Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has received a Laureate Award at the Great Place to Work Ireland Awards 2026. The company was recognised for achieving Best Workplace status for 10 consecutive years.

In addition, Esri Ireland ranked in 4th place on the Best Mid-Sized Workplaces in Ireland list for 2026. The company received the accolade at the 24th annual Great Place to Work Ireland Awards, which took place during a gala ceremony at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road in Dublin.

The awards programme is based on direct feedback from employees about the workplace experience. Esri Ireland is committed to making the company a great place to work and prioritises enhanced employee opportunities, support, and a sense of belonging that keep its people engaged and connected.

Joanne McLaughlin, Head of Marketing, Esri Ireland, said: "10 years ago, we believed Esri Ireland was already a great place to work, and our annual Trust Surveys have confirmed it. Since joining the Great Place to Work programme, we have more than doubled our employees and our company growth. For us, our Best Workplace culture and our organisational success go hand in hand. Over the last decade, we have endeavoured to deliver an exceptional workplace experience for our people, while championing employee voices within the company. This milestone is a proud moment for our employees, past and present, and one we're thrilled to celebrate together.

"It is also an honour to be ranked in the top five among Ireland's best mid-sized organisations. At Esri Ireland, retention is not accidental; it's intentional. By combining authentic storytelling, recognition, and continuous improvement, we've built a workplace where people want to stay and succeed."

See more stories here.

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The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) yesterday hosted an AV Room briefing for Members of the Oireachtas focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence in the music sector. The presentation highlighted the importance of the music industry to the Irish economy and the potential for AI to be a powerful and transformative tool for creativity and growth, while warning that without safeguards and enforcement of laws governing its usage, its misuse poses serious risks to artists, consumers and the wider economy.

The average adult in Ireland spends close to €800 per year on music across streaming, physical formats, merchandise and live events. This economic activity sustains thousands of jobs across live performance, production, hospitality and the wider night-time sector and provides €1 billion to the Irish economy.

IRMA emphasised that AI is a permanent feature of the technological landscape and that the industry is keen to approach AI in a constructive manner. However, where copyrighted works are used without consent or compensation, the consequences for artists and the wider economy are serious.

To demonstrate the sophistication and accessibility of current tools, with the panel shared a live deepfake example: a digitally generated version of Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne (made with his prior consent). The demonstration highlighted the potential misuse of such technology in both the music industry and political life, and the possibilities of its ethical and lawful use.

IRMA called on legislators to ensure:

Full and robust enforcement of copyright and intellectual property law

Clear rules governing the lawful use of copyrighted works in AI training

Transparency and accountability from AI developers

A commercial licensing market that guarantees fair remuneration for creators.

IRMA head of Public Affairs and Communications, David Kitching, said:

"Irish music is a global success story, with real social, cultural and economic value.. AI has the potential to create new opportunities, but it must operate within a framework that respects the law and values human creativity."

He added:

"If we fail to enforce copyright protections in the AI era, we risk undermining a sector worth €1 billion annually and the thousands of livelihoods it supports. Legislators have a critical role in ensuring innovation and creativity can thrive side by side."

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With the pace of change in the technology sector, women must push for ongoing learning and development opportunities, urges tech leader Gillian Whelan, who believes women can sometimes be less vocal when asking for support that goes beyond the day-to-day or expecting investment in themselves as employees.

Whelan, who is Managing Director and Country Manager at international IT and business consultancy emagine's operation in Ireland, says ongoing learning and personal development are essential to progress in the tech sector and that women need to push out of their comfort zones to move up the career ladder.

Whelan says: "Every career benefits from structured development programmes, but not all employers offer this without pressure from their employees. The technology sector moves at a faster pace than many others, which means that keeping ahead is crucial for progression. In my experience, women can sometimes be less pushy when it comes to asking for this kind of support, but if we are to address the gender imbalance in this sector, then this needs to change.

"Tech is still largely dominated by men, but I have found this is not just because of biased recruitment practises, but often because there is a larger pool of male candidates for tech roles. So, there should be a real opportunity for women to stand out, and a CV full of seized development opportunities will certainly help.

"Development is important at all levels and particularly in the early career stages as professionals look to make their mark and find their niche. They're also likely to be up against a higher number of candidates when looking for new roles."

Whelan adds that with a looming tech skills gap, it is the young, early years professionals, both male and female, who are the future and should be getting the support they need to prepare themselves. With businesses vying for the limited tech skills available in Ireland, this is an opportunity for supportive employers.

Whelan, who was instrumental in developing the training programme at emagine before becoming MD, explains: "An employer who offers structured development plans with a series of micro-credentials and certifications will undoubtedly attract and retain the best employees because they will feel valued, driven and like they are constantly learning and so don't need to move on to find new work experiences.

"Women should be looking for this sort of offering from an employer, especially if they feel less confident fighting for investment in their skills. Nonetheless, women must keep constantly working on themselves, their skills, confidence and attitude to risk-taking."

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ServiceNow, the AI control tower for business reinvention, today launched Autonomous Workforce, AI specialists that can execute jobs with the scope, authority, and governance required for enterprise work – freeing people to focus on strategic problem solving and personalised service. Just two months after the Moveworks acquisition close, the company also introduced ServiceNow EmployeeWorks, which combines Moveworks' conversational AI and enterprise search with ServiceNow's unified portal and autonomous workflows to turn natural language requests into governed, end-to-end execution for nearly 200 million employees.

As enterprises evaluate AI platforms, two competing paradigms have emerged: feature-function AI bolted onto disconnected SaaS apps, and unified platforms that execute work through proven enterprise workflows with AI built in. The difference is fundamental: the feature approach requires enterprises to maintain, integrate, and manage the complexity themselves. ServiceNow eliminates the complexity by unifying conversational AI, workflows, enterprise data, security, and governance on a platform purpose-built for mission-critical operations.

"Businesses don't need more pilots or promises. They need AI that gets work done," said Amit Zavery, president, chief product officer, and chief operating officer, ServiceNow. "The leaders realising value from AI are investing in platforms where intelligence, execution, and trust work as one system. Our platform was purpose-built for this moment. Autonomous Workforce augments human teams with AI specialists that operate with the scope, authority, and governance enterprise work demands. This is a new era of productivity and ROI, at scale."

Autonomous Workforce: AI teammates execute jobs in partnership with people

ServiceNow's Autonomous Workforce deploys AI specialists with defined roles to augment teams.

Unlike AI agents that complete individual tasks, the ServiceNow Autonomous Workforce orchestrates teams of AI specialists with roles such as a Level 1 Service Desk AI Specialist, Employee Service Agent, or Security Operations Analyst to execute work from start to finish. They work alongside humans, follow established processes and policies set by the organisation, learn from outcomes and employee feedback, and importantly, improve over time.

Today, ServiceNow is introducing the first AI specialist available out-of-the-box for customers, a Level 1 Service Desk AI Specialist. This AI specialist autonomously diagnoses and resolves common IT support requests end-to-end — password resets, software access provisioning, network troubleshooting — using enterprise knowledge bases, historical incident data, and proactive remediation workflows. It is designed to operate 24/7 with assignments aligned to specific skillsets and deliverables and escalate issues when human intervention is needed.

ServiceNow's Autonomous Workforce is handling 90%+ of employee IT requests. Early results show our newest AI specialist, the L1 Service Desk AI Specialist, is already resolving assigned IT cases autonomously, and it's 99% faster than when these cases are handled by human agents.

AI models without workflows are probabilistic — they see patterns, form ideas, and give different answers for the same questions. The enterprise, however, needs deterministic outcomes — governance, security, auditability, and operations that don't hallucinate. Because ServiceNow combines probabilistic intelligence with deterministic workflow orchestration, AI specialists can interpret a request, decide the right action using business context, and execute autonomously across systems with governance built in through the ServiceNow AI Control Tower. Every action is traceable and governed by policies embedded in the workflow layer itself.

ServiceNow EmployeeWorks: Consumer AI experiences meet enterprise-grade execution

ServiceNow is bringing the power of Moveworks to the ServiceNow AI Platform and delivering immediate value to custome...

Ireland has the potential to be a major hub for global aquaculture innovation and scale-up, with 76 Irish companies now generating an estimated €165 million in value and supporting more than 900 full-time jobs, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland's Seafood Development Agency.

Announcing the opening of applications for the 2026 Aquatech Innovation Studio, AquaScale, which this year will focus on supporting established companies scale up, BIM's Aquatech Business Manager, Damien Toner, said it will build on the proven success of the BIM Aquatech Innovation Studio platform, which has supported 66 start-ups and helped raise over €28 million in investment since 2018.

The intensive three-day programme will take place in Galway from 26–28 May 2026, with applications closing on 31 March 2026.

According to Damien Toner, AquaScale represents a strategic evolution, designed specifically for companies already active in the market. The programme is targeting applications from Aquatech enterprises preparing for their next phase of commercial growth.

He said, "Ireland's Aquatech sector continues to demonstrate innovation and growing technical depth. With 76 companies now generating an estimated €165 million in value and supporting more than 900 full-time jobs, the sector is steadily strengthening its economic and scientific contribution both nationally and internationally.

"As global demand for sustainable aquaculture production accelerates – particularly in high-value sectors such as salmon and shrimp – Ireland is well positioned to supply advanced technologies and expertise to international markets. Through initiatives like AquaScale, BIM is focused on ensuring that ambitious Irish Aquatech companies have the strategic clarity and commercial capability required to compete and scale globally."

Unlike early-stage accelerators, AquaScale is not a pitch competition. Instead, it is a focused, market-driven intervention aimed at strengthening strategic clarity, commercial positioning, and execution readiness for expansion.

The 2026 programme will once again be delivered in partnership with leading global aquaculture accelerator Hatch Blue.

The BIM Aquatech Innovation Studio has laid a strong foundation for aquaculture innovation in Ireland. "AquaScale signals that we are ready for the next level," said Jessica Giannoumis, Hatch Blue's Aquatech Community Manager for Ireland. "Designed for commercially active companies preparing to expand, the programme strengthens strategic focus, commercial positioning, and execution readiness. AquaScale supports Ireland's most ambitious aquatech companies as they deepen market traction and scale more deliberately in international markets."

AquaScale forms part of BIM's Aquatech Development Programme and is supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (2021–2027).

Programme Objectives

AquaScale aims to:

— Position Ireland as a launchpad for globally competitive aquaculture scale-ups.

— Accelerate commercial traction and reduce risk for companies entering new markets.

— Strengthen go-to-market, competitive positioning, and expansion strategies.

What Makes AquaScale Different

— Market-first, not tech-first.

— Strategic clarity and execution support — not a pitch programme.

— Designed for companies already selling and preparing to scale.

— Equity-free, no participation fee, with a limited cohort of 8–10 companies.

Who Should Apply?

AquaScale is designed for companies that:

— Are already active in the market with customers, pilots, or revenue.

— Are preparing for expansion or market refocus (not first market entry).

— Need honest, peer-level strategic discussion and rigorous commercial pressure-testing.

By focusing on scale-stage challenges, AquaScale reflects BIM's commitment to strengthening Ireland's aquaculture innovation ecosystem — not only supporting new ventures, but ensuring high-potential companies are equipped to compete and grow internationally.

Applications are now op...

According to new Amárach research carried out on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment more than four in five businesses (85%) say sustainability is important to the day-to-day running of their business and have considered retrofitting . The findings of the second phase of SME Sustainability Research – Wave 2 were announced by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke T.D. and are in line with the previous year's findings.

The value of retrofitting

The survey of 344 SMEs shows that two in five had taken steps such as insulating their buildings or changing their windows in the past two years to improve their energy efficiency. Speaking at the launch, Minister Burke said by doing so these businesses would also be cutting their energy costs and would become more competitive:

"It's really encouraging to see businesses reducing their costs by tackling the energy usage in their buildings. There is however another sizeable cohort of businesses (44%) who cite upfront investment costs as a barrier to becoming more sustainable.

"That's why I'd ask SMEs to avail of the Local Enterprise Offices' Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG) and the SEAI's Building Energy Upgrade Scheme (BEUS) to buy energy efficient equipment and to retrofit their buildings. I changed the terms and conditions of the energy efficient grant last year so that a 75% grant is now available, up to a maximum of €10,000, which can make a huge difference to energy bills. In 2025, 681 small business were approved for the EEG at estimated value of €5.7 million, while 186 BEUS grants with an estimated value of €3.36 million were approved."

Minister Burke announced the research at Wholesome Kitchen, Dominick St, Mullingar which had recently used the Climate Toolkit 4 Business to understand their environmental impact. Businesses can now also use the Toolkit to measure their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Minister Burke said by estimating their environmental impact, SMEs can start to tackle it:

"Through this research we can see that businesses are also concerned that their staff may not implement sustainability measures. The Toolkit is free so anyone can use it to understand their business's carbon footprint, and it will provide information on where to access the Government's sustainability and energy supports."

This year's survey included questions on the potential of the circular economy to Irish businesses. Minister of State for Employment, Small Business & Retail and Circular Economy Alan Dillon T.D. said it's clear that businesses are seeing the enormous value of re-using, recycling and minimising waste:

"Not only did more than one in three (35%) respondents say that they already participate in the circular economy, of those that don't, a quarter are interested in doing so. By supporting businesses to reuse resources, reduce waste and keep materials in circulation for longer, they will not only become more sustainable they will cut costs and become more competitive."

Key Findings

85% of businesses say sustainability is important to their business on a day-to-day basis, maintaining the high levels recorded in the 2024 research.

Businesses said that making a positive difference (35%) and saving money (34%) were the top motivations in becoming sustainable.

Just over a quarter of business say that climate change is currently affecting their operations, rising significantly among larger firms and those operating for more than 20 years. Among affected businesses, adverse weather is now the dominant impact, reflecting the growing reality of extreme weather events.

Most sustainability action is concentrated in practical, cost-effective areas: waste reduction (49%), energy efficiency (44%), and renewable energy adoption (33%) remain the most common measures adopted by businesses.

The main barrier for organisations to act more sustainably remained upfront investment costs (22%), although at a lower rate compared to 2024.

This research was under...

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is warning consumers against the use of head straps in children's car seats.

The product safety warning comes after extensive online market surveillance by the CCPC. Through these searches, the CCPC conducted a sweep of 100 product listings and attempted to

obtain the required safety documentation for each product. All 100 listings

were removed as the safety of the products could not be demonstrated.

The products in question were being sold across five online marketplaces: Amazon, Cdiscount, Joom, Shein and Wish. They may be for sale on other platforms or websites.

The head restraint accessory, which is sometimes described as a car seat head strap, a neck protection belt, a head support hugger or a nap aid/sleep holder belt, claims to prevent a child's head from falling forward or sideways if they fall asleep.

However, an investigation by the CCPC's product safety team established that these products are dangerous and could cause serious injuries to a child's spine or neck during a collision or suffocation if the strap slips over the child's nose and mouth, or strangulation if the strap moves down to their neck.

These products have already been recalled in Malta, Germany and Australia. While the number of products sold in Ireland is unknown, the CCPC is issuing a safety warning about the car seat head straps due to the serious risk they pose.

Grainne Griffin, CCPC Director of Communications, said:

"Products like this prey on a parent's basic instinct to protect their child. But instead of making a toddler safer, they put the child much more at risk. If the strap slips down over the child's face or neck, there is a serious risk of suffocation or strangulation.

"CCPC sweeps have led to the removal of 100 product listings across various platforms. However, we're asking the public to remain vigilant and contact us if they see car seat head straps like these being advertised, be it online or in physical stores."

Dr Katharine Harkin, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, HSE Child Health Public Health, said:

"Do not place straps across your child's forehead in a car seat. They claim to prevent your child's head from falling forwards or sideways if they fall asleep. There is no evidence that these products are safe to use.

"Car seats are designed to keep your child as safe as possible while travelling. The safest approach is always to use a properly fitted, appropriate car seat and do not use any additional products. The HSE's mychild.ie has more advice for parents on keeping their child safe while driving and other areas of child safety."

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) does not recommend the use of devices or accessories that are purchased separately from a child's car seat.

Christine Hegarty, Road Safety and Education Manager at RSA, said:

"Child car seats are highly regulated and vigorously tested and are designed to perform and react in a specific way in the event of a collision. Any device that changes that process is dangerous."

Car Seat Safety Advice for Consumers

1. Do not use car seat head straps as they are extremely dangerous.

2. Product add-ons or accessories for car seats should only be used when they have been tested and approved by the car seat manufacturer.

3. Using any other accessories may change the performance of the car seat or introduce other hazards during normal use.

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...

Smart D8, Dublin's first smart district dedicated to addressing community health and wellbeing needs and located in the heart of Dublin 8, has officially launched its sixth open call for pilot projects.

Since October 2020, the Smart D8 partnership has connected innovators with citizen expertise through enterprise, healthcare, academia, government and other areas of the public sector, collectively aiming to address health and wellbeing challenges identified by the local D8 community.

Now entering its sixth year, this year's call focuses on innovative pilot projects across three key themes:

— Nutrition

— Social Connectedness

— Workplace Wellbeing

Up to three pilot projects will each receive up to €10,000 in funding, but crucially will be supported to validate their innovation with real users. Those selected will have the opportunity to trial new and emerging innovations for illness prevention with a general population to measure and evaluate their population health impacts – demonstrating their potential to positively impact people's lives locally, nationally and internationally.

Since its inception, Smart D8 has established strong community connections through outreach with residents, businesses, schools, local organisations and networks to understand health and wellbeing priority areas and needs. Engaging with service providers, innovators and entrepreneurs to trial and test new products, services and ideas, the partnership works to matchmake innovative content and technologies with community networks and demonstrate their impacts on population health to scale.

Operating through funded pilot calls and partnerships, the Smart D8 testbed supports access to local knowledge and expertise and facilitates the development of innovative approaches that can enhance health and wellbeing with and in the local community.

Through the combined effort of pilot projects, local workshop initiatives and established engagement with existing community networks, Smart D8 has reached over 21,500 citizens living and working in Dublin 8, over 45% of the 45,000-strong population.

Smart D8 is led by The Digital Hub, Dublin City Council, St James's Hospital and Smart Dublin. They are joined by Tyndall National Institute, St Patrick's Mental Health Services, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, National College of Art & Design, the Guinness Enterprise Centre, Health Innovation Hub Ireland and the HSE in this unique collaborative initiative.

Applications will close on Thursday, 26th March at 11 pm. For more information on Smart D8 and to find out how to apply for the latest round of pilot projects, please visit https://smartd8.ie.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam, said:

"I am proud to see our city continue to lead with purpose, placing community wellbeing, innovation and sustainability at the centre of how we shape Dublin's future. Smart D8 represents the very best of civic collaboration, bringing together innovators, researchers, public services and citizens to test ideas that improve everyday life.

By grounding innovation in evidence and in lived experience, it is building a model for healthier communities that can be scaled across our capital and beyond. I strongly encourage innovators with bold, practical and evidence-led ideas to step forward and partner with us. Together, we can demonstrate how place-based collaboration delivers real change for Dublin 8 and sets a standard for cities everywhere."

Speaking on the opening of pilot applications, Smart D8 Ecosystem Manager, Jack Lehane, said:

"As Smart D8 moves into its sixth year, we take great pride in the scale of engagement so far, and are especially motivated by the opportunities that lie ahead. In 2026, we will continue to build on this momentum by focusing on themes that have the greatest potential to identify and validate population health solutions, including nutrition, social connectedness and workplace wellbeing.

The partnership provides changemakers w...

As International Women's Day highlights the importance of women pursuing careers in every sector, one young woman from Athlone, County Westmeath, is sharing her story of resilience and why she believes sometimes the biggest barrier is self-doubt.

Jessica Hoey, a Software Development Apprentice with FIT (Fastrack into Information Technology) and Zinkworks, did what many students do after their Leaving Certificate: she went straight to university to study Computer Science.

"I went the traditional route," Jessica explains. "I finished my Leaving Cert and went to university to study Computer Science. But when Covid hit, I dropped out and worked full-time."

Unsure if she would ever find her way back into tech, but determined not to give up on her passion for tech, Jessica completed a PLC course to rebuild her confidence and skills. It was there she first heard about Tech Apprenticeships.

FIT is the national coordinator of Tech Apprenticeships in Ireland, with programmes in Software Development, Cybersecurity, Computer Networking, and a new Data Analytics programme launching in 2026 (subject to QQI validation).

"I argued with myself about applying and wasn't sure if I should do it. But I decided to just go for it – and I was lucky enough to get a place."

That decision, she says, changed everything.

For Jessica, the appeal of FIT's Tech Apprenticeship programme wasn't just gaining another qualification; it was gaining experience.

"I already had some technical knowledge, but getting your foot in the door of a company is extremely hard," she explains. "With the Tech Apprenticeship programme, I have two years of industry experience, and that's invaluable."

She believes the combination of work and study offers something unique.

"I'm learning things I would never learn in a classroom. I get to see how the industry works from the inside. And I work alongside people who have years of experience – the advice and knowledge they share will stay with me throughout my career."

Tech Apprentices earn a salary while they learn, gaining a nationally recognised qualification and valuable on-the-job experience with a company over two years.

As International Women's Day shines a light on increasing female representation in technology, Jessica hopes her story resonates with other young women in Westmeath who may doubt whether they belong in the industry.

"If I hadn't applied, I'd still be wondering 'what if?'" she says. "Now I'm building a career I'm genuinely excited about."

Since completing her Tech Apprenticeship, Jessica is now a full-time Junior Software Engineer with Zinkworks, a global leader in software innovation based in Westmeath.

Applications are currently open for FIT's upcoming Software Development programmes taking place in Dublin this April, with further intakes scheduled for Dublin and Galway in October.

For those considering a future in technology, Jessica's advice remains simple: take the chance.

To learn more or apply, visit FIT's website at www.fit.ie or email them at [email protected] today.

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A family-owned managed print services provider is among the first in Ireland to reward its remote Irish workforce with digital local gift cards for their nearest town/city, locking the firm's reward spend into the country.

Waterford based Cantec is using 5 local Town & City Gift Cards – the Think Waterford First Gift Card, the Love Drogheda Gift Card, the Limerick Gift Card, the Kilkenny Gift Card and the Lakes Gift Card – to reward its field based technicians who are based across Ireland.

Delivered by global gift card specialist Miconex, the Town & City Gift Cards initiative is active in 16 Irish towns and cities. The cards are branded to specific places and can be redeemed with registered businesses in that town, city or region, including shops, restaurants, pubs, salons, hotels and services.

Miconex announced €17.4m in local gift card sales in 2025, an increase of 65% on 2024, which it estimates will drive 335,000 specific visits to Irish high streets and shopping districts in 2026, based on estimates of 3 trips into town per gift card.

Cantec invested €25,000 in digital local gift cards at Christmas 2025 tax free using the Revenue's Small Benefit Exemption scheme, and say choosing local gift cards based on where each employee lives ensures their reward spend stays in Ireland.

Éadaoin Carrick is the executive chairperson of Cantec Group, and president of Waterford Chamber and said: "One of the disadvantages of the Small Benefit Exemption is that it facilitates employers gifting global gift cards that can be spent outside of Ireland. We made the decision to try and keep the spend in the local economy, and in Ireland, by choosing local gift cards for each employee based on where they live, primarily for Waterford where we are based, but also for Limerick, Kilkenny, Drogheda and Ballinrobe.

"Everyone buys online occasionally but many high streets are dying because people are not walking into shops and buying things from local shops, they are buying from Amazon instead. The Christmas reward we offer for staff is a bonus outside of their regular salary, and I'd like to ensure that the bonus we give to staff stays local and on our island, benefitting people in Ireland. Choosing Town & City Gift Cards ensures our reward spend stays local."

A number of chambers and business organisations have upgraded their paper 'shop local' programmes to high tech physical and digital gift cards alongside Miconex. A dedicated corporate order site allows organisations to purchase physical or digital Town & City Gift Cards for one or more of the 16 Town & City Gift Card programs in Ireland in one order, with digital cards delivered employees on a chosen date/time.

Éadaoin is positive about the efficiencies that digital can offer for organisations: "The Miconex corporate site is such an easy system to use, simply selecting the local gift cards you need and the values. I specifically opted for the digital gift cards because it's handy for employees to have their card in their digital wallet, ready to tap to pay with local businesses. People will always have their phone with them, so it's a reward that is more likely to be used.

"For us as an Irish business, choosing local rewards is about practicing what we preach, leading by example, and supporting Irish businesses that in return support us. We have to support each other. By choosing local gift cards, you can keep money in your hyper local community, in your region or in Ireland overall. Local people benefit when you support local economies."

Colin Munro is the CEO of Miconex and said: "We introduced our digital gifting technology in Ireland in 2024 to enable organisations to easily reward their staff with local gift cards. The appetite for supporting local in Ireland is incredibly strong, as evidenced by the growth of our local gift card programmes across Ireland in 2025. As the Town & City Gift Cards network grows, what we're beginning to see is medium to large organisations like Cantec, with s...