Gadgets Expertise

Time is running out for third-level students across Ireland to showcase their vision for the future of the country’s energy sector. Students are invited to apply for the EirGrid CleanerGrid Competition 2024, with applications due to close on Thursday 31st October.

Now in its second year, the CleanerGrid competition, run by EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid, aims to foster innovation and creativity by encouraging students to showcase their skills in solving critical energy challenges, with a focus on sustainability, efficiency and clean energy technologies.

With a top prize of €12,000 (€6,000 for the winning student team and €6,000 for the student’s third-level institute), this year’s theme asks students to “Present your vision of what the growing energy sector will need to look like in 2050 to have sustainably achieved net-zero emissions”.

Entrants should show how the grid will need to change to allow for more renewable sources and less synchronous generation; including what government policies will need to be in place, how the economy will be affected, how the grid will need to adapt, how technology can help achieve this goal, or any other relevant points they identify in order to create a resilient energy system for the future.

Jack Brady was a member of the winning team for the 2023/24 CleanerGrid Competition and has now joined the EirGrid Graduate Programme. He encourages students from all disciplines to enter the competition.

“The CleanerGrid competition with EirGrid is a great opportunity to take the skills you learn in college and apply them to a real-world problem. It is not just about the theory; you need to look at the practical aspects of your idea and how they would be applied. This is not exclusive to engineering students, we need to hear how the electricity system can be future proofed from a range of perspectives.

“The competition gave me an insight into renewable energy and the grid, which I would not have had otherwise, and it inspired me to then apply for EirGrid’s Graduate Programme following my graduation from TU Dublin. I would encourage anyone with an interest in sustainability, energy, renewables or just solving big world challenges to apply for the competition for the chance to showcase your abilities, and potentially kick-start your career.”

The competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, below PhD level, from all disciplines at any third-level institution in the Republic of Ireland. Students can take part by signing up at EirGrid.ie/CleanerGrid as part of a team of up to six members. Applications close on the 31st October.

The top entrants will be invited to EirGrid’s head offices to present their innovations to industry experts including members of the EirGrid senior management team.

AgTechUCD has announced the seven start-ups which have been selected for its fourth accelerator programme dedicated to early-stage start-ups in the AgTech and Agrifood sectors.

The participating start-ups are Aerial AG Ireland (Dublin), Auto Coupler (Co. Kilkenny), Evogen (Dublin), IONA Minerals (Anglesey, Wales), RoboCrop (Co. Kildare), Weighless Wonders (Dublin) and Zirkulu (Co. Cork).

The 2024 AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme, which has just commenced, is an intensive 12-week hybrid programme, tailored to address the particular needs and challenges facing AgTech and Agrifood start-ups. The programme is focused on fast tracking the business development and leadership skills of participants and on providing them with the support and guidance needed to accelerate the growth and development of their start-ups.

The programme includes dedicated business development workshops and investor readiness training, mentoring from industry experts and business advisors, guest speakers and facilitated introductions to AgTechUCD’s venture capital and business angel networks.

The in-person workshops will take place in the AgTechUCD Innovation Centre at UCD Lyons Farm in Co. Kildare.

Gary Ryan, Director, AgTechUCD, said,

“During the next 12 weeks, we will be focused on supporting the commercial development and growth of the participating start-ups as they develop their ag and food tech-related businesses with national and international potential. The focus on solutions delivering improved sustainability, efficiency and profitability in the agfood value chain is welcome and is very much in line with the overall focus of AgTechUCD. During the programme we will also be working with this year’s cohort to help them to increase their profile, to attract customers and investors, and to forge new partnerships at home and further afield.”

Twenty-seven (27) start-ups, including MyGug and Proveye, have completed the three AgTechUCD Agccelerator programmes delivered to date.

Since completing the 2022 programme, MyGug, a West Cork-based company which is at the forefront of innovation in food waste management, has secured €900k in funding and was named the winner of the Sustainability Award at the 2023 Irish Times Innovation Awards.

Since completing the 2021 programme, Proveye, a UCD spin-out headquartered at NovaUCD and a leader in remote sensing image analysis for agriculture, has secured €1 million in seed funding. The company was also recently name as one of the 15 start-ups, chosen from over 800 applications, for the 2024 AWS Clean Energy Accelerator 4.0 programme, Generative AI Energy Lab edition.

AgTechUCD, which is part of NovaUCD, is focused on promoting and accelerating the launch and scaling of start-ups and SMEs, in Ireland and internationally, with disruptive innovations in the agtech, agri-food and vettech sectors, as they build their innovative businesses into leading job-creating companies on the global stage.

AgTechUCD, funded through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland, supports founding entrepreneurs as they build their innovative businesses into leading enterprises, through the AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme, and by providing access to incubation offices and labs and preferred access to on-farm testing for new products and services at UCD Lyons Farm.

The fourth AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme will conclude in January 2025 when participating start-ups will pitch their businesses to a panel of investors.

Programme partners include AIB, Carbery, Enterprise Ireland, Herdwatch, IFAC, The Yield Lab and Thrive/SVG Ventures.

University of Galway, Galway City Council, and PorterShed have come together to host the 2024 Galway City Climathon.

The one-day event is designed to allow attendees and experts to share and develop innovative ideas actions and solutions to tackle local, urban challenges in Galway city. The 2024 Galway City Climathon takes place on Friday, October 25th in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall, Quadrangle, from 9 am to 4 pm.

Frances Fahy, Director of the University of Galway’s Ryan Institute, said: “For the ninth year in a row, the Ryan Institute, home to environmental research at the University of Galway, is hosting the Climathon for Galway City. We are delighted to be inviting innovators, entrepreneurs, students, and interested people from all sectors and communities across Galway City to join us on campus once again for this event.

“This year our one-day event is a partnership involving Galway City Council, the University’s Sustainability Office, and our long-term Climathon partners, the PorterShed. We are looking forward to hearing the many innovative and climate-positive ideas that emerge from the day to tackle local urban challenges in Galway City,” said Fahy.

Damien Redington, Climate Action Coordinator at Galway City Council, said: “Events like Climathon are vital in harnessing the creativity and innovation of our community. By bringing together bright minds from various sectors, Climathon empowers us to develop local solutions that can have a global impact. Galway is committed to being a leader in sustainability, and this event plays a key role in driving forward our climate action plan goals. I encourage everyone to participate and contribute to shaping a greener, more resilient future.”

Initiated by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Climate Knowledge Innovation Community (EIT Climate-KIC) Climathon is a global 24-hour climate change event that will take place simultaneously in major cities and this year the event aligns with Urban October and World Cities Day, global initiatives that highlight the critical role cities play in climate action.

Galway City Climathon is part of an ongoing collaboration between the University of Galway and Galway City Council, to inspire action and innovation in tackling local and global climate challenges.

For more information or to register for Climathon 2024 click here.

Last week Bo an English electric scooter company launched in Ireland. Before testing out the scooter which I loved and had fun riding, I met up with Oscar Morgan Co-Founder and CEO of Bo.

Oscar spoke to me about what Bo does, how Bo rides so well, how the name Bo was chosen, their launch in Dublin and more.

More about Bo:

Bo [Bomobility], an award-winning pioneer in the global mobility industry, is dedicated to achieving a better future through development of the best light electric vehicles on earth. First unveiled in 2022, this year sees the start of production of their highly-anticipated Bo M: The Electric Scooter for adults.

See more podcasts here.

Researchers from Japan explore how the domesticated flightless silkworm moth (Bombyx mori), a prominent insect model in olfactory research, uses wing flapping to manipulate airflow, enhancing their ability to detect distant pheromones. These findings highlight how moths guide pheromones to their odour sensors in antennae and suggest potential applications for designing advanced robotic systems for odour source localization. This could inspire future innovations in drones and provide design guidelines for robots to locate odour sources.

The silkworm moth (Bombyx mori) is an insect that no longer flies due to domestication. The males use their antennae to detect pheromones emitted by females, and they respond very acutely. They have been used as model insects for the study of their odor source localization. Flying insects flap their wings when they fly, and silkworm moths are also known to flap their wings (called fanning) when they detect pheromones, even though they do not fly.

As pheromone molecules move through space in the air, the air flows produced by the flapping of wings undoubtedly have a strong influence on odour detection. However, the effect of this flapping of wings was not known quantitatively.

To address this question, a group of scientists led by Dr. Toshiyuki Nakata from the Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, investigated how B. mori detects pheromones. “We understand that silkworm moths detect pheromones by flapping their wings to induce airflows around them. However, the precise impact of this wing flapping on the moths’ ability to localize the odour source is unclear,” explains Nakata while elaborating on the rationale for conducting this study.

The team included co-first author Daigo Terutsuki from the Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University; Chihiro Fukui from the Graduate School of Science & Engineering, Chiba University; Ryohei Kanzaki from the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo; and Hao Liu, from the Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University.

Their study, published on August 2, 2024, in Volume 14 of Scientific Reports, employed high-speed photogrammetry—a technique that uses high-speed cameras to capture and reconstruct the motion and geometry of objects—to computationally analyze the aerodynamic consequences of wing motions of B. mori. Researchers meticulously recorded the wing movements during fanning and built a detailed computational model of the insects and surrounding airflow. Using the simulated data, they subsequently calculated the motion of particles that resemble the pheromone molecules around the fanning silkworm moth.

One of the key findings of the study was that B. mori samples the pheromone selectively from the front. The moth scans the space by rotating its body while fanning to locate the pheromone sources. The directional sampling of the pheromone molecules is particularly helpful when searching for an odour source since the moth can determine the direction of the odour plume upon the detection of the pheromone.

Needless to say, the implications of this research extend beyond the study of insects. The insights gained from how B. mori manipulates airflow could lead to advancements in robotic odour source localization technologies. A team led by Dr Daigo Terutsuki is working on developing drones equipped with insect antennae for odour detection, with potential applications such as locating individuals in emergencies.

“The findings from this study highlight the importance of creating directional airflow when searching for odour sources using flying robots. This involves carefully adjusting the drone’s orientation and the configuration of its propellers and odour sensors to optimize detection capabilities,” notes Dr Nakata.

Furthermore, the study highlights the need for future research to consider environmental factors such as airflow turbulence and antenna structure, which also influence odour detection.

“Currently, robots rely heavily on vision and auditory sensors for navigation. However, as demonstrated by disaster rescue dogs, utilizing the sense of smell can be highly effective for locating humans. While the application of sensing smell in robots is still in its early stages, this research could help in developing robots that efficiently search for odour sources in disaster situations,” says Dr Nakata optimistically.

The broadband market in Ireland is now flooded with providers all offering a myriad of deals. We know it’s hard to find the perfect deal that suits your needs, but we’re here to help.

We’ve teamed up with Switcher.ie, the free and impartial price comparison and switching service, to find the best broadband deals available every month.

Check back regularly to stay informed of the latest deals and offers, and visit the Switcher.ie website to order one of these great packages.

Best Broadband Deals

For just €35 per month for the first year, Virgin Media’s 500Mb Broadband is one of the cheapest broadband offers available on the market. You’ll get unlimited broadband with speeds of up to 500Mb, ideal for surfing, gaming or streaming. Plus, sign up before October 31st and get €100 off your Virgin Media broadband bill.

With eir’s Fibre Broadband and Talk plan, priced at €34.99 per month for 12 months, you’ll get unlimited broadband with speeds of up to 500Mb with unlimited off-peak local & national calls. Plus, sign up before October 21st and get €50 off your eir broadband bill.

Vodafone can offer long-term savings with their 500Mb Full Fibre Broadband plan. Priced at €30 per month for 6 months, then €40p/m thereafter, Vodafone broadband customers will no longer see a significant increase in their monthly price – (often called a “thereafter price’) – once their minimum contract term ends. This means customers can enjoy savings and value in the long and short term.

(If you’ve come across this article after some of these deals may have expired, check out our main Broadband Deals category page to find the latest offers)

Ósta Café and Wine Bar is one of the businesses nominated in the Ireland’s Favourite Local Business competition, backed by the Love Sligo Gift Card.

Located alongside the Garavogue River, Ósta first opened in the town 18 years ago. Industry expert Brid Torrades has over 40 years of hospitality experience under her belt and said:

“We opened Ósta in Sligo in 2006 and my goal was to make it a neighbourhood place for people to meet friends, enjoy good food and drinks, read the paper and relax. I wanted the produce to all be top quality using local, seasonal produce. And these values hold true today. We serve excellent organic, fair-trade coffee which is roasted in Ireland – the same brand we’ve used for 18 years.

“We really encourage and support local suppliers.  In the beginning this was hard as local producers were in short supply but there are many, many excellent food producers in the northwest for which we are grateful.

“Our staff are our backbone. Many of the team have been with us for a long time, and that keeps us moving forward. We’re also fortunate to have loyal customers. People that used to visit Osta as kids for their pancakes now visit with their own children, and many families have been with us since the start. I think independent businesses are so important to a town and customers really appreciate that in Sligo.

“Baking starts early morning in Osta so that people can get their coffee and scone on the way to work, we also offer brunch and light lunches, maybe a warming soup or stew depending on the weather. In 2020, we also started farming our own herd of Dexter cattle so we can produce our own grass fed beef. I think food provenance matters more and more. People want to know where their food is from but also the healthiest, most nutritional option.

“Sustainability is also a big focus for us. When we started the business, compostable packing wasn’t as available as it is now. Today, we’re able to use compostable cups, and encourage customers to use their own cups too.”

Ósta Café and Wine Bar is part of the Love Sligo Gift Card led by Sligo BID, which can be spent with over 230 local businesses. Brid says the initiative benefits everyone in the town:

“The Love Sligo Gift Card is great for the town. If I give a Love Sligo Gift Card to someone, it doesn’t matter where it’s spent, we all benefit eventually. It powers the circular economy and is very easy for us as a business to accept.

“It’s an honour for Osta to be nominated as Ireland’s Favourite Local Business. I’m proud that we are part of people’s day to day lives, and that they have taken the time to nominate us means the world.”

Shops, restaurants, salons, hotels and attractions in Sligo– and right across Ireland – are all eligible to be Ireland’s Favourite Local Business 2024. People can nominate their favourite local business in the competition free at lovelocalwin.ie, giving the name of the local business they think deserves to win and a reason.

Ireland’s Favourite Local Business will be the business who has the most nominations and will win a €500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Love Sligo Gift Card, with one person who nominated the winning business receiving a €1000 Town & City Gift Card. Businesses can find out more about the competition online.

Over €750,000 of Love Sligo Gift Cards have been sold to date, with the cards popular for both consumers to buy and organisations to use as staff rewards, taking advantage of the Small Benefit Exemption scheme.

Gail McGibbon, CEO at Sligo BID said: “We’re thrilled to see this nomination for a popular Sligo business in this national competition. Local businesses are the foundation of our town and community, with many part of our Love Sligo Gift Card that continues to go from strength to strength. If there is a Sligo business that makes a positive impact on your life, I encourage you to vote for them as Ireland’s Favourite Local Business.”

Mark Cunningham is the manager of the Sligo BID and business development manager for Miconex, and said: “Sligo has such strong independent businesses. It would be great to see a Sligo business win this national accolade and the ability to call themselves Ireland’s Favourite Local Business. It takes 2 minutes to nominate your Favourite Local Business in Sligo, for the chance to win a €1000 Love Sligo Gift Card for yourself, with the winning business also winning a €500 gift card alongside the honour of being Ireland’s best.”

Fintech Miconex, founders of the Town & City Gift Card concept active across Ireland, is sponsoring Ireland’s Favourite Local Business 2024. Over 20,000 local businesses are part of Miconex’s local gift card programmes around the world with over €35m spent locally through the cards.

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Ireland’s Favourite Local Business is designed to shine a light on local businesses in the run up to the Christmas period. Congratulations to Osta for their nomination.”

Enter Ireland’s Favourite Local Business competition free at: www.lovelocalwin.ie

The competition closes on the 31st October 2024.

First introduced in September 2020, over €2,200,000 of County Wexford Shop Local Vouchers have been sold, with over €1.9 million redeemed in County Wexford businesses to date.

The Chamber, which represents the four districts of County Wexford – New Ross, Gorey, Wexford Town and Enniscorthy – says the new gift card will enhance convenience for consumers buying the card, businesses accepting the card, and organisations using the card for rewards and incentives.

Retailers who currently accept the Shop Local Vouchers, and new businesses, can register to accept the forthcoming County Wexford Shop Local Gift Card with a simple one-time registration process. Backed by Mastercard, the County Wexford Shop Local Gift Card works with merchants’ existing payment terminals.

Shops, restaurants, pubs, attractions and hotels, including national brands and independents, are all eligible to accept the County Wexford Shop Local Gift Card, which will be available as either a physical card or an e-card that can be uploaded to digital wallets.

Paula Roche, CEO at County Wexford Chamber, said the new gift card will enable even more money to be retained in Wexford: “The paper Shop Local Vouchers had lots of support and were a fantastic way for us to keep spend in the county, particularly from organisations buying the vouchers for their staff. The new Shop Local Gift Card is all about upping the convenience for all involved so when people are earning in County Wexford, we can make it even easier for them to spend that money locally.

“The feedback we had was that people want a digital gift card. For most people, their wallet is their phone, and being able to add the e-card version of the County Wexford Shop Local Gift Card into their digital wallet and pay with it will be a huge step forward for our county.

“Our mission is to present the best of the county in one gift card – from our amazing hotels and restaurants to our unique shops and pubs – so we can showcase County Wexford for locals and visitors alike.”

The County Wexford Shop Local Gift Card will be part of the multi-award-winning Town & City Gift Card concept active across Ireland in Ballinrobe, Carndonagh, Drogheda, Letterkenny, Sligo and Waterford. Over €7 million Town & City Gift Cards were sold in Ireland in 2023, with around 80% of sales to organisations for staff rewards and incentives.

Businesses looking for further information can email:  [email protected]

See more stories here.

Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, has launched an in-depth study on artificial intelligence (AI), emphasising the critical need for organisations to transition into augmented organisations to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving market landscape. The research reveals a notable scepticism towards AI among executives in Ireland and the UK, potentially delaying the necessary transformation.

An augmented organisation leverages AI and other emerging technologies to enhance capabilities and operational efficiency, reinventing customer and employee experiences and, ultimately, disrupting its value chain to stay relevant in the market. The study, titled ‘AI-driven transformation: Becoming an augmented organisation,’ underscores AI adoption as a strategic imperative for long-term success. The research, which surveyed 700 C-suite executives across Europe (including 170 from Ireland and the UK), the US, and Asia, revealed key strategies and challenges in AI adoption.

Notably, there is scepticism towards AI among executives in Ireland and the UK, with 43% adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach. The study also found that only 38% of respondents in Ireland and the UK are directly involved in AI-related decision-making, but a significant portion is well-informed about AI initiatives.

Governance remains a focus area for Ireland and UK respondents, with 46% still contemplating the best approach to AI governance. 82% of these respondents believe that establishing an effective AI cross-functional task force is crucial for becoming an augmented organisation.

Worryingly, the study highlights that only 19% of C-suite executives in Ireland and the UK are actively adopting AI technologies with almost one in three organisations either having no AI implementations or have not started considering AI technologies. This is despite that fact that data readiness among UK&I respondents is relatively high, with only 1% unsure about their data readiness, 42% mostly ready, and 24% fully ready.

“AI is a present-day necessity, and the pace of AI innovation and its adoption by competitors and consumers is accelerating,” said Stephen Redmond, director, head of data analytics & AI at BearingPoint. “Our study indicates that organisations that fail to integrate AI effectively are at significant risk of falling behind competitors already leveraging AI to enhance productivity, drive innovation, and deliver superior market experiences. AI should be seen not just as a tool, but as a strategic asset that drives new value propositions and market differentiation.”

Despite prioritising training, findings from the BearingPoint study indicate that only 38% of organisations in Ireland and the UK have a strategy for adopting Al and managing the changes it brings.

Four pillars for transitioning to an augmented organisation

The study serves as a comprehensive guide for C-suite executives, detailing how to strategically organise and equip their organisations to harness the full potential of emerging technologies. It underscores the importance of acquiring new skills and implementing innovative processes to adopt AI at a competitive market pace. Four key pillars are central to transitioning to an augmented organisation.

1. Establishing effective AI governance:

For C-suite executives, establishing AI governance is vital for becoming an augmented organisation, and nearly half of the organisations surveyed are still thinking about the best approach to governance and decision-making for AI. According to the study, cross-functional governance framework is essential to align AI initiatives with business objectives and ensure ethical use. It involves setting up a dedicated AI oversight committee to monitor and guide AI deployments across various departments. It also includes establishing clear policies and protocols to manage data privacy, security, and compliance, ensuring that AI applications are not only effective but also responsible and transparent.

2. Optimising AI investments:

Strategically prioritising AI investments is crucial to achieving scalable impacts and the best return on investment. It means identifying high-impact areas where AI can drive significant improvements and allocating resources accordingly. According to the study, organisations should adopt a data-driven approach to measure the effectiveness of AI initiatives, continuously assessing and optimising their AI portfolio to maximise efficiency and innovation.

3. Empowering the workforce:

From the base to the C-suite, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation is vital to embrace AI-driven change. It includes providing ongoing training and development programs to enhance AI literacy and skills across the organisation. Encouraging collaboration between employees and AI systems can lead to more innovative solutions and a more agile workforce that is better prepared for the future of work.

4. Building trust in AI:

Addressing technological, security, legal, and ethical challenges is essential to ensure AI integration and acceptance within the organisation. According to the survey, data and people are the central issues and priorities for C-suite executives in establishing trust in AI. Building trust in AI requires transparent communication about how AI systems make decisions and how they impact employees and customers. Establishing robust cybersecurity measures, adhering to legal standards, and fostering an ethical AI culture can mitigate risks and enhance the credibility and reliability of AI solutions.

AI is both a shield, to protect and optimise current operations, and a sword, to drive innovation and competitive advantage. “It’s time for businesses to stop waiting and start acting. Embrace AI, become an augmented organisation, and secure your place in the future of business,” said Redmond.

See more stories here.