By Selva Ozelli

It is Plastic Free July. The campaign originated in Australia to draw attention to the global problem of plastic waste, resulting in the world's first Plastic Treaty that is still being negotiated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastics Pollution.

"The treaty presents a crucial opportunity to tackle plastic pollution from a fresh perspective and adopt innovative problem-solving methods. We are hopeful that the treaty will introduce novel solutions and align policies that have proven effective" explained Betsy Bowers, Executive Director of the Global EPS Sustainability Alliance (GESA).

The Impact of Plastic Waste on Nature

Plastic pollution is causing serious problems for animals, nature, and people's health.

Drawing attention to this are several environmental artists with physical and digital art shows around the world. These artists during the fall will also be part of Climate Week NY's Pink and Blue Art Show held at Howland Cultural Center Beacon, NY from Aug 10 to Sep 29, 2024.

1. UN Ocean Decade Tides of Change Waves of Hope Art Show at Art on the Ave NYC at Fulton Center New York City - April 1 to July 6, 2024

Internationally acclaimed photographers Ian Hutton from the Lord Howe Island Australia, Zinnia Gutowski from the Philippines/US, and Alfons Rodriguez from Spain and award winning oil painters Selva Ozelli from the US Semine Hazar, Fatma Kadir and Ihan Sayin from Turkiye draw attention to the impact of plastic pollution on sea slugs, water birds and whales with their work on exhibit to the public at Fulton Center New York.

Waves & Tides

According to a study by Alexander L. Bond , Ian Hutton and Jennifer L. Lavers

plastic production and pollution of the environment is rising rapidly and outpacing current mitigation measures. The temporal changes in the amount and composition of plastic in boluses from Flesh-footed Shearwaters during 2002-2020 showed a generally decreasing pattern from 2002 to 2015 and increasing again to 2020 which suggests shearwater boluses to be a low-effort, high-statistical power monitoring tool for quantifying progress against environmental policies in Australia.

How plastic litter is killing wildlife on Lord Howe Island by Ian Hutton and Jennifer L. Lavers:

1. Healing Hudson Art Show by Selva Ozelli for the Putnam History Museum Coldspring, NY June 8 to Sep 30, 2024

Artist Selva Ozelli with her Healing Hudson Art Show for Putnam History Museum draws attention to the impact of plastic pollution on sea/harbor animals who live in the Hudson River and often eat microplastics which contains toxic chemicals, that can increase the chance of disease and affect reproduction. According to

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) Fisheries marine plastic debris also entangles at least 260 marine species, including marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds so if you see a sea animal strangled in plastic let NOAA Fisheries know.

Healing Hudson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt5Mju8H1wM&t=26s

Healing Hudson - Darter Fish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6IA0Td_kHw

1. Eco Water Pollution Art Show by photographer Mene Liondos, Greece April 1 to Dec 31, 2024

Photographer Mene Liondos from Greece with his art show Eco Water Pollution is focused on plastic pollution in the Ocean:

1. Moody Blue Crabs Art Show by Selva Ozelli for the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum June 8 to Dec 31, 2024

Artist Selva Ozelli with her art show Moody Blue Crabs Art Show for the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum draws attention to the impact on microplastic pollution on Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) which are susceptible to this pollution because they feed in sediment where dense plastics accumulate. According to a study by Ashley Velzis, Sarah Davis, Andrew Davies, & Coleen Suckling of the University of Rhode Island

the majority of microfibers and the foreign microplastics are concentrated in the claws of the crabs. Since Blue Crab claw m...

Ugreen have launched two new accessories: a new, compact and powerful Nexode 100W multiport charger along with a 5-in-1 USB-C multiconnection hub, which is ideal for connecting a laptop to an external display and other peripherals.

UGREEN Revodok Ultra Slim 5-in-1 USB C Hub with 100W PD

This 5-in-1 hub from Ugreen has a slim and lightweight design and is constructed with an aluminium shell.

The hub comes with a USB-C port for charging, a 4K HDMI port, one USB-A 3.0 port and two USB-A 2.0 ports for connecting peripherals.

It is affordably priced but still packs many useful features, such as 100-watt pass-through PD charging and 4K@30Hz video, allowing you to extend or mirror you laptop screen to a larger display.

The hub is also compatible with most types of devices and operating systems.

You can purchase Ugreen Revodok Ultra Slim 5-in-1 USB C Hub with a Prime Day discount from the following link.

UGREEN Nexode 100W Charger

The Ugreen Nexode 100W Charger is a compact and sleek device which is being marketed as an ideal charger for MacBooks and similar other high battery capacity laptops which support fast charging.

The device comes with 3 USB-C ports and one USB-A port. The device can output the full 100 watts through one of those ports and is capable of charging 4 devices simultaneously.

The charger supports PD 3.0/2.0, QC 4.0+/3.0/2.0, PPS, AFC, SCP fast charging and is capable of charging a Macbook Pro 16" from 0-42% in just 30 minutes.

Like all Ugreen charging products, there are a raft of safety features built in to keep the charger and your devices safe and charge the batteries as efficiently as possible.

You can purchase the Ugreen Nexode 100W Charger with a Prime Day discount from the following link.

SIRO and Vodafone have announced that MERITs, Kildare's Naas-based innovation tech hub, is joining the Gigabit Hub Initiative.

The Initiative is a partnership between SIRO and Vodafone, which provides world class connectivity solutions to digital hubs across Ireland, including Gigabit full fibre broadband. Currently, more than 20 of Ireland's leading hubs have participated in the Initiative including Galway's PorterShed, Skibbereen's Ludgate Hub or Dundalk's Creative Spark.

MERITs (The Mid-East Region's Innovation ThinkSpace) located in Naas's Devoy Quarter on John Devoy Road, funded by Kildare County Council and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through Enterprise Ireland, serves as a dynamic incubation hub for startup and scaling technology and innovation focused businesses.

Renowned for fostering innovation and supporting technology entrepreneurs, MERITS is the heart of the Mid-East Tech Cluster and a critical player in the tech startup ecosystem across Kildare, Wicklow and Meath.

MERITS, offers an array of services such as hot desks, private offices, meeting rooms, collaboration and innovation spaces, a mixed reality lab, a podcast studio, and an editing suite. The facility currently operates 16 hot desks, 12 private offices containing 48 desks, and hosts the Local Enterprise Office with an additional 22 desks, supporting 42 businesses.

MERITS is home to some of Ireland's most future-focused and innovative businesses, including Stryve, DreamDev, and Nua Bioenergy. These companies are pioneering advancements across various technologies, from bioenergy and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity, CREAtech, deep-tech, and med-tech.

MERITS also extends its impact to the broader community through initiatives like the Coder Dojo program and the CREAtech School project. The weekly Coder Dojo club engages children aged 7-17 in learning to code, build websites, and create games or apps in a safe, creative, and social environment.

The CREAtech School pilot project, conducted in collaboration with the Kildare County Council Arts Department, introduces 6th-grade students to the latest creative technologies, including podcast recording, virtual reality, and augmented reality.

MERITS also partners with the Local Enterprise Office to offer a wide range of support services to founders and entrepreneurs. These include accelerator and development programs, mentor services, funding opportunities, and numerous networking events.

Joining the Gigabit Hub Initiative will enhance MERITS' capabilities, providing ultrafast broadband and cutting-edge digital infrastructure to its community of innovators. This integration will facilitate seamless collaboration, rapid prototyping, and the efficient scaling of digital solutions, propelling the Midlands-East's digital economy forward.

Welcoming the partnership, Chief Executive Kildare County Council Sonya Kavanagh said,

"County Kildare is one of the fastest growing counties in the country and is home to a growing number of Indigenous SMEs and a significant number of remote workers. Kildare County Council's Local Enterprise Office and Economic Development Team provide a range of supports for SMEs ,and this range of supports is being actively expanded.

As economic development and job creation are two of our key priorities, we believe that this partnership between SIRO and MERITS will positively contribute to achieving these priorities."

Vodafone Ireland Finance Director Mark Denley said:

"We are delighted to welcome MERITS to the Gigabit Hub initiative, which since launch has continued to grow and demonstrated the value and demand for smart working hubs throughout the country. MERITS and the community of customers it serves including a host of dynamic and hugely innovative Irish businesses in addition to youth educational groups who will massively benefit from high-speed connectivity.

This initiative is a commitment and investment in our economy, our business community and most import...

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) is urging the government to fast-track the delivery of 13 major infrastructure projects in the Northern and Western Region of Ireland after a new study found that the region is now on par with the least well-off areas of Europe in terms of infrastructure.

New research by the NWRA has revealed that investment in transport, health, education, housing and energy infrastructure in the Northern and Western Region is languishing far below that of its counterparts in Ireland and across the continent - with transport infrastructure ranked the 17th worst of 234 European regions.

To address these infrastructure deficits, the NWRA believes a policy of "Positive Discrimination" is needed to deliver regional equality across Ireland and to take pressure off an ever-expanding Greater Dublin Area.

Such a policy would involve creating a Ministry for "Regional Development", which would have a significant budget for delivering key infrastructure priorities across the regions. Many countries - such as Australia, Canada, Japan, France and Brazil - have created ministerial roles specifically focused on addressing regional development inequities.

The organisation's 'Regional Infrastructure Tracker has, for the first time, harnessed data from public and private sources to reveal that, since 2016, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland has received less than 10% of the nationwide total investment in infrastructure projects worth more than €1m, and just 5.7% of investment from infrastructure projects worth more than €20m, despite accounting for 17.6% of Ireland's population.

In contrast, the Eastern and Midlands Region of Ireland received 66.5% of investment from projects worth more than €1m, and 75% of those worth more than €20m. As the Eastern and Midlands Region accounts for less than 50% of the population of Ireland, the NWRA believes the figures reveal an obvious bias towards the Greater Dublin Area.

The NWRA is one of three regional assemblies in Ireland and represents counties Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, and Galway.

The Northern and Western Region of Ireland is officially classified as a "Transition Region" as it has a GDP per capita between 75% and 100% of the EU average, the only region in Ireland to hold such a status. However, the NWRA's research has found that, in terms of competitiveness, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland ranks below some regions categorised as "less developed", which are regions with a GDP per capita less than 75% of the EU average.

To bridge the growing infrastructure deficit, the NWRA is demanding that the government ringfence more than half of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the Northern and Western Region of Ireland and prioritise 13 infrastructure projects for the region. These include the delivery of the Donegal T-Ten road projects and the N17 Knock to Collooney Road Scheme, as well as the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Collooney.

The report estimates that the total capital cost of delivering these 13 priority projects would range from €4.8 billion to €6.8 billion, which would deliver transformative benefits in areas of climate action, regional development and the all-island economy, while costing considerably less than the overall cost of the Dublin Metro.

The report's other key findings include:

The Northern and Western Region ranks 218th out of 234 NUTS 2 regions in terms of transport infrastructure. Its Regional Competitiveness Index score is like 'less developed' regions in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Patients presenting at Emergency Departments across the Northern and Western Region of Ireland are waiting longer to be admitted or discharged than the national average, with more than half of attendees at Galway University Hospital (51%) waiting more than 12 hours.

Some 6,950 households on the waiting list for social housing supports from the North...

To coincide with National Play Day, which runs from July 13 -21, with the theme, 'Time to Play', Virgin Media, in partnership with Ipsos B&A, has commissioned research to highlight the crucial role of play in enhancing well-being and overall quality of life. The research reveals alarming statistics such as three in five young people are experiencing burnout, with those under 35 significantly more affected (61%) compared to older generations (12%).

The study also found that young people are less satisfied with their quality of life, with around 59% of young adults being overall satisfied with the quality of life compared to 80% of those over 65. Despite these challenges, an overwhelming 86% of young people want to incorporate more play into their lives. Also surprisingly was the finding that 57% of respondents agree that play is more important than financial success.

The research underscores the serious barriers to play, including time commitments, not having the required energy or head space, the cost-of-living crisis, and loneliness. As a result, 65% of respondents feel that the government should do more to encourage play, while 63% believe brands have a role to play.

The findings reveal that 38% of young adults believe Irish people are too serious for play, compared to only 20% of those over 65. It also found that 56% of 25-34 year olds think other countries engage in more play than Ireland does.

This sentiment underscores the need for societal change in attitudes towards play, with 65% advocating for government action and nearly half supporting the idea of a national play day for adults and children.

As summer is upon us, 39% of Irish adults expressed a desire to go on holiday more frequently, specifically to engage in play. With 87% agreeing that play improves quality of life, the call for accessible and affordable play activities is louder than ever.

Richard Hogan of TherapyInstitute.ie highlights the importance of play: "Play is not a frivolous activity, it's a fundamental component of our lives. From online virtual reality adventures to real life play and connection, play increases brain functions, decreased stress and improves wellbeing overall. Play is not just for children, it's for all of us at all stages in life."

Paul Higgins, VP of Commercial at Virgin Media, said: "Virgin Media believes in the power of Play and this survey underlines the role our products and services have in providing connection, learning and entertainment - all key to play. With those products and services being used more and more we continue to enable digital play as our homes have become our offices, gyms, gaming hubs and cinemas.

"With Virgin Media bringing Ireland's best broadband to more areas nationwide it allows more customers to escape into a world of play, and this increased usage and in home experience can empower our customers to unleash their play, in whatever way they choose."

See more stories here.

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A new startup company, based in ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology at Trinity College Dublin, aims to improve the quality of life for individuals with mobility related illnesses. The startup secured over half a million euros in funding through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme. This programme supports third-level researchers in translating their research into innovative and commercially viable products, services and companies.

Led by Professor Vinny Wade, Chair of Artificial Intelligence at Trinity's School of Computer Science and Statistics and former DIrector at ADAPT, the startup company will leverage advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to help people live independently at home for longer.

Responding to the needs of individuals with mobility-related illnesses, the team aims to develop an AI-driven voice assistant that can help detect early signs of cognitive decline and enable timely interventions that could delay or mitigate the symptoms of cognitive illnesses.

Speaking about the research startup, Professor Vinny Wade said: "The startup will combine innovative state of the art generative AI techniques with personalisation technology to deliver a voice based companion to assist older people live more easily at home or in sheltered accommodation. The GenAI voice based assistant will provide continuous care support as well as daily levels of companionship and voice assistance."

Rebecca McManus, entrepreneur and the commercial lead for the startup said: "Our goal is to address key issues faced by patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system, including loneliness, medication management, cognitive decline, caregiver stress, and healthcare professional shortages. This Enterprise Ireland funding will significantly advance our efforts, enabling us to expend our team and prepare for full-scale commercialisation over the next 18 months."

Voice enabled technology is particularly beneficial for individuals with tremors and other mobility related issues that find traditional devices challenging due to reduced fine motor skills. Key benefits of developing an AI-driven voice assistant include:

Health Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of vital signs and detection of abnormalities.

Daily Assistance: Reminders for medication, appointments, and daily tasks.

Emergency Alerts: Real-time notifications in case of falls or accidents.

Cognitive Support: Tools for memory enhancement and mental stimulation.

Notifications: Real-time notifications for family members and healthcare professionals.

The team is responding to a global rise in mobility diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and early dementia which have more than doubled over the past 30 years. The number of people living with dementia worldwide is forecast to increase from approximately 60 million now to 150 million in 2050.

Opportunities to join the startup team can be found on the ADAPT Centre Careers page.

See more stories here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Ireland is the 5th most attractive country to invest in renewable energy projects on a GDP-normalised basis according to the latest EY Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, as ambitious energy transition plans, proactive policy settings and significant opportunities continue to attract investment in the rapidly expanding renewable sector.

During 2023, an additional 0.6GW of new grid-scale renewable energy was installed across Ireland (0.2 GW wind and 0.4 GW solar) which represents a tripling of the 0.2 GW that was connected in 2022.* Ireland follows behind Denmark, Greece, Chile, and Australia in the normalised ranking of economies.

In the overall index, the top spots are retained by the world's largest economies, the United States, China and Germany, with the scale of the economies, the energy demands and the projects themselves attracting record investment.

Globally, there has been a record level of investment, with a surge of US$1.8 trillion in clean energy investment in 2023, including US$660 billion earmarked for renewables. In spite of this unprecedented investment, however, it is still significantly below what is needed to meet the COP28 target of tripling renewable capacity by 2030. Network gridlock and high capital costs are cited as consistent challenges globally at a time when rapid acceleration of investment and capacity is needed.

Ireland has also continued to expand its Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPA) market, climbing one place to rank 16th in the CPPA Index, reflecting a growing use of these agreements in Ireland as organisations continue to invest in renewable energy to meet both their energy needs and ambitious individual climate commitments.

Sean Casey, EY UK&I Energy & Infrastructure Consulting Leader says: "It's really positive that Ireland has placed so highly when it comes to our attractiveness in terms of seeking and securing renewable energy investment, but there is still much to do to ensure we are on track to meet 2030 goals. Over recent years there has been a clear step change in the policy settings that enable investment in clean energy at scale.

"We are now increasingly seeing the return on this, with a year-on-year tripling of renewable energy added to the grid in 2023. Just recently the Environmental Protection Agency reported that power generation emissions were down 21% - while some of this can be attributed to imported energy via interconnectors, it's clear that the energising of new renewable energy projects on an almost monthly basis is playing a crucial role.

"It's also been really positive to see an increase in Corporate Power Purchase Agreements - where businesses commit to purchase electricity directly from renewable source. This is a market that is rapidly growing as organisations seek to secure renewable energy sources to meet their own climate commitments. These positive results for Ireland are set against a backdrop where on the surface, the global renewables sector is on a high.

But despite last year's surge in clean energy investment globally, investment remains below what is needed to meet the COP28 target of tripling renewable capacity by 2030.

Years of underinvestment globally in infrastructure means network gridlock and high capital costs could also delay progress just when acceleration is needed. As an example, a 2023 International Energy Agency report found that approximately 1,500GW of renewables capacity was languishing in ever-growing queues to connect to the grid.

Whether it's here in Ireland or anywhere else globally, we need to redouble our focus on finding solutions that will accelerate delivery and connectivity of renewable energy at scale."

Unlocking network challenges with battery energy storage systems

As renewables proliferate and electrification grows, battery energy storage systems (BESS), will play a key role in a dynamic energy system by smoothing supply and demand peaks and helping defer the cost of grid expansion and upgrades. The role...

Employers are feeling the financial squeeze of rising health insurance premiums with many seeing the cost of their employer-sponsored schemes soar by up to 20pc in the last 12 months alone. Further increases later in the year cannot be ruled out.

However, according to Dermot Goode, Head of Healthcare Division with Lockton Insurance Brokers Ireland (which acquired Total Health Cover), most employers had only budgeted for a 5pc to 8pc rise, leaving them now struggling to find the financial capacity to deal with the escalation in cost.

Mr Goode explained,

"Some schemes are now costing hundreds of thousands of euros more this year. In one recent case, health insurance inflation pushed up the cost of an employer's scheme by in excess of €200,000.

This has created a huge financial dilemma for employers who are keen to continue to offer this benefit to workers but are finding the escalation in costs a huge challenge.

Most employers have only budgeted for increases in line with medical inflation, meaning the rises they've been hit with over the last year are up to three times more than they budgeted for.

The annual cost of health insurance for workers on employer-sponsored plans has increased by as much as between €200 and €300 per adult over the last year".

Lockton report that an estimated 520,000 people have their health insurance paid in full or partially by their employer and that these schemes will have no choice but to go to market to source similar cover that fits within their budget parameters.

Mr. Goode advised,

"Typically, employers are paying between €1,000 and €1,500 per employee for health insurance, so hikes of up to 20pc will put them under significant financial pressure. Some pay even higher levels of cover for senior management or long-serving employees.

It's an employees' market so employers are generally reluctant to cut this benefit - but many are finding that the extent of the price increases are simply impossible to absorb. Employers are therefore now exploring their options to see if they can source similar health insurance for employees - but at more affordable rates.

However, switching to a lower-cost alternative plan may not be straightforward. Employers may be constrained by legacy contracts of employment and could meet resistance if there is any reduction in benefits that could adversely impact employees. Expert advice is always recommended to help employers avoid the common pitfalls associated with changing benefits."

Mr Goode has set out several possible cost-saving options which employers can explore:

Switch certain employees, such as new recruits, to a lower-cost plan.

Set a monetary limit on the extent to which health insurance is covered by the employer or consider introducing an allowance model for all new employees, which they can use to select and buy their own health insurance plans.

Opt for the most up-to-date corporate plans as this will make it easier to avoid the increases. For those insured on dated corporate schemes, they may be able to secure better overall coverage at a lower cost and sometimes with the same insurer.

Get advice on the best value alternatives. Many small- to medium-sized employers are stuck on dated plans and overpay for coverage by thousands. As part of this exercise, you could seek similar options with higher excesses or limited hospital networks. If this doesn't cut costs, consider reducing the elements of cover that are under-utilised. A claims report from the insurer will support this.

Check that you are not double-paying for benefits, such as health screening, employee assistance programmes and company doctors - benefits which often are fully or partially included in health insurance plans.

Seek maximum discounts from the insurers to see if this delivers the savings.

Put defined eligibility rules in place for your scheme and make sure your insurer applies them. Many schemes have no defined rules in place and are paying for additional costs unnecessarily. For exampl...

CitySwift, leader in performance optimisation for the public transport sector across the globe, has partnered with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), local government body responsible for transport in the Manchester region. This partnership looks to power the future of Manchester's public transport network through the use of AI and data.

This move makes TfGM the first franchised transport authority in the UK to utilise AI to deliver more reliable, frequent and quicker bus journeys, building on the Greater Manchester Bus Strategy announced last year. The plans laid out in this report highlight Greater Manchester's vision for the future bus network, aiming to make buses the first choice for more journeys within the Bee Network.

The strategy sets an initial target of a 30% increase in bus patronage by 2030 from 2022/23 levels, equating to nearly 50 million additional bus journeys annually. This growth will be driven by improvements such as a more integrated, user-friendly, and frequent network, and better infrastructure for reliable bus journeys, with CitySwift playing a key role in this transition.

Founded in 2016 by Brian O'Rourke and Alan Farrelly, CitySwift's performance optimisation platform gives operators and transport authorities insights, recommendations, and predictions, supporting them in the delivery of efficient, reliable and in-demand services. CitySwift empowers public transport authorities and operators to achieve unparalleled efficiency by leveraging advanced analytics, simulations, and optimisations.

With its easy-to-use industry-leading technology, CitySwift envisions a future where public transport is the travel mode of choice for all people.

Speaking on today's announcement, Brian O'Rourke, CEO and Co-founder of CitySwift said "The goals and vision set out in the Great Manchester Bus Strategy speak clearly to our mission at CitySwift - grow patronage with frequent and more reliable buses.. I am thrilled that we're partnering with TfGM, supporting them in achieving this goal through our transport data-solutions, as we continue to build the smart cities of the future."

Through this partnership, TfGM will have access to CitySwift's performance data across the entire Bee Network, helping to identify trends and pain points such as traveller destinations and service performance, allowing them to recognise where improvements should be made to benefit passengers. Additionally TfGM will leverage CitySwift's latest product offering, Spotlight, a globally leading intelligent recommendation engine for bus network enhancements.

Designed for stakeholders, the product enhances decision-making by providing AI-powered insights into performance and resource parameters like timeliness, cost, and vehicle numbers through scanning the whole network, executing optimisation variations, and proposing ROI improvements.

Catherine Towey, Senior Lead for Bus Franchising at TfGM said: "Customers are at the heart of the Bee Network and by working with CitySwift we will be able to see more clearly than ever how services are performing. We can then use this information prioritise improvements and deliver a better service for passengers."

Powered by AI data processing, CitySwift optimises over 1 billion passenger journeys annually, working with public sector transport authorities and private bus operators to break down the barriers to accessing and interpreting transport data, replacing manual analysis with reliable, actionable insights. This solution enhances efficiency, benefiting drivers, passengers, partners, and cities, whilst remaining human-centric throughout.

This news follows a series of other partnerships for the data transportation company across the UK, including National Express, Transport North East, Transdev Blazefield, and trentbarton. Since its inception, CitySwift has grown to have a presence across the UK, US and its home territory of Ireland, covering transport networks in all major UK cities.

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Today is World Youth Skills Day and this guest post by Gavin Downey, Senior Systems Engineer, Datapac is very apt.

While some people grow up knowing exactly what they want to do in life, most people don't. As one of those people, I followed a somewhat unconventional route into the technology industry.

I had an interest in technology from a young age, which began by stealing my older sister's VTech at two. I was always curious to know how things worked, and often broke things so that I could fix them to find out (much to my parents' dismay).

Looking back, my primary school was ahead of the curve and in the mid-90s, we were taught how to build a website - which can still be found today. Throughout secondary school, my love for technology grew. I was not academically inclined and found school otherwise boring but, as an Information Age School, it was one of few schools at the time to offer Computer Science as a Leaving Cert subject.

I was lucky to have a teacher who nurtured my interest in IT, and I was actively encouraged to take it on.

From here, I went on to third level but was unsure of the career path I wanted to take. I took up a portfolio course in photography but soon realised that it was the gadgets and the equipment that piqued my interest more than the photography itself, and made a lateral move into studying multimedia in WIT (now SETU).

Part of this course was work placement within a business and, while simply looking for some interview experience, I went along to an interview with Datapac (despite the fact that I had no academic background in IT and, like any good party crasher, without a suit). However, I spoke about my journey so far and mentioned that I had built a server in my spare time.

The team was ultimately impressed with this obvious passion for tech and the fact that I had taken on learning materials external to my course.

Even though I was in the "wrong" course, I was thrilled to be offered the work placement. It gave me a real insight into a small part of what is such a huge industry. It took almost my entire work experience just to work out what area of IT I was working in. Any time I told someone I was working in IT, they would ask whether I was developing apps.

Now, I have been with Datapac for 12 years. In my current role as Senior Systems Engineer, I work closely with customers to develop problem-solving technological solutions to their business challenges. Rather than taking things apart, I'm now building them up. A big misconception is that IT is all about programming and highly-technical software, and I'm keen to show that there's much more to it with many other avenues to pursue.

Building a successful career in technology doesn't necessarily need to be a vertical climb and can start in one place while ending up somewhere entirely different. Real-world, hands-on experience is key and I believe you learn the most from those around you, as everyone tackles a problem or comes up with a solution differently.

However, certifications are also hugely important in an industry that moves at pace, and I sit more exams now than I did during college. College is the way to get in the door, but industry-recognised certification is the way into the lift to start making your way up to the top floor.

Technology is an industry that has been growing exponentially over the past number of years and as it evolves, is a continuous learning curve. To anyone considering a career in tech, my advice is to grasp every opportunity available. Each experience is a learning experience and don't be afraid to take risks - they will ultimately pay off.

See more stories here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news

If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at S...