(L-R) Adam Goodall, Investment Project Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council; Amy Dickson, Events Coordinator at Aisling Events; Councillor Liam Blaney, Mayor of Donegal County Council and Micheál Ó Dubhir, Development Officer at Udaras na Gaeltachta.
A world-leading technology conference that showcases Europe’s brightest young tech stars will be hosted in Donegal next month.
On May 11-12, MIT’s Innovators Under 35 will bring Europe’s most aspiring young innovators to Gaoth Dobhair, on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way to showcase their work and demonstrate how they are already helping to make the world a better place through pioneering advances in technology.
The MIT Innovators Under 35 has been celebrating young changemakers for more than 20 years and will also feature some of the world’s leading technologists, with biomolecular physicist Georgios Nounesis, Director of the Greek National Centre for Scientific Research, ‘Demokratis’, delivering a keynote to the final list of Young Innovators.
Georgios and the young innovators will also be joined by distinguished leaders in innovation and tech from Italy, Andorra, the USA, Sweden and Holland including Vanesa Aroyo, Head of the Innovation Agency in Andorra and author Nicklas Bergman who sits on the Investment Committee of the European Innovation Council Fund.
Notable alumni of MIT’s Innovators Under 35 include Google Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, CRISPR Technology Pioneer Feng Zhang and Tesla Motors Co-Founder JB Straubel.
The festival is sponsored by Údarás na Gaeltachta, the North West City Region Councils of Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council, NUI Galway, Catalyst, Randox, Optum, Ulster University, Unosquare and Atlantic Technological University.
The focus of this year’s festival will look at how technology can make society a better place and help generate economic growth in areas including biotechnology and medicine, computer and electronics, hardware, software, Internet, artificial intelligence, robotics, telecommunications, nanotechnology and materials, energy and transportation.
The festival will also showcase the wildness and beauty of Gaoth Dobhair and the surrounding Gaeltacht area that is playing host to this year’s visitors. The 175 attendees will see how truly remote the Gaeltacht area is, but how the modern advances in technology mean that a place as remote as Gaoth Dobhair can also be as connected as any major world city.
Connla McCann, Director of Aisling Events which is hosting the festival said:
“Gaoth Dobhair is an area of rich heritage and culture right at the heart of the largest Gaeltacht in Ireland. Despite being located on the Atlantic’s Edge the area can now also boast some of the strongest broadband connectivity on the island of Ireland and a range of European-class companies at its business park. It’s digital Gteic hub provides accommodation for tech workers and entrepreneurs who can deliver services for global companies while still living under the shadow of the Errigal. It’s a treat to be bringing the most brilliant young innovators across Europe to a region which is demonstrating that innovation can happen on the road less-travelled.”