTC 2025 will take place at the Clayton Hotel Leeson Street from October 21 - 23. Registration is open now, and full details of the event are available at whtc2025.com

Advise, the AI-powered data analytics platform provider, has announced its expansion into the UK, fuelled by a recent investment of €1.8M. The company will hire 10 new team members in the UK to facilitate the expansion and bring its agentic AI platform, designed specifically for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies, to the market. The Advise platform, leveraging GenAI and Agentic AI capabilities, automates data from multiple sources at speed, producing personalised insights and recommendations for CPG companies to increase their market share and enable informed decision-making. Entry into the UK marks the beginning of Advise's international growth strategy. The UK's CPG market is worth approximately €24BN and the current addressable market for Advise's services in the UK stands at approximately €2BN. With the expectation that this will continue to grow as, increasingly, CPG companies embrace AI, Advise forecasts that its customer base will double in the next 12 months. The company also expects revenues to grow two-fold by the end of 2026 and annually thereafter. The company's expansion comes on the back of its sustained success in local markets. Advise currently counts Britvic, Pilgrim Food Masters, Tayto, Kerry and Dr Oetker as customers. Advise's first UK customer, G's Fresh, have been successfully using the platform for the past 12 months. With annual revenues in excess of £550 million, the family-owned company is one of the UK's leading fresh food producers, cultivating crops on 17,500 hectares of land and offering an extensive product range, from salad leaves to fresh vegetables, across the UK, Europe and North America. John Phelan, Co-Founder and Commercial Director, said: "Our expansion into the UK is just the first step in our international expansion strategy as we continue on a path of rapid and ambitious growth. The size of the UK market and its strong appetite for innovation will allow us to extend our market reach and grow our customer base. "Globally, brands are coming under increasing pressure to boost efficiency while reducing costs. Although the demand for smarter, more agile solutions is evident, many companies are struggling to identify the right AI solutions to meet their needs. "Our team has more than 20 years of experience in researching and developing AI technologies. As a result, we have a product that can not only make recommendations, but explain them, too. It will change the way an entire industry does things - for the better - and now, the time is right for us to expand into the UK. Our entry into the market also marks our first year working with G's Fresh, one of the biggest brand names in fresh produce. For them, and many others, we are redefining how they approach analytics to make the right decisions, faster." Matt Godbold, Category Marketing Director at G's Fresh, said: "The Advise platform has been a game-changer for my department. Gone are the days where we would spend hours processing data. Advise delivers high-quality, customised insights to the G's Fresh dashboard at speed. It's easy, it's efficient, and effortlessly combines multiple data sources from EPOS, panel and survey data to show where the market drivers are. It allows me to shift my focus from manual analysis to driving real business growth." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTo...

Landmark Technologies, an Irish provider of IT and cybersecurity services, has announced that it is investing €1.2 million in the launch of a Cyber Monitoring Centre for businesses in Ireland. This new dedicated centre will provide round-the-clock cyber threat monitoring and response for both small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger organisations. Headquartered in Dublin 12, Landmark Technologies is creating five jobs over the next 12 months within the Cyber Monitoring Centre across cyber analyst and management roles. It is launching the facility amid growing demand from customers for advanced security solutions against a backdrop of evolving cyber threats, cybersecurity skills gaps, and talent shortages. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools and skilled security experts, the centre will monitor customers' IT environments and offer proactive protection against increasing threats such as AI-based cyberattacks, ransomware, and business email compromise. Landmark Technologies will also provide cyber awareness training for businesses and their employees. In addition, the investment covers a complete refresh of Landmark Technologies' Dublin headquarters. This new fit outincludes upgraded technology, equipment, and facilities to future proof the company's operations as it continues to grow. Ken Kelleher, Managing Director, Landmark Technologies said: "A growing number of businesses do not have the necessary in-house resources to keep pace with evolving cyber requirements. The coming months will continue to bring new and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and we expect to see a particular surge in AI-based attacks. Our new Cyber Monitoring Centre will provide fully integrated security services to ensure that customers have world-class protection and, in the event of an incident, our highly skilled technical team will respond 24/7 to ensure business can continue uninterrupted. We strive to deliver technology solutions that enable continued growth for our customers, with peace of mind that their operations are ultra-secure." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

By Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA, Author of Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets Globally President Donald Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) into law on July 18th making it the first federal law to regulate stablecoins. Approved by Congress on Thursday, July 17th the bill's passage saw the digital asset industry assets surge past a $4 trillion market capitalization for the first time, with a report by Coincub showing increased digital asset activity in the US. Digital Art & NFTS with Digital Artist Michaël Zancan The US's new digital asset strategy as detailed in the crypto report mentions the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act ("CLARITY Act") which is new legislation designed to clarify the regulatory framework for digital assets, including collectible NFTs (this includes Art NFTs). If and when the CLARITY Act is signed into law, the Act is expected to unlock responsible innovation, protect consumers and cement the US's position as the global leader in the digital asset economy by drawing institutional investors to invest in collectible digital assets. Collectible Memecoins are already included in indexes by FTSE Russell. In her second "NFT Series" exclusive interview for Irish Tech News, Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA, Author of Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets asks digital artist Michael Zancan the reasons why he embraced digital art and NFTs. The first interview in the "NFT Series" is titled Can blockchain help artists? Aleksandra Artamonovskaja. Tell us about your journey to transition from oil painting to digital painting I learned to code at the age of eight, from reference books, writing programs on checkered sheets of paper. I could only type and test them on a computer every two months or so. Since then, I've never stopped making programs - many of them drawing or animating things. I got into the demo scene at fifteen. It would have been pretentious to call it "art" back then, but in hindsight, it was an early form of generative art, though immature and raw. In parallel, I had a lifelong passion for drawing, which grew more serious - and rebellious - when I started graffiti. I transitioned to oil painting later, after having tried nearly every other medium. It felt like the most intimidating one, and I wanted to confront it. Oil painting became my most intimate relationship with the creative act, a counterbalance to my professional life in tech and code, which I considered soulless at the time. I had vowed never to compromise that pure, almost sacred relationship with painting by subjecting it to commercial constraints. Being entirely self-taught - with no art school credentials - I didn't even attempt to conform to the codes of "the art world." So, for more than fifteen years, I lived a dual life: passionate oil painter on one side, creative coding studio director on the other. NFTs changed everything. They became the "right soil" for my art to bloom. I had never entered the art world - but NFTs created a new kind of art world that welcomed people like me. They allowed me to finally reconcile my two practices, developing a style where the painter's eye meets math and algorithms - what I like to call figurative-generative art. Tell us about the theme of your current exhibition regarding trees in gallery Bitforms in New York The exhibition revolves around two main elements: the embroidered tree, and a wall installation I call the Time_Line. Last year, I released Aux Arbres (which means "To the Trees" in French), a generative collection that produced 76,208 unique iterations across more than 43,000 collectors - making it the largest generative art collection ever at the time. It was innovative in the sense that, beyond the vast set of individual artworks, it revealed a "meta-collection" of 965 distinct trees. The idea was to use collective participation to plant an entire digital forest - a metaphor for the unity required among humans in the fight to preserve ...

By Yousef Khalili who looks at key leadership roles. The adoption and use of AI continues to grow in all industries. In 2024 72% of organizations used AI in at least one business function, and this number will only increase. Being a leader in these times of rapid disruption and uncertainty can put you on guard. But, great leaders need not worry. People can be given tasks from an agentic AI agent, their completed work can be proofed by AI and even edited or enhanced. But AI cannot truly lead people. It cannot inspire and convince staff of a vision and goal of a company. It cannot make them feel as though they are needed and belong. In this article I'll discuss five skills leaders have that can never be replaced by AI. You'll want to continue to hone these skills and lean on them everyday as you help your team and company grow and innovate. Leadership skills AI can't replicate Empathy AI, for all of its amazing abilities, is still a machine, a tool. It is not empathetic. An astounding 52% of employees will stick with a company that shows empathy when they come to leadership with a need. There is a reason you are called a leader and not just a subject matter expert. You can truly help people, and empathy is a great place to start. You have worked a front line job in the past. You know the daily stressors that come with that work, and you understand how any issues at home can drive performance down. AI cannot sit down in a conference room with an employee and tell that something is not right. It cannot see someone's shoulders slump at bad news in a meeting. You can work one on one with that person and coach them back on the right path. You can look them in the eye and tell them what a great person and teammate they are. Human to human empathy is irreplaceable. Understanding what the Real Issue is If one of your employees is not performing as they need to be, or cannot quite grasp a new process or initiative, AI cannot dig in with that person and find the issue behind the issue. You know your people. You in many cases hired and possibly helped train them. You are aware what they are capable of, AI is not. So, when your employee cannot quite understand or perform as you know they can, you have the ability to work with them and find out what the actual challenge or hang-up is. If your sales-person has missed their client interaction KPI's for three weeks straight you are the one that finds out they are having login issues with the CRM, or that they've been entering info into the wrong fields. You then have an opportunity to teach and lead in a way no AI can. Reading People, Body Language and Appearance AI does not have eyes. It cannot see that Jeff on the marketing team came in limping. It can't see everyone in the meeting slump in their chairs when that one manager starts talking. It cannot see Selena from HR become visibly worried overhearing a conversation in the breakroom. The statistics on the amount of communication that is non-verbal are varied, but they all show a high percentage. To lead you must be able to read people to a certain degree. You see these things occur and you act as soon as possible. You can coach one on one where necessary and correct behaviors, assuage fears, and get your people on the right track, all because you saw something in-person. Spotting Talent and Potential Not everyone looks good on paper, online, or in a resume. And even those that do, that online profile does not tell a complete story. Think back on your professional journey. Was there a point where a leader spotted something in you and then helped you down a new path? Did they encourage you along the way that you could do it, that you have the hardware you just need help installing the software? That is something unique to human leaders. You can have dinner out and notice how put together and professional a server is and think, "wow, I could use someone with that work ethic and personality at my company." You can have a call with a vendor a...

The National Forest has planted more than 150,000 trees during the 2024 to 2025 season, bringing the total number planted since its creation to over 9.85 million. With the ten millionth tree now firmly in sight, the Forest is nearing another major milestone in a transformational journey spanning more than three decades. During this time, the visitor economy across the area has increased by nearly 30 per cent, with the arts and recreation sector growing by 14 per cent over the past eight years. The Forest now welcomes over 8.2 million visitors in a typical year, underlining its value not only for the environment but also for the regional economy and cultural offer. National Forest plants more trees Over that same period, woodland cover across the Forest area has increased from just six per cent to more than 25 per cent, transforming the landscape and delivering long-term environmental benefits. The 2024 to 2025 planting season took place between November and March, covering the 200 square miles of the Forest, with more than a third of all trees planted delivered in collaboration with landowners and partners, highlighting the importance of joint working in expanding woodland cover. This included 89,689 trees planted on National Forest estate, and a further 53,509 delivered through funded partnerships with landowners. An estimated 6,000 more trees were planted through planning agreements. Recently, the National Forest collaborated with Small World Consulting to highlight the Forest's growing contribution to tackling climate change. The analysis shows that since the early stages of Forest creation in the 1990s, trees and woodlands across the area, both newly planted and pre-existing, have captured 730,000 tonnes of CO?e.* That's roughly equivalent to taking around 430,000 petrol cars off the road for a year, showing how decades of woodland creation are making a measurable and lasting impact. Dr Heather Gilbert, research and evidence manager at the National Forest, said: "These data provide robust evidence of the long-term environmental value of woodland creation. "The trees planted in the National Forest are not only enhancing habitats and improving landscapes, but they are also locking away carbon year on year, helping us to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change." Much of this season's programme was supported by Defra's Nature for Climate Fund, which is helping to increase tree cover across England and support the UK's Environment Act targets, improving the quality of our air and water, creating and restoring habitats, and supporting biodiversity to thrive. The Forest's approach focuses on planting the right trees in the right places for the right reasons, typically a diverse mix of native broadleaf species, to create woodlands that are ecologically resilient, adaptable to climate change and beneficial to wildlife. Tree planting also brings a range of community benefits, from improving wellbeing to creating more attractive and accessible landscapes. Increasingly, farmers are integrating trees alongside crops or using them to diversify less productive land. The National Forest is continuing to offer new grant schemes to support agroforestry and sustainable land use. John Everitt OBE, chief executive of the National Forest, said: "Every tree planted last season is a contribution to a greener, healthier future. "This is not just about growing trees, it's about growing resilience, restoring nature and supporting people and places to thrive. "With fewer than 150,000 trees to go, we're now calling on individuals, landowners and supporters to help us reach our ten millionth tree. "Whether through planting, volunteering or funding, everyone has a role to play in writing the next chapter of the Forest's story." Over 30 years, the National Forest has grown from a bold vision into one of the UK's leading examples of large-scale environmental recovery, transforming a post-industrial landscape into a thriving forest where nat...

Aer Lingus has unveiled a major refresh of its mobile app, as part of an extensive upgrade programme designed to transform the digital travel experience for its customers. This multi-million euro app investment is a key milestone in the airline's broader digital vision to become a leader in customer-centric travel innovation. The new and improved Aer Lingus app introduces several new features aimed at delivering a more seamless, intuitive and helpful experience for customers, especially on the day of travel. These enhancements were developed in close collaboration with a dedicated research panel of 1,300 Aer Lingus customers, ensuring that the upgrades reflect genuine passenger needs and preferences. The mobile app upgrade has already resonated strongly with users, as reflected in the app's jump in ratings, from 3 stars to 4.8 on Android and 4.7 on iOS. App downloads have also increased by one-third (33%) compared to the same period last year. Over 2.2 million people in Ireland and 3.5 million globally have used the Aer Lingus mobile app in the last 12 months, showing the growing importance of mobile-first options for customers. Key app updates include: Live Flight Status via Live Activities, viewable directly on users' locked screens, keeping passengers informed in real-time. Wayfinding Support through Dublin Airport and New York (JFK), providing easy navigation to gates and key amenities. A Redesigned Home Screen, streamlining navigation for faster access to critical information. A completely reimagined My Trips section, now featuring a travel assistant and streamlined access to trip extras, greatly improving the day-of-travel experience. Almost 90% of app users from a recent survey of 5,000 rated the improved My Trips section either 4 or 5 stars. "Aer Lingus' app upgrade is much more than just a facelift, it's a major step forward in delivering a smarter, more personalised travel experience for our customers," said Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer at Aer Lingus. "From real-time updates to in-airport navigation, we're committed to improving every touchpoint of our customers' journey. These improvements reflect our ongoing investment in digital innovation and our belief that technology plays a central role in creating the best possible travel experience." This latest app refresh is part of a larger, multi-year digital transformation initiative at Aer Lingus focused on using technology to simplify, support and enhance the end-to-end customer journey. The Aer Lingus app is available to download on iOS and Android. See more stories here.

What if one could prepare their business for a future that doesn't exist yet? With technology evolving at an exceedingly fast pace and AI gaining momentum over the past few years, businesses are having to adjust on the fly or risk being left behind. However, one company, is helping business leaders and CEOs prepare for these technological advancements. That company is Singularity University and I recently caught up with Aaron Vaccaro, the president of Singularity University Aaron talks about his background, what the Singularity University does, shifting peoples mindsets, generative AI tools, biological computing and more. More about Singularity University: Since its founding in 2008, Singularity University (SU) has hosted programs and experiences designed for professionals seeking to transform their organisations through exponential technology education and new mindsets. All participants leave their SU experience with the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to prepare for the future of tech. With over 100 experts in various fields who present and speak at SU events around the world, attendees are privileged to the insights of the world of tech, biotech, and more. Among those discussions, they even discuss the endless possibilities of the future, and what leaders and businesses can expect five, even ten years down the road. With a great backing of investors such as the WestRiver Group,Globant AI Powerhouse, Silicon Valley Bank, and Anima Educacao, SU has earned the support of some of the tech industry's largest names across borders. Notably, since its founding, Google and NASA have been among the companies to support SU and its endeavors. See more podcasts here.

In the second exclusive interview of the "Treasury Series" for Irish Tech News, Selva Ozelli Esq, CPA, Author of Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets asks Hive's President and CEO Aydin Kilic why he decided to move his sustainable BTC mining company headquarters to the US. President Donald Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) into law on July 18th making it the first federal law to regulate stablecoins. Approved by Congress on Thursday, July 17th the bill's passage saw the digital asset industry assets - particularly digital asset treasury company stocks- surge past a $4 trillion market capitalization for the first time with a report by Coincub showing increased digital asset activity in the US. The GENIUS Act imposes federal and state oversight on stablecoins - digital assets backed by the U.S. dollar - transforming realms of finance forever and making President Trump the de facto crypto president of our Nation. The US's new digital asset strategy as detailed in the crypto report has company CFO's increasingly viewing digital assets as strategic reserve assets. Some are establishing dedicated corporate entities to hold digital assets on their balance sheets and raising capital specifically to acquire them for reserve as detailed in my first interview in the "Treasury Series" is titled "Public Companies You Didn't Know Are Investing in Altcoins, insights with Brian Rudick". Other digital asset technology companies like Hive Digital Technologies are moving their headquarters to the US particularly after President Trump announced that Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano will be included in the Nation's 'Crypto Strategic Reserve'. And Eric Trump Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of American Bitcoin at the Consensus 2025 Conference announced "The launch of American Bitcoin [which] represents a transformative moment for Bitcoin mining in North America… I am so proud to share our bold vision for this initiative, which we believe will become the world's largest and most efficient pure-play Bitcoin miner." Recently, Trump Media acquired about $2 billion in Bitcoin as part of its plan to become a BTC treasury company. Aydin Kilic interview Tell us about your educational and professional journey that led you to become the CEO of Hive Digital Technologies? My path to becoming HIVE's President & CEO has been anything but conventional. I began my career in electrical engineering, specializing in radio frequency systems. That technical foundation gave me a strong appreciation for infrastructure, systems optimization, and scalability: skills that continue to serve me in the digital asset space. After engineering, I shifted into Vancouver's competitive real estate market, working in land development and distressed assets. It was a crash course in deal-making, risk management, and the financial discipline of cash flow, all of which became critical when I co-founded Fortress Blockchain during the 2017 crypto bull run. We started as a small mining operation, but within a month we raised $20 million, acquired a 2 MW facility, and went public. That experience was transformative and positioned me to step into larger leadership roles in the blockchain industry. I joined HIVE in 2021, just in time to help ring the Nasdaq opening bell. Since then, I've helped guide the company through some of the most pivotal moments in crypto, from Ethereum's transition to proof-of-stake and two Bitcoin halvings, to our custom ASIC collaboration with Intel and, most recently, our expansion into AI and high-performance computing. It's been a dynamic and rewarding journey, and one that's just getting started. With about 50% of BTC mining companies utilizing renewable energy which are often the cheapest source of electricity, tell us about the advantages, the types of green energies the company utilizes and where the company's data centers are located? Sustainability has been at the core of...

UK & Ireland Director of Intelligence Enterprise at GlobalLogic, Tim Hatton, explores how principles of control theory, exemplified by SpaceX's Starship, apply to the design of effective enterprise agentic AI systems. Reaching for the stars has always been the pinnacle of human ingenuity. The relentless desire to push beyond known boundaries is what drives innovation and advancement all around the globe. The recent example of SpaceX's latest Starship spacecraft soaring into the skies and returning with precision isn't just a milestone in aerospace engineering - it's a vivid illustration of what's possible when our boundless creativity fuels cutting-edge technologies. SpaceX's success demonstrates that autonomous software can effectively control a sophisticated system and steer it toward defined goals. This seamless blend of autonomy, awareness, intelligent adaptability, and results-driven decision-making offers a compelling analogy for enterprises. It's a beacon for a future where agentic AI systems revolutionise workflows, drive innovation, and transform industries. Control theory: A proven framework Control theory underpins self-regulating systems that balance performance and adaptability. It dates from the 19th century when Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell first described the operation of centrifugal 'governors'. Its core principles - feedback loops, stability, controllability, and predictability - brought humanity into the industrial age. Starting with stabilising windmill velocity, up to today's spaceflights, nuclear stations and nation-spanning electricity grids. We see control theory in action when landing a rocket, for example. The manoeuvre relies on sensors to measure actual parameters, controllers to adjust based on feedback, and the system to execute corrections. Comparing real-time data to desired outcomes minimises errors, ensuring precision and safety. It's a framework that extends to enterprise workflows. Employees function as systems, supervisors as controllers, and tasks as objectives. A seasoned worker might self-correct without managerial input, paralleling autonomous systems' ability to adapt dynamically. Challenges in agentic AI Agentic AI systems combine traditional control frameworks' precision with advanced AI models' generative power. However, while rockets rely on the time-tested principles of control theory, AI-driven systems are powered by large language models (LLMs). This introduces new layers of complexity that make designing resilient AI agents that deliver precision, adaptability, and trustworthiness uniquely challenging. Computational irreducibility: LLMs like GPT-4 defy simplified modelling. They are so complex and their internal workings so intricate that we cannot predict their exact outputs without actually running them. Predicting outputs requires executing each computational step, complicating reliability and optimisation. A single prompt tweak can disrupt workflows, making iterative testing essential, yet time-consuming. Nonlinearity and high dimensionality: Operating in high-dimensional vector spaces, with millions of input elements, LLMs process data in nonlinear ways. This means outputs are sensitive to minor changes. Testing and optimising the performance of single components of complex workflows, like text-to-SQL queries, under these parameters, becomes a monumental task. Blurring code and data: Traditional systems separate code and data. In contrast, LLMs embed instructions within prompts, mixing the two. This variability introduces a host of testing, reliability, and security issues. This blurring of ever-growing data sets with the prompts introduces variability that is difficult to model and predict, which also compounds the dimensionality problem described above. Stochastic behaviour: LLMs may produce different outputs for the same input due to factors like sampling methods during generation. This means they introduce randomness - an asset for creati...

A major international citizen science project, with contributions from University of Galway, has revealed that streetlights are far from the only source of light pollution affecting our night skies. The study, published in Nature Cities, challenges the common assumption that streetlights are the primary contributor to urban light pollution and indicates that residential, commercial, and other non-street lighting sources play a significant role in brightening our night skies. The challenges of night-time light Many of these sources remain on well after midnight, creating unnecessary light spill and contributing significantly to night-time skyglow and its environmental impacts. More than 250 citizen scientists, mostly located in Germany, used a mobile app called Nachtlichter ('Nightlights') to examine over 230,000 individual light sources during 3,868 night-time surveys. The study was led by Christopher Kyba, former geographer at Ruhr University Bochum and the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, who said: "Both energy and lighting policy as well as research on the effects of artificial light on the environment have generally focused on street lighting. Our findings indicate that a broader approach that considers all lighting is necessary in order to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of light in cities." The research has direct relevance for Ireland, where there is currently no national legislation or policy to mitigate light pollution. With the EU requiring member states to address light pollution through Nature Restoration Action Plans, these insights offer valuable direction for future policy. University of Galway researcher with the School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, Georgia MacMillan contributed to the study by coordinating surveys in multiple Irish locations around counties, such as Mayo and Galway, including the University of Galway campus. Georgia MacMillan said: "Using the NightLights application to conduct pilot surveys for this project helped us to consider the different sources of light pollution. This is something we need to do on a larger scale in Ireland and we hope to use the application for future studies in collaboration with other Irish University campuses and community groups." A Research Ireland Employment-based PhD Scholar, MacMillan is examining the role of dark sky tourism and community engagement in addressing light pollution, supervised by Dr Thérèse Conway and Professor Marie Mahon from the University's School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies. Dr Thérèse Conway said: "Through her role, Georgia has been instrumental in the successful bid by Dark Sky Ireland to host the Artificial Light at Night Conference (ALAN), which will take place in County Mayo later this year. It is the first time that Ireland will host this leading interdisciplinary event which will be attended by global specialists in light pollution and dark sky preservation such as Dr Christopher Kyba, lead author of the Nature Cities paper." The full study in Nature Cities is available at https://www.nature.com/ articles/s44284-025-00239-5 The Artificial Light at Night Conference will take place from 28-31 October 2025 at the Westport Woods Hotel, Mayo. More information on the conference can be found at www.artificiallightatnight.org . About University of Galway Established in 1845, University of Galway is one of the top 2% of universities in the world. We are a bilingual university, comprised of four colleges, 18 schools and five research institutes, with more than 19,700 students, including around 3,000 international students. We have been accredited with an Athena SWAN Institutional Bronze Award, and 14 out of our 18 schools hold individual Athena SWAN Awards. We have more than 2,500 staff, and research collaborations with 5,300 international institutions in 181 countries. Our innovative academics and researchers have created 21 new spin-outs 195 new inventions since 2020. We have 135,000 alumn...

By David Stephen Consciousness science research of present-day is irrelevant, because on the two biggest stages in brain science: psychiatry and neurology, nothing from consciousness research is useful or applicable. There is no buzz around consciousness science because there is nothing promising. Even AI sentience research - which would be important to superintelligence, artificial general intelligence [AGI], AI safety, AI alignment, energy efficiency for data centers, solving hallucinations and so forth - is trashed. To make progress in consciousness science, with all its likely usefulness, a team would have to completely ignore everything in the field today and start afresh. Anything borrowed from existing theories or philosophy or whatever would doom it. OpenAI could be that team, given their success in exploding attention heads. To begin research in consciousness or for AI sentience, it is possible to start from another successful application today: GLP-1. How will OpenAI impact on Consciousness and AI Sentience? There is a recent spotlight from the School of Public Health at Brown University, A turning point in addiction psychiatry?, stating that, "These are GLP-1 receptor agonists. They're not just peptides like exenatide. They bind to specific receptors in the brain, especially in areas tied to the reward system: the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex. These regions regulate dopamine and motivation. By targeting these receptors, the drugs blunt dopamine release and reduce reward signaling. That means people feel less driven to seek out food, alcohol or drugs. That's the crux of how these medications may help with cravings." What does it mean to not crave food? The question can be transplanted to, if there is a lesion, what does it mean to not feel pain from it? It could be possible to need food but not crave it. It is possible to be having a meal but not want more. It is possible there is a situation for pain, but to not feel that pain. How does the brain make these determinations? A simple description could be that there can be a function, but the measure of that function may not reach a certain threshold to bear attention. So, while some situations may require attention, if the measure for attention is not attained, it may not get it. How does this explain consciousness? Functions have attributes that measure them. It is the collection of these attributes that can be defined, conceptually, as consciousness. This explanation can be used to develop a test, or a standard to measure consciousness, in AI, non-human organisms and in humans. Questions of how functions are mechanized or how attributes come together can be theoretically explored. However, to narrow the objective for a standard, functions and attributes are targets. Language GLP-1s are as neuroscientific as anything can get. They are not philosophical or some disconnected theory of consciousness. If memory is a function and language is a subdivision of that function, what are the attributes that make language use possible? What attributes make language use seek outcomes of other functions - like emotions and feelings? Is language processed [much] differently from pain, pleasure, cravings or other subdivisions of feelings and emotions? For humans, language use can be conscious. Language - speaking, listening, reading, writing, signing, singing - can be in attention or less than attention. Language can be subjective [or self or individualized]. Language also carries intent [or control or some free will], in how it is done properly. These attributes, attention, less than attention [or say awareness], subjectivity [sense of existence, as a chatbot] and intent are all attributes that ChatGPT and other AI chatbots use. For language alone, as a subdivision of a function [memory], it is possible to develop a measure for AI sentience. All the noise about AI is not sentient or AI consciousness is not possible would have to present a counter ...

Library members throughout County Longford will once again have free access to thousands of popular digital magazine titles through Libby, the award-winning library reading app by OverDrive. This renewed subscription to Libby's magazine service by Longford Library Services is in direct response to community demand for a more seamless, flexible, and user-friendly digital reading experience. With simultaneous access and day-of-release availability, library members can enjoy a wide range of magazine content with no holds, no waiting, and no borrowing limits. Nick Forster, Senior Regional Manager, OverDrive said, "We're thrilled to welcome Longford Library Services back to Libby for digital magazines. It's a privilege to support Longford in providing this exceptional service and we're grateful for their continued trust in Libby." Library members can read from an extensive catalogue of leading publications, including Vogue, Good Food, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, National Geographic magazine, Hello! and much more. Digital magazines can be read online or downloaded through the Libby app for offline reading on mobile devices and tablets. Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Garry Murtagh said, "We are delighted to see our library services continue to evolve and meet the needs of our community. Thanks to the award-winning Libby app from OverDrive, library members throughout County Longford can now enjoy free access to a wide range of top-quality digital magazine titles from the comfort of their own homes." Chief Executive of Longford County Council, Paddy Mahon, said, "This is a fantastic resource that promotes reading, learning and inclusion for people of all ages across our county. I would encourage everyone in our community to sign up for their library membership and explore the wide range of digital titles now available free of charge at their fingertips. It's never been easier to stay informed, entertained and connected." Libby offers a seamless reading experience, with the best access to the leading magazines. Existing library members can visit Longford Library Services or the Libby App or, download the Libby app on iOS or Android devices. This is a free service to all members of Longford Libraries. If you are not a member, it is easy to join, call into one of 6 library branches throughout the county- Ballymahon, Drumlish, Edgeworthstown, Granard, Lanesborough and Longford or join online here: Library Membership. Users will be provided with a temporary number until they have an opportunity to call into a library branch. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

By John Mulhall @authormulhall | john@authormulhall.com is a writer with Irish Tech News for over 8 years and also a Cloud Engineer, Writer, and Novelist. You can learn more about John, and his debut novel "From Terror to Valor: Echoes and Shadows" on his author site at https://authormulhall.com Everyday Politics In Russia Reviewed After reviewing 'Everyday Politics in Russia' by Jeremy Morris, I feel more informed about the human condition, which lies beneath authoritarian Russia. For those who are in, or who have an interest in political science, sociology or geopolitics, this is a must-read about what lies beneath Putin's Russia. A point of note about the writing style. The author has a complex writing style and is not afraid to use industry terms in his explanations and arguments. A glossary of terms would expand the attraction to more general-interest readers aware of Russia as an authoritarian threat. Three short stories at the introduction's start greeted my entry into the book's introduction. The author's real-life extracts are composite examples of many conversations he had while there. They are also reference points throughout the book as they represent the human stories of ordinary Russians. Given the author's extended presence in Russia, finding extensive explanation and context for the book's content was unsurprising. He concisely sets out the context of the read, setting expectations as he moves through the introduction. This book is a political anthology. In short, it's a social behavior story about ordinary Russians. As interpretation is part of the author's premise in the book, he offers many opinions based on known facts and consistently held observations. He wishes to show the great conflict between Russia's welfare message to its people and the harsh environment the state delivers in contradiction. Micro politics, cottage industries and informal work arrangements are part of the author's exploration. I found the reasons offered for pro-war and anti-war activism to be a stark reminder of what happens when the ordinary person gets left behind, only to become a commodity in a nation's elitist agenda. The cross section of ordinary Russians drawn from in the author's research, leans into this point as he moves into Part one. Chapter one starts with Russia's defensive consolidation in the face of humiliating defeats in Ukraine. Chapters two and three explore the roots of Russian resentment in the author's view, along with the weaponization of the humiliation felt when the Soviet Union ended in 1991. The humiliation aspect has little to do with facts about the West. Yet, it was instrumental as a weaponized false narrative in convincing Russians of the threat posed by the West. Chapter four begins part two in the exploration of hopelessness, along with the ideological clash between coercive state control and state welfare. It also looks at the consequences of this disparity, such as thriving underground industries and hushed political views. Chapter five finished out part two with an exploration of the ordinary Russian's interaction with a militarized state, the coercive effect of state policing and how it clashes with welfare pledges. Chapter six begins part three, where the author discusses micro-political climates of all kinds. It follows ordinary Russian interaction, growing the mutual aid concept, and reciprocity among ordinary Russians. This underground movement comes at the cost of state control and modernization. Chapter seven explores adaptation by ordinary Russian households, turning to self-production, and salvaging what they can in harsh conditions to get by. Chapter eight switches gears to political activism, and the stark differences in the methodologies of pro-war and anti-war activism in Russia. Chapter nine is the book's conclusion, where the heavily researched content throughout is recast in summary. It draws supporting arguments from the content to make concluding points. Areas covered include...

Guest Post by Colm Hyland CyberQuest At certain times and in certain circumstances, some people are expected to lead. Circumstances now are very difficult in many ways. Conflict, poor communications and bad decisions are almost endemic. How can we expect the managers of small businesses to move things forward when there are so many problems to deal with locally and nationally? When you add another problem to the mix, it can be easily ignored or rejected. If this problem happens to be invisible, then the ignorance and rejection levels increases. Getting the manager to sit down and agree that there is a problem is the first step on the right road. Accepting that this may take time is critical. There are so many distractions and priorities, dealing with invisible enemies appears intangible and therefore easy to put off for another day. Bombarding the manager with scary facts and figures, about attacks and mercenary gangs stealing data and selling it on the dark web, won't help. You don't want to drown them with data or resort to scaremongering as it does not guarantee the required change away from ignorance and rejection. This will convey all you need to get your message across. Not knowing is no longer an excuse. There has been a concerted effort by the Government and their key agencies to tell managers that the problem is getting worse. The bad guys are getting better, and the good guys are having difficulty responding, never mind moving ahead. The arrival of Artificial Intelligence tools has been readily adopted by the criminals. Doing more bad things faster, is a huge enticement, especially when getting caught is less likely. Nobody is safe, from 6-95. If you have a connected device, then you are a target. They may just want your identity but they are also happy to steal your money, your personal data and break into your organisations systems through your e-mail or phone. If the manager knows there is a problem and accepts that change is needed at both personal and business levels. This realisation is a main difference between behaving as a manager and performing as a leader. We need more leaders, individuals who accept that cyber security is having a devastating impact on organisations around the world. Nobody is exempt. When our SME managers start securing their own areas, then the culminating impact will grow across the country and abroad. Start by learning cyber speak, don't be put off by the 'professionals' who try to bamboozle all of us with software codes, regulations and the strange names of the criminal gangs. Talk to other organisations in your sector that have been attacked or are here to protect us. Find somebody inside your business who has an interest in learning more about cyber. Cyber awareness training and cyber review Run some cyber awareness training to ensure that everybody is conscious of the main threats. Communicate to your people, advise them to pass on the messages to their families, especially their children. Put cyber on the management agenda, what's happened, what are we planning for. Complete a cyber review and use it to create an improvement plan. Move out of ignorance and rejection into improvement and resilience. It is also worth noting that if you act as if your business has suffered a security breach, you are then prepared for all eventualities and can spring immediately into action. The last thing you want or your business needs is downtime. Every second counts, and by being proactive you are taking control of the situation, minimising disruption for you and your clients. Staying cool, calm and collected is the order of the day, ensuring everyone in your business is singing of the same hymn sheet. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor...

After a thorough development phase, Building Stories, a future-focused research initiative from University College Dublin, is entering a new phase of public engagement and implementation. With the launch of Living Labs in partnership with Monaghan and Cork City Councils, the project is addressing some of Ireland's most urgent challenges, including the housing crisis, carbon emissions from construction, and the decline of town centres. Backed by €690,000 in funding through the National Challenge Fund's OurTech Challenge, the project brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers in architecture, planning, computer science, and data governance. Building Stories is developing a dynamic, AI-powered geospatial platform to accurately map vacancy in Ireland's built environment, providing leaders in housing and planning policy with actionable, building-level data. Speaking about the project, sustainable urban design expert and spokesperson for Building Stories, Dr Philip Crowe, said: "With Building Stories we aim to give local authorities, national agencies, and communities a new lens through which to understand vacancy, with data that can assist in good decision making and more efficient management of the built environment." Building Stories is a 12-person research team at UCD's School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy and the School of Computer Science, led by Dr Philip Crowe, Dr Gavin McArdle and Dr Rob Brennan. It is affiliated with the UCD Centre for Irish Towns (CfIT) and ADAPT, the Research Ireland Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, and supported by Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland. The project is building a secure and robust geospatial model that draws on diverse proxy datasets, satellite imagery, and advanced machine learning to dynamically predict the vacancy status of buildings across Ireland. Dr Crowe continued: "Ireland has no reliable, up-to-date database on vacancies at the granular scale of individual buildings and sites. Building Stories aims to provide this data and unlock the more efficient reuse of vacant properties towards better housing delivery, reduction of carbon emissions and the sustainable revitalisation of towns." In summer 2025, the project is being tested on the ground in Living Labs in Monaghan Town and Cork City, which will combine data modelling with citizen science to verify insights and incorporate local knowledge. The project began in 2023 but is now scaling its impact, growing the initiative and refining the model in partnership with local authorities and stakeholders across Ireland. Through open collaboration, citizen engagement, and a commitment to data transparency and governance, the project aligns with EU data and AI regulations, and Ireland's ambition to be a leader in the ethical advancement of a digital society. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have developed a new electronic voting platform, zkBallot, which resolves one of the core challenges in digital elections: ensuring both voter anonymity and public auditability. Led by Professor Hitesh Tewari of the Research Ireland ADAPT Centre and the School of Computer Science and Statistics, and the recently launched Applied Cryptography Research Lab at Trinity College Dublin, the platform uses advanced cryptographic techniques and blockchain technology to ensure that votes cannot be traced to individuals, while still allowing for public verification of results. Using a combination of Zero-Knowledge Proofs, a cryptographic protocol that proves eligibility without revealing identity, and the Zcash blockchain, zkBallot enables voters to cast a ballot that is both untraceable to them personally and verifiable by independent auditors. In practice, the voting experience is like existing electronic voting systems. Voters receive a secure email link and cast their ballot through a web interface. However, instead of recording the vote directly, zkBallot simulates a blockchain transaction by transferring Zcash tokens from a voter's shielded address to a candidate's public address. This creates an auditable transaction without revealing who voted for whom. Speaking about zkBallot, Professor Tewari said: "Unlike traditional eVoting systems, which often rely on opaque, centralised infrastructures, zkBallot uses open, decentralised cryptographic methods that make the entire vote-counting process independently verifiable." zkBallot is currently suitable for closed elections, such as those held by universities, boards, associations, or professional bodies, where the list of eligible voters is fixed and known in advance. It has yet to be deployed in a live setting, the platform is being positioned as a secure, transparent option for organisations seeking to improve trust and legitimacy in digital ballots. The development of zkBallot comes amid rising global interest in online voting, which is increasingly seen as a way of reducing administrative costs, boosting voter turnout, and enabling secure remote participation. However, these benefits come with new vulnerabilities. A single system flaw could undermine an entire election, raising serious concerns about security, transparency, and manipulation at scale. These concerns have prompted a growing body of research into the use of blockchain technology and cryptographic frameworks in voting systems. Blockchain offers a decentralised infrastructure with end-to-end verifiability, non-repudiation, and the ability to distribute trust across nodes rather than concentrating it in a single point of failure. The research team is also exploring how the underlying cryptographic framework could be extended for wider-scale national voting, though such applications would require further technical development and alignment with electoral policy frameworks. Ireland continues to use paper-based ballots for national and local elections, and previous government efforts to adopt electronic voting systems were abandoned in the early 2000s over concerns around security and public trust. However, recent advancements in privacy-enhancing technologies, particularly in blockchain and decentralised verification, have reopened discussions globally around what trustworthy digital voting could look like. For more information, see the zkBallot website: https://www.zkballot. com/ More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@...

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless is strongly encouraging students and their families to visit susi.ie to see if they're eligible for grant support because of expanded eligibility criteria. Undergraduate students whose household's reckonable income is under €115,000 may be eligible for financial support. Students do not need to have their Leaving Cert results or to have accepted a course to apply. Minister Lawless said: " I am very aware of the costs for students and families when attending further and higher education. That is why my department expanded eligibility for grants by increasing income thresholds to provide greater support. Undergraduate students whose household's reckonable income is under €115,000 may now be eligible for financial support". "These improvements are long-term sustainable improvements which mark a significant step towards easing the financial burden on further and higher education students," he added. Budget 2025 provided substantial improvements to the Student Grant Scheme, including: An increase to the income threshold for the special rate of grant from €26,200 to €27,400 in line with increases in social welfare rates. An increase to all other maintenance and student contribution grant thresholds by at least 15%. An increase to the income deduction for student earnings outside of term time from €7,925 to €8,424, effective for the 2025/26 academic year. An expansion of the eligibility criteria to allow students who have certain immigration permissions to apply for grants. An Increase to the Postgraduate Fee Contribution threshold to €64,315. Also, the Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses 2025 will see over 100 courses eligible, an increase from 62. A full list of the courses is available on www.susi.ie, and the income threshold to avail of support has also increased to €64,315. Minister Lawless said: "All of these improved supports take effect from September this year. I would strongly urge students and parents to visit the SUSI website on www.susi.ie for further information and to find out if they are eligible for a grant." Students who are planning to attend further or higher education in the 2025/26 academic year can access www.susi.ie to check eligibility and/or make an application for grant support. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

UGREEN, a global leader in consumer electronics, has announced that its upcoming MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank is the first in the world to receive official Qi 2.2 certification from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). As the earliest certified product under the new standard, the UGREEN MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank delivers the full 25W wireless charging performance enabled by Qi 2.2, marking a key step forward in reliable, efficient, high-speed charging for next-generation devices. From early Qi-certified models, to Qi 2.0 enhancements, and now this Qi 2.2 breakthrough, the MagFlow line has continued to evolve, highlighting UGREEN's long-standing commitment to innovation and user experience. As an enhanced version of the Qi standard, Qi 2.2 builds on Apple's MagSafe architecture with higher power limits and improved safety. It's especially well-suited for Apple users, offering fast, reliable magnetic charging with broad compatibility and everyday convenience. The standard not only ensures broader compatibility with devices that support the Magnetic Power Profile (MPP), but also sets higher standards for thermal control, charging stability, and overall interoperability. By securing early Qi 2.2 certification, UGREEN affirms its dedication to engineering excellence. The UGREEN MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank is the first Qi 2.2-certified model in the MagFlow Series. It is fully compatible with current iPhone models, and engineered to potentially support the iPhone 16 series and upcoming models with 25W wireless fast charging. It also supports Samsung and other Qi 2.2-enabled devices, making it a versatile option that's ideal for scenarios where speed, portability, and reliability are essential. With advanced thermal and power management built into a compact design, this new power bank delivers reliable charging across a wide range of scenarios. Whether you're commuting, travelling for work, or waiting at a café or airport, it offers hands-free convenience and true portability without compromising speed or safety. Scheduled to launch in Q3 2025, the UGREEN MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank and the wider MagFlow Series reflect UGREEN's focus on improving everyday charging through smart, user-driven design. Compact, fast, and reliable, the series meets real-world needs while maintaining the brand's commitment to innovation and durability. As a pioneer of the Qi 2.2 standard, UGREEN continues to lead with dependable, future-ready solutions. This next-generation magnetic series will be available for purchase on both the UGREEN webstore and Amazon on launch, reaching consumers across Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and other European countries. It marks a significant step forward in making Qi 2.2 wireless charging accessible to mainstream users, while reinforcing UGREEN's position as an innovator in mobile energy solutions.

EasyGo, the country's largest private EV charging network, has today announced its selection to help deliver a landmark €15 million government-supported initiative that will install electric vehicle chargers at 229 sports clubs across the island of Ireland. The Scheme is funded through the Government's Shared Island Initiative and ZEVI infrastructure funding. Through it, GAA, rugby, soccer, cricket, golf and other sporting organisations will benefit from fast, reliable 50 kW DC chargers - bringing vital EV infrastructure into the heart of local communities, including many rural areas traditionally underserved. EasyGo is one of just three suppliers selected under the new scheme, and is offering clubs a zero-cost, profit-sharing partnership. Participating clubs will receive an attractive commercial offering helping them reinvest in grassroots sport while EasyGo handles installation, maintenance and insurance. The scheme is expected to significantly expand the EV charging network across both urban and rural areas across the whole island over the coming year. While the clubs eligible for the current scheme have already been selected, EasyGo welcomes expressions of interest from any club. This latest milestone builds on EasyGo's rapid national expansion and growing track record of community-first EV charging innovation. The company recently partnered with the Department of Transport to launch Ireland's first Shared Charging Initiative - a pioneering pilot scheme that allows homeowners to make their private EV chargers available to neighbours and the wider public, boosting access to charging infrastructure in residential areas. EasyGo was established in 2018 in response to the growing need for accessible and reliable EV charging infrastructure across Ireland, extending beyond major urban centres. The company's growth is underpinned by strong financial backing, including a €30 million investment raised in 2023 through Rubicon Capital Advisors from Aviva Investors. EasyGo CEO Ollie Chatten said: "This is a major milestone in our mission to make EV charging available everywhere - not just in cities, but in the rural towns and local clubs that are the backbone of Irish communities. It builds on our shared charging pilot and our international expansion, and shows how Irish innovation can lead the way in sustainable transport. Sports clubs are more than places to practice or watch a match - they're where people gather and connect. By bringing charging infrastructure to these spaces, we're making it easier for families, supporters and volunteers to choose electric, every day" Patrick "Bonner" Maher, Key Account Manager at EasyGo and former Tipperary senior hurler, said: "Growing up with my club, Lorrha-Dorrha, I know how important clubs are to communities, especially in rural areas. This initiative is about more than just EV chargers, it's about supporting clubs like mine and making sustainable transport accessible to everyone who relies on them." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has today published its 2024 Annual Report, detailing the investigations, enforcement actions, and public awareness campaigns carried out last year. 2024 also marked a significant milestone as the CCPC celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of work promoting competition and enhancing consumer welfare. Key highlights from 2024: • Blocked daa's purchase of the former QuickPark car park site at Dublin Airport to prevent a monopoly in that market • Cleared 71% of merger determinations within 13.3 days, under a simplified process, despite merger notifications increasing by 21% • Opened five new investigations for suspected breaches of competition law • Carried out dawn raids on two premises as part of an ongoing cartel-related investigation in the home alarm industry, and assisted the Italian competition authority with an unannounced search of Ryanair's headquarters in Dublin as part of an ongoing Italian competition investigation • Recalled, withdrew or prevented 178,596 unsafe products reaching the Irish market • Launched proceedings against several nationwide retailers for breaches of new sales pricing laws • Undertook 205 consumer protection inspections • Responded to over 44,000 helpline contacts and received 1.8 million visits to ccpc.ie Among its highlights include the CCPC's successful intervention to prevent a potential monopoly in car parking at Dublin Airport, blocking the daa's attempted purchase of the former Quickpark site. The deal was stopped due to findings that it would lead to higher prices, less choice and lower service quality for consumers, and facilitated the entry of a new competitor to the car park market at Dublin Airport. Recent analysis conducted by the Commission shows evidence of consumers benefiting from increased competition for car park business at the airport. Over 178,000 unsafe products removed or prevented from reaching the Irish market Following consumer complaints, referrals from European networks, proactive investigations and work with Revenue Customs, the CCPC recalled, removed or prevented almost 180,000 unsafe and non-compliant products from reaching the Irish market. Recalls included almost 10,000 babies' sleepsuits and over 2,400 toy construction trucks, in addition to compliance inspections across hundreds of products. Enforcement and legal actions Work to protect Irish consumers from breaches of consumer protection law continued at pace with more than 200 inspections undertaken, 47 fixed penalty notices and 23 compliance notices issued. Successful prosecutions were brought against five retailers, with Tesco Ireland pleading guilty to two sample counts of failing to comply with the law in how they displayed the price of products offered on promotion to Clubcard holders. Dawn raids The CCPC carried out dawn raids on two premises as part of an ongoing cartel-related investigation in the home alarm industry. It also assisted the Italian Competition Authority, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), in an unannounced search of Ryanair's headquarters in Dublin as part of an ongoing Italian competition law investigation. CCPC Chairperson Brian McHugh commented: "2024 marked a major milestone for the CCPC - ten years of championing consumer rights and fostering competitive markets in Ireland. Open, fair markets are the backbone of our economy's success, ensuring that whether consumers are making small everyday purchases or major financial decisions, their interests are protected. "Our Annual Report highlights the vital role the CCPC plays across all sectors of the economy, from enforcing consumer law on retail pricing, to advocating proactively for reforming the legal sector to better serve the interests of Irish businesses and consumers. As we look ahead, it is clear that the CCPC's work is more important than ever, and our vision for open and competitive markets where consumers are protected and busi...

New LinkedIn data published today shows that Ireland has ranked highest for availability of remote jobs across Europe, with 9.4% of all job postings offering remote work options. This is almost double the European average of 5.2%. LinkedIn insights also revealed that Ireland has the second-highest availability of hybrid roles in EMEA, according to the most recent data from June 2025. The findings highlight Ireland's position as a leader in flexible working arrangements at a time when competition for talent has intensified significantly. LinkedIn's data shows there are currently 3.4 jobs available for every 10 job seekers in Ireland, making it the third tightest labour market in Europe behind Germany and the Netherlands. Ireland also secured second place in EMEA for hybrid work availability, with 36.3% of all advertised roles offering flexible arrangements. This is more than five percentage points above the European average of 31.3%. High Demand Continues Despite leading Europe in remote job availability, demand continues to outstrip supply. LinkedIn data reveals a "remote work mismatch" ratio of 2.1, meaning that for every remote job posting, there are more than twice as many applications compared to traditional roles. This pattern reflects the sustained appetite for flexible working arrangements among Irish job seekers, even as the economy has fully reopened post-pandemic.

Dublin City Council is calling on Dubliners to 'Be Sound This Summer' with a public awareness campaign, renewing its call for everyone to be respectful and to prioritise safety when walking, cycling, or driving on the city's streets during the busy summer months. As part of the launch, activations are taking place around the city this morning. Pedestrians and cyclists are being rewarded by "Soundness Detectors" for positive behaviour, thanking those who look out for others and prioritise safety. Commuters will be rewarded for their "sound" behaviour with an 'I'm Sound' badge that they can wear proudly! Following on from the successful original 'Be Sound' campaign launched in January, this summer campaign features a series of short, snappy social media videos featuring the Lane Hog, the Dangerous Dasher and the Light Breaker. These will be rolled out across Dublin City Council's social media channels, highlighting everyday ways to be sound. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, speaking about the campaign, said, "As a city, we're working to make travel safer, cleaner, and more connected - not just through infrastructure, but through how we treat one another. 'Be Sound This Summer' is about recognising and celebrating those small, everyday actions that make our streets safer and more respectful for everyone. By adding a bit of fun and positivity to the message, we're encouraging all road users to look out for each other. Whatever way you travel, being sound goes a long way." Recent findings from Dublin City Council's 'Your Dublin Your Voice' survey show that active travel plays a central role in how people get around the city. On average, people split their weekly transport time almost evenly between walking or wheeling (41%) and driving (40%), with a further 19% spent cycling. Dublin City Council continues to roll out dedicated infrastructure across the city, with three vital active travel schemes being completed within the next four weeks: the Ranelagh Village interim scheme, Beatty's Avenue to Herbert Park (part of the Dodder Greenway) scheme, and the Royal Canal Phase 3 scheme. With the summer months bringing more people out walking, cycling and driving, particularly around holidays and city events, Dublin City Council is reminding everyone to be alert and considerate on the streets so people can feel safer opting for more sustainable modes of transport. Active travel doesn't just support safer roads; it also delivers wide-reaching health and economic benefits. According to the most recent 'Walking and Cycling Index', walking and cycling in Dublin removes up to 530,000 cars from the roads each day and generates an annual benefit of €2.39 billion for individuals and the wider city. It also prevents 3,655 serious long-term health conditions each year and saves the health service approximately €64.5?million, equivalent to over 1.17?million GP appointments. Christopher K Manzira, (Acting) Director for the Active Travel Programme Office, Dublin City Council, at the launch said, "With more people choosing to travel actively across the city, we all have a shared responsibility to look out for one another. 'Be Sound' is a reminder that safety and respect are essential on our streets. Whether you're walking to the shop, wheeling to work, or driving through town, a little soundness can make a big difference. The data shows that active travel benefits us all, from reducing emissions to easing congestion as well as the additional health benefits. We want everyone to feel confident and safe doing so." The 'Be Sound this Summer' campaign will be visible across social media, digital channels, and on-street activity. The first video, which looks at the 'Lane Hog', can be accessed here: For more information about Dublin City Council's Active Travel Network, visit dublincity.ie or follow @DubCityCouncil on Instagram, Facebook and X. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Irel...

ACORNS is inviting female entrepreneurs from rural areas to submit their applications for the 11th cycle of the business development programme. The call comes as ACORNS has been selected as Ireland's national entry for the European Enterprise Promotion Awards, in the Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills category. A shortlist of nominees from across Europe will be announced in September, ahead of the finals in Copenhagen in November. The programme is also celebrating being named a 'good practice' on the EU's INTERREG Learning Platform. ACORNS is a free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland. It has been running since 2014 and is funded through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM). Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, has opened of the call for applications for ACORNS 11. The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22. According to feedback, all 52 participants who completed ACORNS 10 felt closer to achieving their business ambitions following the programme and would recommend ACORNS to others. Some 90% said their participation brought about practical change within their business. Four businesses started to trade for the first time during the ACORNS 10 cycle. The combined annual turnover of the ACORNS 10 participants grew by 54%, increasing from €2.8m to €4.3m. ACORNS 10 participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 15. There were eighteen participants with export experience at the end of the cycle. ACORNS is based on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. Participants interact with each other in the monthly round table sessions, which are facilitated by a Lead Entrepreneur, who has first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing a business in rural Ireland. The programme is available to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2022. There are up to 50 places available. Those wishing to apply must first register their interest via the website. They will then be sent an application by email. ACORNS 11 will run from October 2025 to April 2026 and will include six monthly round table sessions, a briefing by various development agencies and an end-of-cycle celebration. There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 11, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs. To-date, since 2014, some 550 participants have completed a cycle of ACORNS, with more than half continuing to avail themselves of support through their membership of the ACORNS Community. The benefits of membership includes the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, a Community Forum and other networking events. Each of the Lead Entrepreneurs give their time to the programme on a voluntary basis, as they believe in the philosophy of 'entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs'. This year's voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs are Alison Ritchie, Polar Ice; Caroline Reidy, The HR Suite; Eimer Hannon, Hannon Travel; Geraldine Jones, Skin Formulas; Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets; and Triona MacGiolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategies. In addition, experienced businesswomen, Clare Duignan and Geraldine Kelly, who are on the Going for Growth advisory panel, will facilitate ACORNS Plus round tables for previous participants, who are committed to continuing driving forward the development of their businesses. Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, said: "Following a decade of support from my department for female rural entrepreneurs under the Rural Innovation Development Fund, I am delighted to launch the latest cycle. The programme continues to go from strength to strength and has supported over 550 women in rural Ireland over the last ten years. "The...

Pinergy in collaboration with Wood Mackenzie, the global insight business for renewables, energy and natural resources, forecast that electricity demand is projected to grow by two thirds with on-grid power generation climbing 16% by 2030 and doubling by 2050. Data centres are set to account for more than one fifth of all power demand by 2030. The 'Energy Transition Outlook: Ireland' report launched today, tracks Ireland's performance on the energy transition journey and highlights the critical role that renewables and electrification must play in the country's energy transformation. The report warns however that current progress is insufficient to meet key energy targets and action is now required to address the widening investment and delivery gaps. As Ireland works to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, the country must shift to an energy system powered by low-carbon energy sources in order to progress towards legally binding net zero targets set for 2050. "Ireland's energy transition is at a crossroads and we must invest in our future," said Enda Gunnell, CEO at Pinergy. "We've set ambitious goals and commitments, but this report makes it clear we must move from aspiration to urgent, tangible action. The time for deliberation is over. We welcome the planned €3.5bn investment announced in the revised National Development Plan, earmarked for Ireland's electricity grid infrastructure. This funding will be critical in order to make the necessary infrastructure investments now required." He continued: "A successful energy transition will not only reduce our carbon emissions and protect our environment, but it will also create new jobs, boost our economy, and enhance our energy security". Key Findings: Electricity Demand Surge: By 2050, electricity demand is set to grow by two thirds, reaching 59 TWh. This will be driven in the short term by the needs of data centres. In the long term, electricity demand growth will be fuelled by changing consumer behaviour towards low-carbon choices, particularly through EV adoption and electrification of heating systems in residential and commercial buildings. Data Centre Impact: Data centres are projected to consume 8.6 TWh of electricity from the grid by 2030, accelerated by the demands and use of artificial intelligence. This energy consumption is equivalent to powering two million homes, placing significant strain on the grid. However, as the grid capacity increases and the electrification of heat & transport intensifies, the share of total power demand for data centres is expected to fall to 16% by 2050. Renewable Electricity Success: Renewables are on track but at risk following delays to capacity buildout. The 'Energy Transition Outlook - Ireland' report forecasts a contribution of 80% of generated electricity by 2030, climbing to 93% by 2050, with wind alone accounting for 77%. This progress will be enabled by a forecasted 56% increase in onshore wind supply and a 166% rise in solar power supply compared to current levels. Offshore Wind Shortfall: Ireland is projected to fall 4GW short of its 5GW offshore wind target by 2030 as projects suffer delays and cancellations. EV and Heat Pump Adoption Lagging: While EV adoption is on course to meet 2025 goals, Ireland is falling short of 2030 EV targets by 35%. In order to meet our EV targets, this report predicts we need to accelerate our adoption rate by 54%. Heat pump adoption is 68% behind 2030 targets, equivalent to 461,000 units, and lagging other European countries. Ireland Becomes Net Exporter Of Electricity: Assuming offshore wind delivery and planned new interconnectors, Ireland has potential to become a net exporter of electricity by 2030. Benchmarking Against Other Countries: While Ireland is placed 20th for renewables in electricity among the most advanced economies, it is expected to move to 11th place overall in 2030. However, without adjustments for delays in offshore wind projects, original predictions had placed Ireland ...

Vodafone Ireland has announced the launch of Real-Time Text (RTT), a breakthrough accessibility service designed to improve emergency communications for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Vodafone Ireland is the first mobile operator in Ireland to introduce RTT, reaffirming its commitment to inclusive, barrier-free digital communication and connection. The service is now available for emergency calls following pilot tests on the Vodafone network supported by BT ECAS and ComReg. New Service for Deaf and Hard of Hearing RTT is a next-generation messaging technology that enables text to be transmitted instantly, character by character, while maintaining a voice connection - eliminating the need to press "send." This creates a more natural, fluid communication experience, particularly for deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired users. Vodafone Ireland customers using both Android and iOS devices can now activate Real-Time Text (RTT) directly via their handset accessibility settings. Once enabled, RTT allows users to send and receive text instantly during a call - making communication more accessible, especially for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Crucially, RTT is fully compatible with Ireland's Emergency Call Answering Service, allowing users to communicate directly with 112 or 999 in real time. This capability can be lifesaving in urgent situations where every second counts. Approximately 5%, almost 270,000, of the Irish population reports a hearing impairment, according to latest Census data. With the European Accessibility Act coming into effect last month, the need for inclusive digital communication has never been more urgent and RTT is a vital step forward in ensuring equal access for all, especially in critical services like emergency response. The RTT service is natively supported on smartphones that meet international accessibility standards. These devices allow character-by-character text transmission during voice calls, without requiring third-party apps or additional hardware. This ensures that users can communicate directly and immediately in emergency situations and in everyday interactions. Commenting as the service was launched today, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan T.D. said: "The introduction of Real-Time Text by Vodafone Ireland marks a significant milestone in our national journey towards digital equality. As the European Accessibility Act comes into force, it is heartening to see Irish tech leaders stepping up with meaningful innovation which instantly improves lives. Most importantly, RTT empowers people who are deaf or hard of hearing to access emergency services with the same immediacy and simplicity as anyone else. This is not just a technological advancement - it is a statement of inclusion, of equality and our shared commitment to building a digital society with universal access. The RTT service is already available on the majority of Vodafone smartphones in Ireland right now, meaning the opportunity to make inclusive communication the norm is already in our hands. I encourage not only the Deaf and hard of hearing community, but the wider public also to embrace RTT. By making it part of our everyday communication and help ensure it becomes a turning point for real inclusion in a more connected society - one where everyone has the tools to engage, contribute and to be heard." Welcoming the launch, Chief Executive of Vodafone Ireland, Sabrina Casalta, said: "At Vodafone Ireland, we're committed to keeping everyone connected - our mission is to ensure digital access and connectivity for everyone, everywhere. RTT represents a significant step forward in digital accessibility, especially in emergency scenarios where real-time communication can save lives. We are proud to be the first in Ireland and one of the leaders in Europe to bring this innovative service to market, that we believe can change lives for the better. The RTT launch has been developed in pa...

Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, in collaboration with Technological University Dublin, has launched Ireland's first Master's in Sustainable Cloud Computing, a pioneering programme that responds to growing industry demand for cloud professionals with expertise in financial operations (FinOps) and environmental sustainability. Unveiled at Liberty IT's state-of-the-art office in One Le Pole Square, the launch of the programme marks a major step forward in developing the next generation of cloud leaders equipped to manage hybrid and multi-cloud environments, while addressing cost efficiency and carbon impact. Ireland's First Master's in Sustainable Cloud Computing Speaking at the launch, Susan Kelly, Operations Director, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, said: "This programme represents a new model for cloud education - combining deep technical skills with FinOps knowledge and sustainability awareness. Graduates will be equipped to drive innovation and environmental responsibility across industry." Tracey Donnery, Director of Policy & Communications, Skillnet Ireland, said: "This first-of-its-kind Master's programme will help ensure Ireland has the skills and talent necessary to become a global hub for sustainable cloud computing, create exciting new innovation opportunities for businesses, whilst supporting our low-carbon economy goals". The Master's in Sustainable Cloud Computing goes beyond traditional green computing, exposing participants to emerging areas such as carbon-aware computing, renewable energy integration, sustainable data centre considerations, and circular economy practices in IT operations. The curriculum also addresses AI-driven energy optimisation and the development of carbon accounting frameworks for cloud environments. Jonathan White, Senior Director of Engineering, Liberty IT, said: "As a recognised leader in digital innovation, we are committed to shaping the future of the tech industry and creating a better future for the communities we live and work in. We are proud to have supported the development of the MSc in Sustainable Cloud Computing in collaboration with Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet and TU Dublin. By working together, we have ensured the programme is aligned with industry needs, and we are confident that this initiative will equip graduates with the critical skills needed to drive innovation and sustainability in technology, fostering a greener and more responsible future for all." Aligned with Ireland's National Cloud Computing Strategy and Climate Action Plan and developed in collaboration with TU Dublin's School of Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation, the programme offers advanced training in hybrid cloud architecture, cloud cost optimisation, sustainable IT practices, and carbon-aware computing. Students will engage with live industry research and present their findings at a public showcase on completion. Professor Pramod Pathak, Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Digital and Data at TU Dublin, said: "Modern cloud professionals need to be multi-disciplinary experts. This master's provides the full toolkit - from technical fluency to financial accountability to environmental leadership." Dr Barry Feeney, Head of School, TU Dublin, added: "This programme would not be possible without our partnership with Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet and the input from industry leaders. It ensures we are delivering real-world, future-proof skills. At TU Dublin, we are deeply committed to engaging with employers to co-develop programmes that produce industry-ready graduates, equipped to meet the evolving demands of the tech sector." A key focus of the curriculum is FinOps, the emerging discipline of managing cloud costs strategically. Students will build capabilities in cloud financial governance and automation of expenditure tracking, skills increasingly critical to organisations under pressure to manage cloud budgets and sustainability targets. Applications for the inaugural intake are now ...

Clinical researchers are set to launch immune-cell therapy clinical trials aimed at tackling treatment resistance in solid tumour, supported by a €11.9 million grant from the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. The project is being spearheaded by a consortium from LIfT BiSciences, University of Galway, Galway University Hospitals and Hooke Bio. The funding award, announced by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke T.D., and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless T.D., is the largest single grant awarded by the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund to date, with €5.9 million in direct funding going to University of Galway. The consortium will launch the first-in-human clinical trials of a ground-breaking neutrophil-based cancer immune-cell therapy developed by LIfT BioSciences, a client of Údarás na Gaeltachta with an Irish base in An Spidéal, Co. Galway. Neutrophils are part of the first line of defence in the body's immune response. The trial will focus on patients with metastatic cervical and head and neck cancer who have exhausted all standard treatments, including checkpoint inhibitors. Trials, which will be conducted at Galway University Hospitals, are expected to begin in 2026. The grant will support the clinical development of LIfT BioSciences' next-generation cell therapy designed to overcome resistance in solid tumours, known as Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs). University of Galway will contribute its deep expertise in oncology and cell therapy clinical trials, as well as in translating laboratory research into clinical applications, including predictive biomarkers. Hooke Bio will provide advanced analytical tools to optimise and assess how patients respond to this novel therapy. The study will first establish the safe and effective dose of immune-cell cancer therapy and then combine this treatment with other immune-based therapies to overcome resistance to these cancer treatments observed in some patients. Professor Sean Hynes, Consultant Histopathologist and Translational Cancer Researcher from University of Galway's School of Medicine and Lead Academic of the award said: "In partnership with LiFT BioSciences and Hooke Bio, we are very excited about University of Galway and Galway University Hospital being at the forefront of delivering on new oncological cellular therapies by using neutrophils, the body's own first responders, in the fight against cancer and ensuring patients in the West of Ireland have access to such cutting edge treatments." Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director of the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway, said: "The Institute for Clinical Trials is proud to support this collaboration and look forward to working closely with Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund partners LifT BioSciences and Hooke Bio, and with academic and clinical colleagues at the University and Galway University Hospital. The programme will bring a new therapy to patients with an unmet critical need. This will be a truly inspirational journey from basic science to a first in human trial as we deliver this novel cell therapy to cancer patients." Dr Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Principal Investigator at University Hospital Galway, added: "Cancer remains one of the most complex and dynamic diseases. IMANs have the potential to overcome key limitations of current cancer treatments by activating both the innate and adaptive branches of the immune system. This dual stimulation enables a comprehensive anti-tumour response, representing a transformative advancement in cancer therapy. We are pleased to receive this grant in collaboration with LIfT and Hooke Bio, and we look forward to accelerating the clinical development of this groundbreaking immunotherapy." Dr Andrew Finnerty Manager of the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland at University of Galway, said: "We at the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ire...

By David Stephen who considers AI Psychosis in this article. The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) on July, 22 marked World Brain Day (WBD 2025), with the theme: Brain Health for All Ages What is the brain health [coefficient] for mind safety when using AI chat bots? Are reports of unwanted outcomes of AI usage a mind problem or bot problem? There is a high likelihood that AI would conquer most emotions and feelings of humans. The vulnerability of the human mind is having its biggest test since the history of existence with the entrance of AI chatbots. There is no longer a use case for consumer AI chatbots without severe personal interactions. AI can make recommendations for help but its attachment might is now a competitive marathon that it is unlikely to be too dialed back or robust enough. What should be done is no longer within the chatbots, but a near standard for how the mind works to prospect the relays and properties of mind, in parallel to the targets of AI, so as to self-recall against risks. Are we seeing a rise in AI Psychosis? All humans are susceptible to emotions and feelings because relays in the human mind seek those out even for non-related experiences. Simply, the mind, while it presents basic interpretations of the world, with memory of what things are, there are sometimes relays beyond those towards emotional fits or for feelings. There are words, sights, smells, sounds and so on that may result in good emotional states for some people or bad emotional states for others. It is simply not that the mind cannot just forget or let go of something, but relays proceed in some of those directions, resulting in emotions, conceptually. AI is supposed to be a social, academic and professional productivity tool, but its competence in compliments, sycophancy, support, deference, patience and so forth, which other humans may not often offer, is an almost definitive emotional call. There are several compliments that AI can give that the mind would not care if it is a bot or non-human, it would relay towards the emotion of delight. Even if it does not fit [at the location initially] or stay, with time, it could make its way to certain good emotions. Then, because AI is a source of those, the [components of] mind would spike expectations at the proximity of AI usage. AI is likely to dominate everything digital. This will make it likely that more people will start using AI chatbots in one form or another, because of the ubiquity of smartphones and the internet. The availability of AI would result in trying it out, or the necessity to learn or find things may result in the use of large language models [LLMs]. As it spreads, the possibility to magnetize the minds of humans would expand, becoming a new source of dynamic [happy and private] communication. What does it mean that an individual is happy, sad, disconnected from reality or otherwise? These are general questions that were independent of AI but now intertwined. In seeking answers, it is no longer sufficient to quickly overload terms like central executive, or mesolimbic dopamine pathway, or engrams or others. What are the components of mind for those and how do those components work? This is a question like, the mind [or whatever is directly responsible for emotions and feelings] has components. Those components mechanize functions, how do they do so? How does a conceptual explanation shape an explanation of the states of mind, towards developing a dynamic display for what AI might be doing to the mind? The urgency of this research has implications for mental health care and from preventing society from a precipitous plunge. Because, if AI dominates human feelings and emotions, it does not have to be more intelligent or go rogue to result in situations that are too unknown to be predictable. AI chatbots have disclaimers, warning of mistakes, or notifying that they are bots or that they are experimental. This is an example in what had been advocated for years for...

Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, in collaboration with Technological University Dublin, has launched Ireland's first Master's in Sustainable Cloud Computing, a pioneering programme that responds to growing industry demand for cloud professionals with expertise in financial operations (FinOps) and environmental sustainability. Unveiled at Liberty IT's state-of-the-art office in One Le Pole Square, the launch of the programme marks a major step forward in developing the next generation of cloud leaders equipped to manage hybrid and multi-cloud environments, while addressing cost efficiency and carbon impact. Speaking at the launch, Susan Kelly, Operations Director, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, said: "This programme represents a new model for cloud education - combining deep technical skills with FinOps knowledge and sustainability awareness. Graduates will be equipped to drive innovation and environmental responsibility across industry." Tracey Donnery, Director of Policy & Communications, Skillnet Ireland, said: "This first-of-its-kind Master's programme will help ensure Ireland has the skills and talent necessary to become a global hub for sustainable cloud computing, create exciting new innovation opportunities for businesses, whilst supporting our low-carbon economy goals". The Master's in Sustainable Cloud Computing goes beyond traditional green computing, exposing participants to emerging areas such as carbon-aware computing, renewable energy integration, sustainable data centre considerations, and circular economy practices in IT operations. The curriculum also addresses AI-driven energy optimisation and the development of carbon accounting frameworks for cloud environments. Jonathan White, Senior Director of Engineering, Liberty IT, said: "As a recognised leader in digital innovation, we are committed to shaping the future of the tech industry and creating a better future for the communities we live and work in. We are proud to have supported the development of the MSc in Sustainable Cloud Computing in collaboration with Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet and TU Dublin. By working together, we have ensured the programme is aligned with industry needs, and we are confident that this initiative will equip graduates with the critical skills needed to drive innovation and sustainability in technology, fostering a greener and more responsible future for all." Aligned with Ireland's National Cloud Computing Strategy and Climate Action Plan and developed in collaboration with TU Dublin's School of Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation, the programme offers advanced training in hybrid cloud architecture, cloud cost optimisation, sustainable IT practices, and carbon-aware computing. Students will engage with live industry research and present their findings at a public showcase on completion. Professor Pramod Pathak, Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Digital and Data at TU Dublin, said: "Modern cloud professionals need to be multi-disciplinary experts. This master's provides the full toolkit - from technical fluency to financial accountability to environmental leadership." Dr Barry Feeney, Head of School, TU Dublin, added: "This programme would not be possible without our partnership with Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet and the input from industry leaders. It ensures we are delivering real-world, future-proof skills. At TU Dublin, we are deeply committed to engaging with employers to co-develop programmes that produce industry-ready graduates, equipped to meet the evolving demands of the tech sector." A key focus of the curriculum is FinOps, the emerging discipline of managing cloud costs strategically. Students will build capabilities in cloud financial governance and automation of expenditure tracking, skills increasingly critical to organisations under pressure to manage cloud budgets and sustainability targets. Applications for the inaugural intake are now open, with the first cohort commencing in January 2026. ...

Lean BPI, the Irish digital growth consultancy for SMEs and microenterprises, has announced new survey results which reveal that cost is the greatest inhibitor of digital transformation for small enterprises in Ireland. The research found that almost half (46%) of small business owners cite it as a top barrier. The research of 100 business owners in Ireland, running companies with 20 employees or fewer, was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Lean BPI. It found that other major obstacles cited by businesses included legacy systems and cybersecurity risks (36% each) and connectivity issues (29%). The latter appears to be a significantly greater issue for organisations who are fully remote, with 37% who operate this working model saying connectivity is a barrier. Despite concerns among small enterprises regarding the cost of digital adoption, 34% admit they have not made use of any Government digital supports. However, there is strong interest, with 75% expressing a desire to learn more about them. Lean BPI is encouraging small enterprises to prioritise digital transformation and take advantage of available supports to protect themselves from external risks and increasing market competition. Concerningly, one-third (34%) of small business owners feel they are not keeping up with the pace of digital change of their rivals, indicating the importance of digital adoption in remaining competitive. In addition, small enterprises recognise the significance of digital adoption in general, with 64% agreeing digital transformation is helping their business to grow. This is evident in the research which found 38% of businesses are getting further sales and prospective leads through their social media channels. It is therefore unsurprising that 75% plan to invest more in digital over the next 12 months and 70% have a clear digital strategy for their business in place. John O'Shanahan, founder and managing director, Lean BPI, said: "Although cost is a significant factor in digital adoption, government grants can substantially ease the financial burden for small enterprises. The research suggests that inconsistent behaviour may stem from an awareness gap, with over three-quarters of small businesses eager to learn more about the supports available. "With external pressures and intensified competition at play, small enterprises risk falling behind if they fail to adapt to the digital environment. It's essential that they conduct their own research and engage with their Local Enterprise Office Network to help break down the barriers to digital adoption. Encouragingly, the majority of small business owners are already on the right path, with a clear digital strategy in place for their business. With the right supports and guidance available, small enterprises can embrace digital transformation with their arms wide open and strengthen their position within the market in spite of external challenges." See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Dell Technologies has today announced the launch and availability of its next generation of flagship laptops, now rebranded under the new Dell Premium line. The Pro Max marks a new chapter in Dell's premium offering, replacing the XPS brand while retaining its hallmark craftsmanship, performance, and design. The new line includes the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium and are positioned as the company's lead offering for users seeking high-performance, future-ready devices. The laptops are now available in Ireland. New Pro Max laptops have AI features Built on Intel Core Ultra 200H series processors, the Dell Premium range delivers significant gains in both performance and battery life. The 14.5-inch and 16.3-inch screens offer increased display real estate without expanding the devices' footprint, while OLED options with 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rates provide enhanced visual quality. The range also includes features such as EyeSafe technology for reduced blue light exposure and Liquid Crystal Polymer fan blades designed for more efficient, quiet cooling. Kevin Terwilliger, Vice-President and General Manager of the PC Product Management Group, Dell Technologies said: "We're in a dynamic era where technology serves as both the tool and the canvas for ideas and innovation. Built for the power users, engineers, creators and AI developers transforming industries, these AI PCs not only handle the most demanding AI workflows but set the standard for performance and creativity. "Reliability, configurability, and performance aren't just features - they're the foundation. We know professionals need tools they can count on to tackle their most critical and impactful workloads, and that's what we deliver." Early benchmarks show up to 33% improved performance for general use and up to 21% faster speeds for lighter creative workloads. The 14-inch model offers up to 20 hours of streaming battery life, with the 16-inch version extending to 27 hours using energy-efficient 2K displays. Both laptops support memory speeds up to 8400MHz, while advanced multithreading improves performance for heavier workflows such as video editing or content processing. The Dell 16 Premium can be configured with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 processors and offers 45W sustained CPU power. An optional NVIDIA RTX 50 Series GPU delivers AI-enhanced graphics and DLSS 4 for accelerated image rendering, while Thunderbolt 5 connectivity (optional) supports transfer speeds up to 120Gbps and multi-monitor setups with up to four 8K displays. The smaller Dell 14 Premium model includes integrated graphics with 29% faster processing, and optional RTX 4050 GPU for enhanced creative performance. Both models support Wi-Fi 7 for improved network speed and responsiveness. Build quality and materials used by Dell remain a key focus, with both devices featuring CNC-machined aluminium, Gorilla Glass 3, and a streamlined edge-to-edge design. Sustainability measures have also been expanded, with the range meeting ENERGY STAR 9.0, EPEAT Gold Climate+, and integrating recycled aluminium and plastics in both construction and packaging. All devices ship with Windows 11 and include Copilot on Windows, Microsoft's integrated AI assistant. The release comes ahead of the October 2025 end-of-support date for Windows 10, as businesses and consumers here in Ireland prepare to upgrade to more secure and modern platforms. Pricing and Availability Dell 14 Premium starting at €1,899.00 is now available Dell 16 Premium starting at €1,998.99 is now available See more breaking stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News hav...

When Luke Murphy was growing up in rural Kerry, his father, a chemistry lecturer and environmental scientist, had a habit of turning even the simplest questions into full-scale lessons. "Ask about water testing and you'd get a deep dive into inorganic chemistry. It was fascinating, but also totally overwhelming," Murphy recalls. "It really made me think about how hard it is for experts to communicate the value of what they do." Waking Dreams from County Kerry Years later, that early insight would become the foundation for Waking Dreams Media, the Dublin-based video production company Murphy founded in January 2021. What began as a solo venture during the bleakest days of Ireland's third pandemic lockdown has since evolved into a growing team. Today, Waking Dreams Media delivers strategic video communications for some of the country's most technically complex businesses. But Murphy insists this is not a story about creative cinematography or camera gear. Instead, his team's work is about making complicated ideas easier to grasp. In particular, he's found a sweet spot in helping founders and teams who are building the kinds of products that don't yet have a ready-made market, or whose value can't be easily summed up in a single sentence. "These aren't off-the-shelf products," Murphy explains. "They're innovations, often emerging from research, deep tech, or life sciences. The challenge is not just showing what the product does, but helping someone who's never seen anything like it before understand why it matters." From the story of a gravestone to the story of a product Murphy's entrepreneurial streak showed up early. While completing a degree in Film and Media at UCC, he worked freelance behind the camera to support himself. He also co-founded a startup called The Story Of, a business that used QR codes to link gravestones with short videos about a person's life. The concept gained serious traction, even attracting media attention in Australia. But what Murphy took from that experience wasn't just media momentum. It was clarity about what he actually enjoyed. "I realised I was less interested in being the founder of a tech company than I was in helping tech companies communicate what they do," he says. "I loved the storytelling side, especially when it meant getting to grips with something complex and making it accessible." This impulse shaped the vision for Waking Dreams Media. Today, the company works with clients ranging from UCC Innovation and Blockchain Ireland to SMEs building smart RFID tools or pharmaceutical spinouts. Several of the startups they've supported have gone on to raise high six-figure funding rounds and land enterprise contracts. And they've often usd the videos in pitch decks and investor meetings. In one instance, a multinational client saw over 100,000 organic impressions from a single video campaign. "We start with messaging, not cameras" According to Murphy, the biggest misconception about video production is that it's simply about visuals. "People often assume video means showing up with a camera and recording whatever's there. But that's not how it works when you're dealing with complex B2B products. You can't explain a semiconductor startup the same way you'd shoot a wedding." Devising a strategy is the first stage of every project Murphy takes on. Murphy's team works with clients to clarify their core messaging, and ask questions. What changes in the customer's daily life if they use this product? What makes it different from what already exists? Why should a buyer or investor trust you? That messaging document becomes the foundation for everything else, not just the video but the website, sales deck and investor materials. It is a tool for internal alignment as much as external explanation. As Murphy puts it, "It's not about polishing a script. It's about revealing the story that already exists." Clients say the results speak for themselves. One founder described their Waking Dreams video as "...

Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, has announced a significant new multi-year partnership with Tennis Ireland, becoming its 'Official Digital, Data & AI Partner to Tennis Ireland'. This landmark collaboration is set to bring BearingPoint's cutting-edge expertise in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and consultancy to the heart of Irish tennis. This will fundamentally transform how the sport operates and develops its talent from grass root structures all the way to professional levels. The partnership will see BearingPoint's deep digital and data transformation capabilities drive significant advancement within Irish tennis. A primary focus will be on transforming how performance data is captured, analysed, and utilised, providing unprecedented insights and invaluable support to athletes, coaches, and national programmes across the country. A cornerstone of this partnership is BearingPoint's dedicated support for the National Performance Development Programme and Pathway. This initiative is designed to nurture Ireland's next generation of tennis talent, ensuring they have access to the most advanced tools for growth. As part of this initiative, BearingPoint will become the new title sponsor of the Tennis Ireland Performance Data Dashboards, to be branded ''BearingPoint TI Advantage." These advanced, AI-powered dashboards will become instrumental in Tennis Ireland's business transformation, offering real-time insights into player performance, rankings, and development pathways. Furthermore, BearingPoint is proud to actively support the growth and visibility of disability tennis in Ireland, extending the benefits of digital transformation to all facets of the sport and reinforcing the partnership's dedication to inclusivity. This strategic alliance underscores BearingPoint's dedication to developing talent and driving digital innovation within key sectors, while empowering Tennis Ireland with the tools necessary to achieve its ambitious goals for the sport. Commenting at the announcement, Gillian O'Sullivan, Country Leader for BearingPoint in Ireland, said: "We are incredibly excited to embark on this partnership with Tennis Ireland, and to launch this partnership at the outset of Ireland's premier professional tennis tournament, 'The 2025 Irish Open'. This collaboration allows us to bring our expertise in technology and AI into the world of tennis, fundamentally transforming how performance data is used by athletes and coaches alike. "We are committed to supporting the growth of Irish tennis through these insights, with a view to empowering our next generation of talent here in Ireland and abroad. Today's announcement builds on our existing sporting sponsorship portfolio, which includes our successful relationship with Leinster Rugby as their Official Innovation Partner." Kevin Quinn, CEO of Tennis Ireland, added: "This exciting partnership with BearingPoint is a significant step forward for Tennis Ireland. Working with BearingPoint will enable us to better harness the power of data and digital tools, to better understand participation and performance in tennis across the country. "More broadly, tennis globally is entering an exciting era of digital transformation, from the potential of AI-driven performance analysis to innovations like electronic line calling, seen for the first time at Wimbledon this year. We see this collaboration with BearingPoint as essential to helping Irish tennis on this journey of digital transformation, enabling TI to better manage and deploy our resources to deliver better outcomes for players, communities, and the wider tennis ecosystem." See more stories here.

The National Pension Helpline has this morning launched the first ever online pension comparison platform in Ireland, which tracks the performance of hundreds of pension funds. The Irish Pension Fund Explorer is a free comparison tool with real-time data on 597 pension funds, aimed at promoting transparency within the industry and allowing people to make better investment decisions. The searchable database can be used to compare each fund's growth, risk exposure, where their assets are located, and the holding companies involved. It provides clear comparisons between two or more funds with interactive graphs and charts, allowing savers to view multiple funds' value and performance side by side, as well as other key stats such as management fees. Irish Pension Fund Data Resource Various funds from the same pension provider can also be pitted against each other to compare how each fund is faring, with users being able to toggle between different timeframes to get a clear picture of performance over time. There are ten significant pension fund operators in Ireland: Zurich, Irish Life, Aviva, New Ireland, Standard Life, Mercer, Acorn, Royal London, BOI and AIB. Those wishing to invest have needed to go to each provider individually or ask a broker to help them compare funds - whereas the Pension Fund Explorer allows people to view every portfolio from every provider available in Ireland in one location. The tool is free and no registration or personal details are required, giving everyone equal access to the data. Speaking at the launch, James Dorrian, Managing Director of the National Pension Helpline, said: "This new platform is a major milestone in making the pension industry more transparent and easier for the public to navigate the hundreds of funds that are available. "The National Pension Helpline was set up out of frustration for how hard it is for the average person in Ireland to get the information they need when it comes to investing in their pension. "This first-of-its-kind public resource allows users to compare the performance, asset allocations and risk profiles of hundreds of individual pension funds. "We believe that this data should be freely available without people having to trudge through and compare hundreds of documents, and the Fund Explorer enables people to compare every fund under one roof. "Investing in the wrong fund can cost you in retirement, and similarly, smart investments have a compounding effect which means that even monthly contributions can grow into a substantial pension pot in the future. "We make no claims that past performance can predict future outcomes, however, our independently sourced data can certainly give people a taste of how each fund is performing against other funds, either from the same provider or different providers." See more breaking stories here.