Liam McCarton (TU Dublin) and Mary Moloney (MTU Cork) outlined how EWB is integrated into the Curriculum in TU Dublin and MTU Cork with the “Where there is no engineer design challenge” which has been embedded into a first-year university module. We had some inspirational presentations from the 2024 winning students who discussed how to get involved along with their personal perspective on the “Where there is No Engineer" project which gave them the opportunity to design creative solutions to real-life development challenges focusing on areas like water, health, and food security to foster innovation and community-centered design in developing communities. The program is jointly funded by Irish Aid and Engineers Ireland.
Dr Rajat Nag (UCD) explored Risk Assessment in a four-tier approach that included hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard characterisation and risk characterisation. He discussed the fundamentals of risk assessment using qualitative, semi-quantitative and full quantitative models, touching on the probabilistic elements of risk assessment models giving real-life examples.
Dr Shane Loughlin and Dr Andrew Daly (ESE Academy) explored how engineers, researchers and industry partners are working together to build AI-Ready Biolabs that go beyond hype and deliver real-time, production-ready performance. Building on discussions from BINI 2025 and the Engineers Ireland Biomedical Engineering division, they discussed how we move from I3.0 Digital Control Systems and I4.0 Digital Business Models to I5.0 Hybrid Intelligence Solutions. They considered the key barriers in the innovation chain, examining the importance of embedding intelligence across the full technology stack, and highlight how Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) and CPD pathways can accelerate economic and clinical impact.
Eoin Ó Catháin, Thomas Leonard and Colm Gogan (Roughan O'Donovan) discussed the design challenges posed by the Clontarf to City Centre Project and how they were overcome. As well as being the largest urban roadworks project ongoing in the country, the Clontarf to City Centre Project is the largest watermains rehabilitation project in Ireland, the pilot project for BusConnects, and the most ambitious roadworks Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) project in Dublin to date. Now near completion, the team from Roughan & O’Donovan (ROD), shared project, its design challenges, and the planning and detailing required to ensure the scheme’s realisation.
Joe Keane (O’Callaghan Properties), Dr Colin Rynne (UCC Archaeology), Karl O'Kelly (O’Kelly Demolition) and Martin Murphy (MMOS Consulting Engineers) outlined the demolition and sustainable strategies employed during the demolition of the R&H Hall silos in Cork. This project was carried out from early 2024 to early 2025 and was the first of its kind in terms of its industrial archaeological significance, adherence to legislative enactments and reclassification of material in a sustainable way. It provides a benchmark for the reduction of embodied carbon and circular economy practices. The presentation included an in-depth overview of the project, outlining some of the processes and challenges involved in the careful dismantling and demolition of these iconic structures in accordance with Article 28 regulations for later reuse in the Midleton to Carrigtwohill railway upgrade project.
Dr John Walsh (ESB Emerging Technology) and Des Lalor (R&D Group) discussed the annual ‘Emerging Technology Insights’ report. This report examines a wide range of emerging energy technologies, with a focus on how they may assist ESB’s Net Zero strategy. ESB’s strategy ‘Driven to Make a Difference: Net Zero by 2040’ commits ESB to Net Zero by 2040. Topics explored included Energy Generation technologies, including floating wind and ocean energy; Energy storage technologies, including Sodium Ion batteries, flow batteries, and iron-air batteries; Customer facing technologies, such Vehicle to Grid (V2G) charging and district heating; Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), including direct air capture and nature-based solutions and Grid Technologies, including HVDC transmission and superconducting cables.
Michael Svoboda and Rían Gill (DCU Solar Racing) introduced the largest student engineering project in Ireland. The team are building a solar-powered race car to be the first Irish entry in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, driving 3,000 km across the Australian outback in a design competition against top university teams from all over the world. In the presentation they gave a brief team history and discussed the design challenges of sustainable power racing giving examples of solutions evolved to make the top-performing cars so efficient.
Dr David Igoe (TCD) discussed advances in the design of offshore piles under monotonic and cyclic loading, describing some of the recent advances that aim to improve the reliability of pile capacity predictions. Ongoing research in this area includes time related effects, the effects of cyclic loading on pile capacity and the use of axial capacity methods for pile driveability predictions. Prof Barry Lehane (University of Western Australia) discussed Geotechnical engineering as both an art and a science combines as it does the application of scientific principles with engineering judgement required because of incomplete and uncertain information. Experience is greatly enhanced by the lessons learnt from past mistakes yet, all too often, engineering mistakes are not commonly advertised because of reputational damage to the companies involved or to ‘deals’ emerging from litigation. Barry addressed this deficiency citing examples of ‘geotechnical failures’ that he has had direct experience of during his 40-year career as a Geotechnical Engineer (Particulars related to companies and projects were not included as the primary aim was to highlight examples that can help to avoid a repeat of previous failures. Given the broad nature of geotechnical design and construction, focus was placed on onshore building projects where Barry was involved as a post-incident reviewer or expert witness. The lessons learnt are equally applicable to large scale civil projects and offshore engineering.
Fergus Clifford (Vortech Water Solutions) gave an introduction to the fundamental principles of vortex flows, outlining how vortex flows can be leveraged in the fields of hydraulic structures and wastewater treatment. He presented case studies detailing real-word applications of the deployment of vortex-flow based infrastructure and technology to solve complex engineering challenges on infrastructure projects globally. He shared insights on how computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be utilised at the design stage of hydraulic infrastructure projects (such as gravity conveyance systems, pumped mains, pumping stations, wastewater treatment infrastructure and water treatment infrastructure) to provide valuable design insights and identify key risks prior to construction.
Stephen Smyth, Gerard O'Dea and Ray McGowan (TII) gave an in depth overview of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and their asset management programmes which they deliver in the Network Management directorate. They gave a brief overview of TII’s purpose, function and strategy and then delved deeper into asset management on road pavements and greenway/active travel infrastructure. They outlined how infrastructure asset management is strongly dependent on the quality and availability of good asset data and information, including good inventory and condition information, and the costs associated with replacing or renewing national road infrastructure.
Paul O'Rourke (Sligo County Council) gave an overview of Active Travel, outlining policy context, government legislation and plans. Paul took the audience through schemes currently in planning and construction in County Sligo including lessons learned and key messages. With the release of the Climate Action Plan, a bigger focus on Active Travel is being rolled out by the National Transport Authority (NTA). Active Travel involves travelling with a purpose, using your own energy via sustainable means. It includes walking, wheeling, and cycling or the use of self-powered, non-motorised scooters as part of a purposeful journey. For example, walking to school and cycling to work are both considered forms of Active Travel.
Dr Deasún Ó Conchúir (Scatterwork) discussed risk identification, strategic planning, team coordination and continuous improvement - key factors in driving cybersecurity project success in this presentation aimed at project managers, cybersecurity leads and team members responsible for delivering cybersecurity initiatives. He highlighted how to apply PM principles to cybersecurity programmes, ensuring successful implementation within scope, budget and timelines.
Brendan Meagher (Cork County Council) and Tony O'Donoghue (Jacobs) both worked on site as part of the Employers’ Representative team for the project and in this webinar they discussed the progression of the project and how the risks and constraints were managed during construction. The Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme in Cork involved the adjustment of an existing signal controlled roundabout into a mainly free flow interchange accommodating four heavily trafficked national primary roads and a number of local accesses. The project was completed on time and to budget and with excellent safety and sustainability records despite a number of significant constraints and risks including dealing with up to 100,000 vehicle movements per day, extremely poor ground conditions, major service diversions, adjusting the structure of the Jack Lynch Tunnel and working in close proximity to the Cork-Midleton railway and a number of sensitive industrial facilities.
Declan O'Driscoll, Barry Lowe, David Purcell and Dermot Spellacy (Lufthansa Technik Turbo Shannon) presented this innovative virtual site visit to LTTS. LTTS is one of the first companies to open their doors and pilot the concept of doing virtual site visits. The company is licensed by General Electric and CFMI, Original Equipment Manufacturers of aircraft engines, to carry out repairs in accordance with their technical manuals, making LTTS unique as one of a small number of companies outside of the engine manufacturers who are licensed to carry out repairs. This event provided a great opportunity for members to visit LTTS from the comfort of their own desk. Lufthansa's expertise and focus is on the repair of high pressure turbine shrouds, high and low pressure turbine Nozzle Guide Vanes from the CFM56 series, CF6-80C2 and CF34 engines. Attendees were given an overview of the repair of aircraft engine parts from engine disassembly in Lufthansa's Mobile Engine Service (MES) facility in Kildare to the engine components repair in Shannon. The webinar focused on the engineering processes that are integral to component repair including Chemical Cleaning, Dynamic Flouride Ion Cleaning (DFIC), Vacuum Brazing, Machining, Aluminide Coating and Inspection.
Jennifer Ninete (Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure) and Justin Waples (Central San) introduced the Envision sustainability rating system – a comprehensive framework developed by academia and professional industry associations in North America to evaluate the sustainability and resiliency of civil infrastructure projects. They outlined what it is, how it was developed, the benefits of using the framework, who is using it, and how it is applied to infrastructure projects around the world to improve and validate sustainability, resiliency, and equity of civil infrastructure projects.
Mags Dalton (PM Group) shared insights from PM Group’s Women’s Network who rolled out a Mentoring Circle initiative in 2023 focusing on the topics of Negotiation Skills and Assertiveness. Mags was a Mentor on this programme and used her experience over her career and personal life to guide the discussions. Over her work life, Mags has worked in roles where she has managed individuals more experienced and unused to being managed, travelled for work with young children at home, run a programme of projects with over 200 designers for a challenging client. She has pushed to be given more responsibility where females have not been recognised and finds in meetings and teams she is in the minority in relation to gender. All of these and more have led Mags to focus on how to assert herself and negotiate more effectively.