Confidence in the engineering sector is continuing to grow with over 81% of professionals in the area saying their organisation plans to recruit engineers in 2022, according to a new report by Engineers Ireland.

And while the engineering industry faced restrictions and difficulties during the Covid-19 crisis, 80% of public sector engineers, 77% in consultancy and 76% in utilities enjoyed salary increases over the last year, indicating a growing national focus on strategically important infrastructural projects to support renewed growth post-pandemic.

Engineering Sector in Ireland

The new report, ‘Engineering 2022: A barometer of the profession in Ireland’, also found that Leaving Certificate choices have shown a growing trend of engagement in STEM subjects over the past 5 years, increasing by 27%. Since 2011 there has been a 178% increase in students sitting in higher-level mathematics. The report also states that 95% of the respondents in the public survey believe engineers demonstrate a high level of competence in their work, second only to doctors and ahead of teachers, judges and the Gardaí.

Speaking at the launch of the publication, the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD said: “This report showcases the important role the engineering sector plays within Irish society. Promoting STEM subjects is a priority for the Department of Education and it is important that we as educators continue our efforts to strengthen, support and nurture interest in STEM-related careers. The recent STEPS Engineers Week campaign once again highlighted the tremendous career opportunities on offer in engineering, and I applaud Engineers Ireland’s continuing efforts to showcase the exciting world of STEM to the young, curious minds of Ireland.”

Professor Orla Feely, President of Engineers Ireland, commented: “With so many engineering firms creating jobs in the short to medium term, the challenge as always is to ensure Ireland has the ready supply of engineering skills needed to fill those positions and deliver the vital infrastructural projects needed to galvanize Ireland’s post-pandemic recovery.

“The encouraging signs of increased STEM interest in our schools must be built upon through strong partnerships across industry, the education system and academia to produce an increased supply of the engineers our country so badly needs. Bridging the gap between men and women working in the sector is also a priority and we must do more to address the drop off between females graduating with engineering qualifications and then working in the industry.”

Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland, added: “The engineering sector has remained robust throughout the pandemic and has experienced continued growth, with salaries across all engineering disciplines increasing again last year. As we continue on our path to recovery, our members’ skills will be vital to delivering a sustainable, green, and digital future across all aspects of our society and realising the ambition of Project Ireland 2040.”

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Gas Networks Ireland is searching for 14 of the country’s top recruits to join its sought-after and highly regarded Apprenticeship Programme commencing this October.

The four-year salaried programme provides mentor-led apprenticeships working on Ireland’s €2.7bn, 14,617km national gas network, which is considered one of the safest and most modern gas networks in the world.

Gas Networks Ireland Apprenticeship Programme

Successful candidates will help to maintain and operate Ireland’s national gas infrastructure trusted by 710,000 Irish homes and businesses to provide efficient and reliable energy to meet their heating, cooking, transport and manufacturing needs.

They will also play a role in delivering a cleaner energy future for Ireland, as Gas Networks Ireland works to replace natural gas with renewable gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen.

Facilitated in partnership with SOLAS, apprentices receive on-site training with Gas Networks Ireland technical training coaches and attend formal classes in the Educational Training Boards, Meta facility and in appropriate Institutes of Technology.

On completion of the Apprenticeship Programme, successful trainees will be awarded a QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft – the national and international requirement for craftsperson status.

Speaking about the programme, Gas Networks Ireland’s Director of People, Nicola McSweeney said: “The apprenticeship programme is vitally important for Gas Networks Ireland, as it allows us to attract the best talent and develop our plumbers and engineers of the future.”

“Joining as an apprentice opens up a world of possibilities within the organisation. We are very proud to have a number of employees, who initially joined over 30 years ago as apprentices who are still part of the Gas Networks Ireland team today, including our Gas Technical Competency Training Manager, Brian Flynn, who now leads the apprenticeships training.”

We have a lot of knowledge to share and I look forward to welcoming our new apprentices.”

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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:

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

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A report launched today by Google confirms a substantial economic opportunity for Ireland exists if a meaningful investment in digital skills is made. The comprehensive study developed in partnership with Amárach provides detailed insights into the digital capability needs, ambitions, and plans of 1,000 SME leaders throughout Ireland. The research proposes that a significant investment into digital skills could contribute an extra €9.5 billion to Ireland’s GDP by 2025.

To help Irish businesses succeed online, it is important to first understand how they’re doing today and what their goals are. That is why Google commissioned Amárach to engage SME leaders on their lived experiences and expectations of their digital journey. Titled Bridging the Gap – A Report on Digital Capabilities in Irish SMEs, the study, one of the largest surveys of Irish SMEs in recent years, identified four key gaps in digital capabilities:

Performance – how far businesses are from realising their full potential

Competence – how businesses are struggling to use digital skills

Investment – the role of funding, time, and talent in expanding competence

Advisory – the absence of qualified advisors and suppliers to meet digital needs

The current situation

Most Irish SMEs are in the process of adopting, developing, and evolving their use of digital technologies. But some are further ahead in the process than others. When asked to rate their own progress, the majority (62%) of Irish SMEs are ‘less than halfway’ on their digital journey. Recruiting people with the necessary digital skillset is also a challenge for Irish SMEs with 41% of respondents agreeing that they do not have a person within the organisation who is tasked with developing digital skills. Only 26% of SMEs say their employees have all the skills needed in terms of basic digital capabilities.

Faced with multiple demands on their time and energy, the report indicates that business leaders believe that the digital skills gap can be closed, but the challenge is prioritising it over other short and medium-term tasks.

Digital tools

The report finds that only 11% of Ireland’s SMEs feel their employees have the skills needed to successfully adopt and use new technology, a statistic borne out in the data where only 53% of SMEs have (or use) social media and video platforms and just 18% make use of customer insights tools. When measuring the number of SMEs that have their own business website, Ireland at 55% ranks comparably lower than the EU average of 77%[1].

The research shows that Irish SMEs are ambitious when it comes to investing in digital capabilities but 50% say they lack basic knowledge about which skills to prioritise. The report indicates that policy makers, advisors, and suppliers to the SME sector need to help address the priority gaps that will deliver quick wins, spurring decision makers to go further.

Commenting, Alice Mansergh, Director for Small Business at Google said:

“The timing of this report could not be more important, the decisions that business leaders and policy stakeholders make about digital capabilities in the coming months and years will have profound implications for the long-term productivity and profitability of the SME sector, and for sustainable economic growth over the rest of the decade. For its part, Google will use these findings to help shape the courses we provide via the Grow with Google initiative helping to train people in key digital skills that will empower them to embrace new business and commercial opportunities.”

The opportunity

Irish SMEs are very confident (56%) that meeting their digital skills objectives could make a big difference to business performance, and not just on one or two metrics. SME leaders believe that improving digital capabilities would allow them to increase wages and salaries (28%) and over half of those surveyed (57%) say that meeting their objectives in digital capabilities would help them to grow faster and become more profitabl...

Two weeks ago the EU parliament and Council negotiators agreed new EU rules to limit the market power of big online platforms. The Digital Markets Act will ban certain practices used by large platforms acting as “gatekeepers” and enable the Commission to carry out market investigations and sanction non-compliant behaviour.

Before the Digital Markets Act was agreed I spoke to Amandine Le Pape founder of British tech start-up, Element about it. Amandine talks about her concerns on the EU Digital Markets Act and why she thinks enforcing interoperability between apps through Open APIs. Essentially allowing Big Tech to control the process, which will build weak solutions to keep regulators at bay.

More about the Digital Markets Act:

EU lawmakers agreed that the largest messaging services (such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage) will have to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request. Users of small or big platforms would then be able to exchange messages, send files or make video calls across messaging apps, thus giving them more choice. As regards interoperability obligation for social networks, co-legislators agreed that such interoperability provisions will be assessed in the future.

Parliament also ensured that combining personal data for targeted advertising will only be allowed with explicit consent to the gatekeeper. They also managed to include a requirement to allow users to freely choose their browser, virtual assistants or search engines.

If a gatekeeper does not comply with the rules, the Commission can impose fines of up to 10% of its total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, and 20% in case of repeated infringements. In case of systematic infringements, the Commission may ban them from acquiring other companies for a certain time.

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Deloitte and Team8 identify tax technology (TaxTech), as a significant vertical that is currently growing and developing in the fintech industry. The Emergence of TaxTech – A New Era of Fintech report maps out more than 100 startup companies in the global TaxTech space, segmented by tax solution and target audience, and provides an overview of relevant companies and their developments in various domains.

The global fintech industry experienced unprecedented growth in 2021, with companies in the space raising more than $140 billion, three times more than in 2020. This growth is apparent in the high number of public offerings and new unicorns that surfaced in the past 12 months across a wide range of verticals including insurance, loans and payments. The report’s findings point to TaxTech as the next breakthrough fintech vertical, largely due to the proliferation of new financial services in the market and the fact that taxation is intrinsically linked to nearly all financial decisions.

The report details examples of available tax technologies and reviews possible applications that may deliver tangible efficiency gains for individuals, businesses and regulators. It also highlights investors’ appetite for the space. In the past year, investments in TaxTech solutions worldwide increased from $240 million in 2020 to $864 million in 2021.

TaxTech Benefits

Taxes impact the lives of people and companies’ bottom lines. Recent trends, such as digitalization, the rise of cryptocurrencies, the massive surge in eCommerce and the gig economy all have massive tax implications that are driving TaxTech innovation.

The research revealed two dominant sub-trends within the nascent TaxTech space. First, and in line with the broader embedded finance trend, TaxTech companies are beginning to offer APIs that empower third-party platforms to provide tax-as-a-service solutions. An embedded tax offering could enable better compliance, and help companies support customers within their ecosystem by facilitating a more holistic tax experience.

Second, there is a notable interest in new technologies aimed at improving reporting processes for crypto traders and regulators – as evidenced by the fact that over one-third of the money raised by TaxTech companies in 2021 went to crypto-focused tax startups.

Due to the growing complexity of tax codes along with increased demand for real-time data and reporting by tax authorities, tax compliance has become more burdensome for individuals and businesses worldwide. Existing tax processes, which are primarily manual, are unsuitable for the digital era – especially considering numerous evolving global trends that each carry complicated tax implications. For example, wide-scale remote working arrangements and the rapid expansion of the gig economy have given rise to a new class of professionals spread across different jurisdictions, resulting in cumbersome tax requirements for both workers and employers alike.

Similarly, in the e-commerce industry, which is enjoying a pandemic-driven boom period, online sellers who transact across borders must now contend with different tax frameworks that vary from country to country, and with growing complexity to ensure compliance with all applicable requirements. And as the crypto space continues to attract more mainstream traders, regulators are focusing on the issue of taxation and reporting of crypto assets. These are just some of the trends that have prompted fintech companies to turn their attention to the tax sector.

Team8 and Deloitte – Impact of TaxTech

“Tax season in the digital era has become a huge challenge for individuals or businesses who are burdened with gathering and filing tax statements spread across a multitude of financial apps, banking services, and other platforms,” said Ronen Assia, Managing Partner at Team8.

“It’s time for a new breed of tech-driven solutions tailored to the ever-changing contours of the global economy. Our report with Deloitte showcases ...

Tom’s bio:Based in London, prior to Metaphysic, Tom founded OmniSci (previously MapD), the world’s fastest database and first GPU in-memory analytics engine backed by Tiger Global, NEA, in-Q-Tel, NVIDIA and Google. He is co-founder of Codec.ai, a content marketing analytics tool used by Redbull, Unilever, L’Oreal, Nestle and more.

Managing Hyper-Real Likeness in the Metaverse, Tom Graham

About Metaphysic

Our mission is to empower individuals by putting them at the center of the immersive content economies that will define how we use the internet in the future. By building AI content generation tools and infrastructure that lets users own and control their biometric data, we are building towards an ethical web3 economy where every internet user can access the limitless potential of the hyperreal metaverse.

Our project lead speaks about #Hyperreal Synthetic media for the #metaverse in @NFTLAlive.

EAO (@EAONFT) March 30, 2022

Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders.

Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies.

Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual.

With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry.

Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.

See more podcasts 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:

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.

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New high-quality innovation and digital hub, gteic@ Na Rosa, opened in the largest town in the Donegal Gaeltacht, An Clochán Liath making it one of the 27 gteic hubs opened or on the verge of opening in the Gaeltacht by the middle of this year.

Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sports Jack Chambers T.D., in the company of Údarás, na Gaeltachta Chair Anna Ní Ghallachair, cut the ribbon on the 264 square meter hub that will form part of the Gaeltacht Digital Network – a network of over 30 high-speed broadband innovation and digital hubs being developed by Údarás na Gaeltachta in locations throughout the Gaeltacht.

The digital hub is home to 18 shared office spaces, four offices and a canteen. Users of gteic@Na Rosa can avail of the facilities already available in the building such as a meeting room and café as it has been developed in a unit with an existing supermarket, clothing store, café and retail outlets. The new hub has gigabyte broadband capability as well as meeting and video conferencing facilities, telephone kiosks and shared creative spaces.

Technology in Gaeltacht Areas

The gteic digital ecosystem is growing rapidly and provides great opportunities for new technology companies to establish or locate in rural Gaeltacht areas and for their employees to benefit from the excellent quality of life available in beautiful areas such as Na Rosa. A unique feature of the gteic network is that it is developed and operated in collaboration with the local community in these rural areas. gteic@Na Rosa will be managed on behalf of Údarás na Gaeltachta by Comharchumann Theampall Chróine.

Speaking at the opening of the centre, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sports Jack Chambers T.D.: “I am delighted to be here in An Clochán Liath today for the opening of gteic@Na Rosa. This digital hub is a great resource for the area and will greatly enhance opportunities there. A development like this is very timely given the new possibilities that have emerged for remote working. ”

Anna Ní Ghallachair, Chairperson of the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta also added: “I am very pleased to attend the official opening of gteic@Na Rosa as another digital hub opens and begins operations in the gteic – Gaeltacht Digital Network. The centre will bring economic and employment benefits to the area and will also enhance language initiatives within the locality itself as it has received Gaeltacht Service Town status.”

Speaking Údarás na Gaeltachta Chief Executive Officer Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh said: “We at Údarás na Gaeltachta are delighted to develop this wonderful, modern, innovative and attractive hub within our gteic network. gteic@Na Rosa will form part of a vibrant network of high-speed broadband facilities being developed throughout the Gaeltacht. This development will support job creation, provide opportunities for remote workers and enable the Gaeltacht Diaspora to return and take up life at home.”

gteic@Na Rosa is one of nine digital hubs being developed by Údarás na Gaeltachta in the Donegal Gaeltacht with the official launch of gteic@An Tearmann taking place at the beginning of this week.

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:

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.

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Irish businesses are emerging stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic than their global counterparts, according to the EY 2022 CEO Outlook Survey. Over a third (37%) of Irish CEOs surveyed said their businesses have been reshaped positively in some form by the pandemic, compared with just 13% globally. The findings suggest Irish businesses may be adapting faster to the pandemic recovery than in other geographies, putting them in a stronger position to capitalise on new growth opportunities in the year ahead.

In this fast-changing business landscape, Irish CEOs are feeling more confident about the future, than their global counterparts, with 47% saying they plan to invest more heavily over the next five years to sustain, improve and extend their core business, compared to just 41% of global CEOs.

Irish Businesses Emerging Stronger

The survey also found that Irish CEOs are placing slightly more emphasis on investing in existing businesses to accelerate organic growth, followed by investing in digital transformation to position them for the future.

Digital transformation and the technological change was cited among the top opportunities driving organisational change in the eyes of Irish CEOs, with 20% in the survey seeing it as the number one driver.

M&A will continue to be a key growth driver in 2022

Following last year’s bumper M&A activity, and with the Irish economy expected to grow in 2022, the market backdrop is set to provide bountiful M&A transaction opportunities to companies across multiple sectors. The survey found that more than half (56%) of Irish CEOs expect their company to pursue acquisitions in the next 12 months. Of these, half (52%) indicate they will be looking for assets that either increase operational capabilities or make bolt-on acquisitions that grow market share.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria are also having more of an impact on M&A and investment strategies for Irish companies, with all respondents confirming sustainability factors, are driving their M&A agenda in some form, particularly when it comes to reducing the risks of ESG-related regulatory costs.

Last year, M&A was the CEO accelerant of choice for strategic ambition. Despite the record-breaking year for transactions, 97% of Irish CEOs said they either failed to complete or cancelled a planned deal in the last 12 months. This was primarily due to the impact of the pandemic, or because of regulatory or government bottlenecks. Additionally, while M&A may be a favoured tool for accelerating growth, 42% of Irish CEOs indicated that they plan to reshape their businesses through organic investment.

Considering Geopolitical Risks for Irish Businesses

Beyond the pandemic, and before the onset of current global disruptions, Irish CEOs were mindful of geopolitical risks when considering their future growth strategies, according to the survey. Increasing geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, trade conflicts, and protectionism represent the most critical risk factors to the future growth strategies of Irish companies, the survey revealed.

For example, 94% of Irish CEOs in the survey said they were already reconfiguring their supply chains, primarily to manage geopolitical risks, while a quarter (24%) of respondents are increasing supplier numbers to boost resilience and reduce uncertainty. When it comes to international trade, 73% of Irish CEOs said they were reconsidering their cross-border investments in response to increasing geopolitical tensions.

Graham Reid, EY Ireland Partner and Head of Markets, said that the “Following two years of intense disruption to both life and business globally, current geopolitical disruption has reverberated across global markets resulting in escalating energy prices, shortages of key commodities, and massive supply chain disruptions.”

“Even though our survey was conducted at the end of 2021, the results remain valuable as they reveal a future-facing mindset among CEOs of leading Irish organ...

Ruben Merre is CEO and co-founder of NGRAVE, a digital asset security provider offering user-friendly maximum security solutions for blockchain and crypto use cases. At NGRAVE, Ruben created “ZERO”, the world’s most secure hardware wallet for crypto storage. A seasoned entrepreneur, he was selected for Belgium’s 40 under 40 last year, as well as being a Google Digital Pioneer nominee in 2020. This week, NGRAVE will play a key role at Metaverse Fashion Weel by having a store in Boson Portal a metaverse marketplace located in the virtual world Decentraland.

Safety in the Metaverse and the Private Key Paradox, Ruben Merre

Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders.

Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies.

Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual.

With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry.

Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.

See more podcasts here.

FairTEC, a collective of European companies working together to create and offer sustainable and ethical integrated smartphone solutions, sees the European Commission’s public consultation on the “Sustainable Consumption of Goods – Promoting Repair and Reuse” as a promising opportunity to effect real change.

FairTEC

With the initiative, the Commission aims to amend the existing Sale of Goods Directive and to possibly introduce a separate new legislative proposal on the right to repair. FairTEC welcomes this effort, but notes that legislation centered around design inevitably leads to the creation of new products. FairTEC therefore wants to emphasize that sustainable consumption starts with continued use of and a pride of ownership in the items we already own. Bearing this in mind, FairTEC proposes the following measures to improve the longevity and repairability of mobile devices.

The European public

As is already mandated for the alcohol and tobacco industry, the electronic industry’s social and environmental impact should be made more transparent. Specifically, FairTEC proposes promoting awareness of the impacts of manufacturing and encouraging moderate use of smartphones. In addition, a tax weighted by the warranty and life-cycle of a device, as well as a lower VAT on used or repaired hardware, should encourage users to prefer used devices and boost the circular economy.

Hardware

FairTEC supports a more uniform construction of smartphones, facilitating the disassembly and assembly of devices. This would democratize access to repair services and encourage users to use their phones longer. In addition, manufacturers should commit to keeping spare parts available for a longer period of time. Regular checks on manufacturers and service providers could ensure that these measures are being implemented.

Software

FairTEC proposes that every phone should ideally receive software updates, security patches and bug fixes for at least five years to help prevent software obsolescence. FairTEC also suggests making an unlockable and re-lockable bootloader a mandatory provision. Users should be given the option to switch to alternative operating systems, which respect their privacy by not collecting personal data and increase the longevity of devices.

Telecom operators and electronic resellers

Telecom operators should extend VoLTE and VoWi-fi support to all compatible phones, as old 2G and 3G networks are being retired with the 5G rollout. FairTEC also supports the use of recycled or reconditioned antennas and the replacement of old equipment with more energy-efficient equipment.

Finally, recycling initiatives should not act as commercial levers to entice users to buy a new phone. We propose that telecom operators and electronics resellers only offer commercial value for recycled devices older than two or three years. Telecom operators must also be prohibited from linking the payment period for purchased hardware to the term of mobile phone contracts. This practice ties people into long-term contracts by offering new devices when airtime contracts end.

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:

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.