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Established in 2012 in Dundalk, Creative Spark has been a beacon for creative practitioners, SME’s, startups, and entrepreneurs. By providing essential resources such as workspace, skills, technology, and a supportive network of peers and experts, Creative Spark has nurtured their growth and development.

As a not-for-profit social enterprise and led by a voluntary board of directors and a team of experienced professionals, Creative Spark has played a crucial role in advancing education and enriching the community of Co Louth and beyond.

Operations manager Oscar Diaz.

Creative Spark exemplifies the principle of best practice, illustrating how clustering creative and innovative businesses within a central multi-tenant enterprise hub can serve as a dynamic strategy for stimulating business growth.

This approach fosters wealth creation, job opportunities, and knowledge advancement within the area. Creative Spark accommodates a total of 63 SMEs across two locations, spanning various fields such as architecture, web design, and radio skills training.

Range of facilities and programmes

Creative Spark offers a range of facilities and programmes to support new and established innovative and creative enterprises in Louth and the wider north-east region.

Enterprise FabLab: A digital fabrication laboratory complete with workspace, design area and training;
Print Studio: Printmaking workshop and visual artists' resource organisation. Committed to nurturing both emerging and established visual artists;
Artist-in-Residence Programme: Supporting artists with workspace and resources for their projects;
Own-door Studio Units and Co-working Spaces: Providing a collaborative environment for entrepreneurs and small businesses;
Meeting and Training Rooms: Spaces designed for workshops, seminars, and networking events;
Creative Spark Downtown Hub: A dedicated remote working facility in Dundalk's town centre, supporting occupants in the greater north-east region;
Mobile FabLab: A prototyping and training space that ventures off site to visit business hubs, industrial parks, schools, and community spaces.

In 2023, Creative Spark unveiled the Enterprise FabLab, a cutting-edge Digital Fabrication Laboratory, reaffirming its dedication to advancing education, fostering entrepreneurship, and enriching the local community.

Technical manager Carl McAteer.

Boasting state-of-the-art technology such as laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC routers, electronic workbenches, vinyl cutters, and power tools, the FabLab equips members with an extensive array of resources to bring their ideas to life all under one roof. With a warm invitation to new members, the FabLab offers tailored membership options designed to cater to a diverse range of business needs.

The FabLab at Creative Spark provides expert guidance, training and upskilling for professional teams and individuals through education and operations manager Oscar Diaz and technical manager Carl McAteer. Their wealth of experience and knowledge ensures that members receive personalised assistance and mentorship to navigate digital fabrication with confidence.

Joining a FabLab means becoming part of a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers, makers, and innovators – a vast knowledge-sharing network spanning 100 countries and 24 time zones.

Ryan Reilly, a local creative from Dundalk with a background in graphic design, media, arts, and technologies, has been awarded a scholarship for the Fab Academy to study 3D Print & Technical Design for six months at the Creative Spark Enterprise FabLab.

As the first official node for the Fab Academy in Ireland, Creative Spark is proud to support Ryan as he embarks on this transformative journey. The Fab Academy curriculum, conceived by the Centre for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at MIT and spearheaded by Professor Neil Gershenfeld, explores the principles and applications of digital fabrication, and is hosted online by MIT.

"Our mission at Creative Spark is to cultivate a collaborative environment where ideas flourish and innovation thrives," said Sarah Daly, executive director of Creative Spark. "The Enterprise FabLab epitomises this ethos, offering entrepreneurs, innovators, and community groups the opportunity to unleash their creativity and drive positive change.

"Ryan Reilly's selection as the first student for the Fab Academy Diploma at Creative Spark is a testament to his talent and dedication. We are excited to see him thrive in the Fab Academy, and we are confident that his experience will inspire others to pursue their creative passions."

Creative Spark's impact on the local economy and community is profound, with 212 jobs created, 6,808 individuals engaged in training, and an annual local economic contribution of €3.88m.

Not-for-profit social enterprise Creative Spark eyes new members to join its recently opened Enterprise FabLab

The 11 startups selected to participate in University College Dublin’s (UCD) new AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme have been announced. The focus of this new accelerator programme is to support entrepreneurs who are developing disruptive AI (artificial intelligence) solutions for a global market.

The participating startups are; ALPACA, Customs Window, Durotimi AI, Frontier AI, GoMappED, KnowCarbon, La Casa Care, SonnyLabs.ai, Tashka Technology Solutions, VoxMed.AI and wrksense. (See profiles below).

The six-month AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme will be delivered by NovaUCD, the hub of innovation and startup activities at UCD, in partnership with CeADAR, Ireland’s National Centre for Applied AI.

L-R: Liana-Anca Tomescu, SonnyLabs.ai; Dara Calleary TD, trade minister; Doyin Bademosi, Durotimi AI and Joe Fernandez, ALPACA.

The programme is funded through the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) framework, a Europe-wide initiative with funding of €700m from both the European Commission and the governments of member states.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, through Enterprise Ireland, is leading on the EDIH programme for Ireland and CeADAR has been designated as the European Digital Innovation Hub for AI in Ireland.

'AI-Here For Good’

Dara Calleary TD, trade minister, said: “Meeting with the entrepreneurs taking part in this exciting programme I am pleased to see that in keeping with ‘AI- Here For Good’, the government’s national AI strategy, the participating startups are focused on using AI to benefit citizens and the way we live and work.”

Targeted supports for the 11 participating startups over the next six months include a dedicated commercial mentor and workshops on value proposition, route to market, sales strategies, and securing investment.

Participants will have access to co-working space at NovaUCD and access to the NovaUCD community of founders, investors, business partners and student interns. They will also have access to CeADAR’s EDIH for AI services which include AI technologies, and research expertise with technical mentorship.

L-R: Tom Flanagan, UCD director of enterprise and commercialisation; Dara Calleary TD, trade minister; Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact; and Dr Ricardo Simon Carbajo, director of innovation and development, CeADAR.

Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact said: “The government’s ambition is that Ireland becomes a leading country in using AI for the benefit of people. Through this new AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme starting today UCD is supporting a dynamic cohort of Irish startups and entrepreneurs who are focused on using AI technologies to deliver a range of disruptive products and services, for the benefit of society, not only here in Ireland, but on a global stage.

Global ambitions

“There was a great demand from startups across Ireland to take part in the programme which will be delivered by NovaUCD and CeADAR, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 11 selected startups. I am looking forward to attending the showcase event at the end of the programme to learn more about how the participants have accelerated their startups to the next level and to find out more about their global ambitions.”

Emma Callinan, director of commercialisation, Enterprise Ireland, said: “The AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme will provide entrepreneurs across sectors including Healthcare, Cybersecurity, Education, and Sustainability with the opportunity to advance their AI startups through a range of targeted technical and commercial supports.

"Enterprise Ireland is delighted to welcome the 11 start-ups into the ecosystem of successful AI entrepreneurs, and we look forward to supporting them on their transformative journeys as they develop disruptive AI solutions with a global impact.”

Since opening in 2003 NovaUCD has developed a strong track record and has supported 550+ startups and early-stage ventures through the services it provides, and through business support programmes run and managed by NovaUCD. In addition, the NovaUCD entrepreneurial community has now raised €1.3+ bn in equity funding.

CeADAR’s mission is to help industry in Ireland adopt AI as the National Centre and the European Digital Innovation Hub in AI for Ireland. The centre has been awarded a multi-million-euro project as part of the EDIH programme to support start-ups, enterprises (with less than 3,000 employees) and public sector organisation from all over Ireland who are at the early stage of their AI journey or just curious to find out how using data can benefit their business.

Among the mentors who will be working with participants during the programme are; serial entrepreneur, Niamh Sterling; Aidan Finn, Binarii Labs; Mitchell O’Gorman, xWave Technologies; Lucinda Kelly; Tara Looney, both start-up advisors; and Ronan Murphy, Smarttech247 and GetVisibility.

The six-month AI Ecosystem Accelerator programme will end with a showcase event to be held in October.

11 startups chosen for UCD’s AI Accelerator Programme

Expleo, the global engineering, technology, and consulting service provider, has announced the launch of its global AI Centre of Excellence (CoE), including a €1m investment from its Irish business.

The hub will draw on Expleo’s local market knowledge and global expertise to accelerate innovation and drive business value by helping enterprises adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. The Centre’s launch coincides with Expleo’s first AI & Hyperautomation Summit, in association with Microsoft.

Central hubs

As AI becomes more accessible and more widespread, the Centre of Excellence – which will have its central hubs in Expleo’s Dublin and Belfast HQs – will serve businesses worldwide, helping them to adopt, and benefit from, solutions that will be of significant competitive advantage. These will include generative AI, fraud detection, predictive analytics and quality assurance, as well as promoting ethical AI practices both internally and externally.

The centre will focus on developing and deploying AI solutions that deliver concrete business value, while also empowering people within organisations to leverage the technology themselves. It will see more than 380 experts with wide-ranging capabilities collaborating, with their collective efforts ensuring that the business’s AI solutions meet the multifaceted needs of modern enterprises.

L-R: Rebecca Keenan, global head of intelligent automation, Expleo; Rob McConnell, board member and director of solutions, Expleo Ireland; and Clara Talbot, marketing manager, Expleo Ireland.

Led by Rebecca Keenan, Expleo’s global head of intelligent automation; and Rob McConnell, Board Member and Director of Solutions, Expleo Ireland; the Centre of Excellence will also serve as a knowledge-sharing hub. Leveraging strategic partnerships and collaborations with academia, industry partners, and members of the business community, it will facilitate awareness, innovation, and the advancement of AI technologies both in Ireland and globally.

As part of this, the hub will incorporate a talent incubator for nurturing AI knowledge and skills within Expleo. It will offer comprehensive training programmes, mentorship opportunities and initiatives aimed at developing the next generation of AI leaders.

Rebecca Keenan, global head of intelligent automation, Expleo, said: “The time to embrace AI is here, but there is currently a blank space in the AI landscape because businesses simply don’t know where to start. The launch of our AI Centre of Excellence hopes to fill in this gap and give organisations a jumping-off point for their AI journeys.

'Revolutionise how we conduct business'

“At Expleo, we recognise that artificial intelligence is a force that will revolutionise how we conduct business. We are harnessing the power of AI to drive innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and ultimately deliver greater value to businesses.”

Rob McConnell, board member and director of solutions, Expleo Ireland, said: “This represents a commitment from our global team to innovation, collaboration, and value creation. We want to demystify AI and help businesses around the globe make the most of this technology. By channelling the power of artificial intelligence, we are empowering businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape and changing their perception of what is possible.”

The announcement comes on the same day of Expleo’s first AI & Hyperautomation Summit with Microsoft, From Hype to Reality: Navigating the AI & Hyperautomation Era. The event, which is free to join online, will focus on AI, Hyperautomation, and Data, providing insights on how to build a strategy around disruptive technology to elevate business performance.

Expleo unveils global AI Centre of Excellence in Ireland as it invests €1m

Silicate, a terrestrial enhanced weathering company headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin, today announced that it has been named as one of 20 finalists in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. Silicate is the only company from Ireland among the 20 finalists.

The competition, which is funded by the Musk Foundation, helped catalyse the growth of an entire new industry, galvanising more than 1,300 teams to develop new ideas for carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

The 20 finalists, who are now competing for a $50m grand prize, represent leading CDR solutions with the potential to make meaningful contributions to a diverse, global, sustainable, gigatonne-scale CDR effort.

Durably sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide as dissolved bicarbonate

Silicate’s carbon dioxide removal approach leverages existing agricultural value chains to durably sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide as dissolved bicarbonate by enhancing a natural and permanent carbon removal pathway, weathering. Silicate is the first terrestrial enhanced weathering company globally to focus on carbonate-bearing materials, such as returned concrete and limestone.

Maurice Bryson, founder, Silicate. Photo: Declan Colfer Photography.

Research by the company in Ireland and the US Midwest in collaboration with academics from University College Dublin and Northwestern University, with the support of Breakthrough Energy Fellows, has helped the company to progress on milestones critical to enabling enhanced weathering to become a carbon removal pathway with climate-relevant potential.

“Being selected as a finalist in this prestigious competition is an exciting opportunity for our team to demonstrate the potential of terrestrial enhanced weathering with carbonate-bearing materials to durably sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide,” said Silicate founder and director, Maurice Bryson.

“XPRIZE’s recognition and support of our work is a boon to our mission to leverage agricultural value chains to durably remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while increasing soil productivity through pH amendment.”

The finalists were selected based upon their performance in three key areas: operations, sustainability, and cost. The finalists demonstrated their ability to execute a substantial demonstration that approaches the competition's goal of removing 1,000 net tonnes of CO₂ in the final year of the competition, and a viable pathway to reaching megatonne scale in the coming years and eventually gigatonne scale with an understanding of their environmental and social impacts.

"For the world to effectively address greenhouse gas emissions, carbon removal is an essential element of the path to net zero. There's no way to reverse humanity's impact on the climate without extracting carbon from our atmosphere and oceans," said Anousheh Ansari, chief executive officer, XPRIZE.

Building a set of robust and effective solutions

"We need a range of bold, innovative CDR solutions to manage the vast quantities of CO₂ released into our environment and impacting our planet. The teams that have been competing for this prize are all part of building a set of robust and effective solutions and our 20 teams advancing to the final stage of XPRIZE Carbon Removal will have an opportunity to demonstrate their potential to have a significant impact on the climate."

Last year, humans emitted a record 35.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere(Liu et al., 2024). Limiting global warming to 1.5°C – we are currently at ~1.1°C (Lee and Romero, 2023) – will require not just urgent decarbonisation of the global economy, but also permanent removal of 20-660 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2100(Shukla et al., 2022).

The 20 finalist teams are in four removal pathway tracks, Air, Rocks, Oceans, Land, Oceans.

Further information on the other finalists visit: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/20-finalists-announced-in-xprize-carbon-removal-racing-to-reverse-climate-change-302138956.html

The final stage of the competition will take place over the next year, wherein finalist teams are challenged to demonstrate 1,000 net tonnes of CO₂removal and will be judged based on their fully considered cost, operational performance, and against sustainable scalability requirements.

NovaUCD startup Silicate unveiled as finalist in XPRIZE Carbon Removal Competition

Industry and academia are to come together to explore tech issues around cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing and empowering communities as part of this year’s AtlanTec Festival.

University of Galway and non-profit enterprise association itag – Innovation Technology AtlanTec Gateway – will mark 10 years of collaboration and innovation at a one-day event with informative, practical and engaging displays of the latest technology developments that impact both society and the workplace.

Taking place on Thursday, May 16, the annual AtlanTec Festival Conference is one of the highlights of the 10th annual AtlanTec Festival, which kicks off in Galway today.

The event - Connecting Communities through Technology Innovation – is expected to attract more than 300 delegates and includes international speakers and the region’s tech companies.

Catalytic force

Canada-based author and futurist Peter Scott, who hosts the weekly podcast 'AI and You', will deliver a keynote address, dissecting the role technology plays in modern day life.

Querying whether technology is serving us or whether we serve technology, his talk will challenge attendees to view AI not merely as a tool, but as a catalytic force capable of shaping not only a productive but meaningful future of work.

Other speakers will include Dr Mamoona Asghar from University of Galway’s School of Computer Science who will discuss cyber security and modern social engineering attacks and Laura Brodahl, senior associate at Wilson Sonsini, who will discuss the future impact on business of Europe’s new AI Act which will regulate aspects of this evolving technology.

Andrew Ayres, master strategist for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, will provide insights into the methodologies behind AI-driven analytics and the pivotal role they play in informing strategic business initiatives.

The conference is backed by University of Galway’s Innovation Office, which supports industry academic collaborations and startups.

Professor Jim Livesey, vice-president research and innovation at University of Galway, said: "We are thrilled to host itag’s AtlanTec Conference Connecting Communities through Technology Innovation. This conference serves as a platform for academia and industry to draw inspiration from each other and collaborate to capitalise on the transformative potential of technology – resulting in building stronger, more interconnected communities.”

itag Board chair and senior vice president, Fidelity Investments, Sharon Walsh, said: “The AtlanTec festival has been pivotal in the advancement of the technology community here in the west of Ireland for the past 10 years.

"Through the ongoing support of our members and University of Galway, the annual conference brings together people and companies redefining the global tech industry. We connect through discussion, active listening and ideation on the most relevant tech industry developments that will shape our future work.”

Industry and academia explore AI, cyber security and cloud computing in University of Galway event

Andrea Stephany Diaz gushes with enthusiasm when talking about how she created her own biotechnology company two years ago at the age of 24 in a bid to revolutionise the detection of lung cancer.

"I’ve always had a passion for science and human health," says Diaz, who was born in Venezuela and has lived in Europe for the past 13 years. "Even in high school, I was dreaming about being an entrepreneur and setting up my own company one day."

EU inspiration

The idea for her biotech startup, called OncoSwab, was born in September 2022 at an EU event for talented young researchers. Aptly named EU TalentOn, it was held in the Dutch city of Leiden over five days.

The event placed 104 participants from around Europe into teams and challenged them to come up with the best scientific answers to pressing societal challenges including soil pollution, climate change and cancer.

In short, EU TalentOn sought young people who wanted to change the world. Diaz applied and won an invitation, attending through the final two days on the weekend of September 17-18.

"I had this huge desire to impact patients’ lives," she says. "My life changed after that weekend. My life is before EU TalentOn and after EU TalentOn."

Road to success

Lung cancer is often diagnosed late, helping make it the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Smoking is the main cause.

'I had this huge desire to impact patients’ lives.' Andrea Stephany Diaz, OncoSwab

Diaz’s professional path to fighting cancer is far from direct.

She moved from Venezuela to Madrid at the age of 12. Following a degree in biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, she began a master’s in molecular biotechnology in the city and worked as a research assistant focusing in part on regenerating blood vessels after stroke.

After joining a German biotech company in Hamburg that developed stem cells for medical research, Diaz began working for herself on science-communication projects.

At the same time, she regularly jotted down notes on her phone about business ideas and opportunities that caught her attention in daily life.

Talent time

Then came EU TalentOn.

With a vivacious personality and love of talking, Diaz was chosen at the event to present her team’s idea in the beating-cancer category: what if a Covid-like test for lung cancer could be created? The team won the award for best pitch.

But something else happened: Diaz met like-minded people and – most significantly – Dr Pablo Lara, a cancer scientist from Leiden University.

She also encountered others who mentored her.

"I was hungry to create something innovative and, after the TalentOn, I literally couldn’t sleep thinking about the problem of lung-cancer diagnosis," says Diaz. "Pablo had the same feeling and we immediately started talking almost every day."

She describes Lara as a typical genius scientist who comes up with ideas and experiments.

Partnership drive

The partnership proved invaluable to bring her dream of starting a company closer to reality. Still, getting the business off the ground was a tough effort well into 2023.

"It was just me and Pablo," says Diaz. "Those first months were absolutely the worst. We were called crazy. For six to eight months, we kept getting rejected from everywhere."

They stuck with it and eventually founded OncoSwab, received funding and began moving their lung-cancer screening idea forward.

Now, they’re working with lung doctors in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the US to detect lung cancer from nasal swabs. This may determine whether a patient requires a more complex computed tomography, or CT, scan.

"Our goal is to really make lung-cancer detection as widespread as breast-cancer screening," says Diaz.

She declined to comment on the company’s technique because it is at the pre-commercial stage.

Now a Spanish citizen, Stephany Diaz feels a sense of both urgency and fulfilment in her current work.

"I literally feel like I use every corner of my brain in my company and every skillset that I have," she says. "I get to be creative if a problem comes up and brainstorm with my team."

Stephany Diaz spoke at the European Research and Innovation – R&I – Days in Brussels recently and said she’s drawn to such occasions.

"I love to talk to others, I love to network, I love to meet people and I love to listen to other people’s stories," she says. "And it turns out that’s somehow part of my job now."