Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Running a business in Ireland is expensive. Energy bills are one of the biggest overheads for businesses across the country, and the building you operate from has more impact on those bills than most business owners realise. New research from Procure.ie analysed at 80,526 non-domestic building energy ratings (BER) published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which measures the energy performance of commercial and public buildings such as offices and warehouses across Ireland between 2009 and 2025, to find out which counties are leading the way. Counties were then ranked by how many of their buildings achieved an A rating, the highest score a building can get. Kildare came out on top by a landslide, with 7% of its buildings (235 out of 3,355) rated A. That's almost double the national average of 3.6%. The county has become a hub for modern, energy-efficient commercial development, with planners recently approving a €3 billion data-centre campus by Herbata at Naas, and Kildare's pharma and semiconductor sites being built to high standards. Three counties share second place, each with 5% of their commercial buildings A-rated. County Dublin leads the trio with 296 out of 5,915 buildings achieving an A rating. Meath follows with 134 out of 2,672 buildings A-rated. The new 21,000 sq ft Thrive Centre of Business Excellence opened in September 2025, offering dedicated climate action services and adding to the county's growing reputation for energy-smart business. Westmeath completes the joint second-place trio, also at 5% (84 out of 1,684 buildings). In September 2025, Westmeath County Council signed contracts to upgrade its three biggest buildings (Áras an Chontae in Mullingar, the Civic Centre in Athlone, and Athlone Regional Sports Centre) to high energy-efficiency standards. Ballymore Group has also announced plans for a new sustainable town in Athlone, designed for 100,000 residents by 2040, with 90% of its energy coming from renewables. Longford (4.1%) and Laois (4%) rank in third and fourth place respectively, showing that even smaller counties can make a massive impact. Longford County Council received €793,822 from the EU Just Transition Fund to develop the Longford Enterprise and Energy Centre, and Laois County Council recently signed a multi-million-euro funding agreement with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to retrofit buildings across the Midlands. The Rebel County rounds out the top five, with 291 out of 7,263 commercial buildings achieving an A rating. Cork has more commercial buildings in this dataset than any county outside Dublin, and it is one of Ireland's biggest business counties for a reason. Pharma, tech, and manufacturing companies have all planted roots there. At the other end of the list, Limerick City has the highest proportion of G-rated commercial buildings in the country at 17%, making it the worst-performing county in Ireland. Kilkenny and Sligo are not far behind at 16%, with Louth and Monaghan following at 14%. A lot of this comes down to older heritage buildings and ageing warehouses along the Dublin-Belfast route. For more information and to view the full research, please visit: https://www.procure.ie/irelands-most-energy-efficient-counties/ Procure.ie analysed 80,526 non-domestic BER audits by county, published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), covering everything from offices and warehouses to hotels, schools, hospitals and shops across Ireland between 2009 and 2025, to find out which counties are the most energy efficient. About Procure.ie Procure.ie are Ireland's largest business utility consultants, specialising in providing strategic guidance and solutions to businesses across the country. Procure.ie offers comprehensive services ensuring you get the best deal across energy and merchant services. See more breaking stories here. 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 fantasti...

Greenvolt Next, part of Greenvolt Group, a leading specialist in renewable energy solutions for the commercial and industrial sector, has announced the creation of 90 new jobs – 50 of which will be based at its Waterford headquarters. Over the next 12 months, the company will be recruiting mid-level to senior managers to support its operations in Ireland and the UK. Roles will include project engineers, senior project engineers, project managers and site managers. These new positions are part of a significant investment into the company's expansion, talent acquisition strategy and future growth plans. This funding will also go towards the further development of Greenvolt Next's existing Waterford HQ, which is being increased by 2176 sq ft and will be equipped with the latest technologies. In turn, the expanded team will enable Greenvolt Next to deliver more large-scale projects, supporting developers and landowners in advancing renewable assets, while meeting the increasing demand for green energy solutions in the Irish and UK markets. As an organisation, Greenvolt Next supports businesses with their renewable energy transformations. It is responsible for some of Ireland's largest and most innovative renewable energy projects, including Sanofi Waterford solar farm. It also works with leading retailers including Lidl, Aldi and Tesco. Over the next three years, Greenvolt Next forecasts significant increase in revenue following accelerated market growth. This will be driven by the rising demand for sustainable and renewable energy, as well as requirements around CSRD reporting. Specifically, the organisation anticipates growing demand for solar panel installations and battery storage projects over the next 12 months. In 2025, Greenvolt Next reduced customer CO2 emissions by 30,000 tonnes, with a further reduction of 150,000 tonnes of CO2 projected over the next three years as demand for renewable energy soars. Owen Power, CEO of Greenvolt Next Ireland & UK, commented: "Our success to date has been driven by our ability to deliver the most reliable and cost-effective energy solutions to customers, underpinned by unmatched resources and expertise. Looking to the future, which will only see greater demand for such projects, we want to continue making a tangible impact for businesses and the environment. "That means investing in operations, growing the team and innovating for customers. As well as marking the next stage in our own journey, this will allow us to make renewable energy easy for more organisations across Ireland and the UK. In turn, they will not only be more sustainable but also more successful." Greenvolt Next operates within a dynamic and agile environment. As a growing international Group also focused on Utility-Scale and Sustainable Biomass projects, Greenvolt Next offers opportunities for professional development, enabling people to contribute to projects with tangible impact, supporting the advancement of the energy transition. To apply for available roles at Greenvolt Next – https://next.greenvolt.com/ie/careers/ See more stories here.

Pictured at the launch of the report, "Digital Infrastructure for the Future We Want", were Darren Maher, Managing Partner, Matheson LLP, Jim Power, Amárach Research, Minister of State Timmy Dooley, Michelle Wallace, Interim CEO, Digital Infrastructure Ireland and Maurice Mortell, Chairperson, Digital Infrastructure Ireland. An economic study on the data centre industry has revealed the critical role the centres play in Irish corporate tax windfalls and in the €107.5 billion in taxes paid here by the ICT industry. The study by economist Jim Power and statistician Gerard O Neill from Amárach Research has also sounded a warning bell that the ongoing limitations on the development of datacentres are now posing a considerable risk to Ireland's attractiveness as a location for foreign direct investment. Speaking at the launch of the report, Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Timmy Dooley, said: "Ireland's data centre ecosystem is and will continue to be a critical driver of national economic performance, underpinning high?value sectors, foreign direct investment, digital competitiveness, operational resilience, and export growth, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs." Maurice Mortell, Chairperson of Digital Infrastructure Ireland added: "Ireland has a long history of attracting investment and has positioned itself as one of Europe's leading locations for digital infrastructure. Sustaining Ireland's taxes and its role as a leading investment hub requires a National Digital Strategy that integrates digital infrastructure, energy, planning and industrial policy to support long term competitiveness. The Government's announcements must now translate into tangible actions. With a renewed approach, Ireland can lead the next generation in developing sustainable, high performance digital infrastructure – but delivery is essential. The reality is that considerable taxation is paid where IP assets are located and this has been instrumental to the strong growth in corporation tax revenues since 2015. The risk is that if data centres are going to be built in other locations, because they cannot be built in Ireland, the IP assets could follow the data centres, with very negative implications for Irish corporation tax revenues. Ireland is losing business and global companies are moving their investment pipelines elsewhere." The study, "Digital Infrastructure for the Future We Want", says there has been €18 billion in investment from Ireland's data centre ecosystem, spanning across 105 facilities and 35 operators. It finds that the economic significance of data centres is greater than the direct employment they create and the vital element of critical infrastructure that they provide. "Data centres are essential for the Government's AI and digital strategy, the modernisation of the public sector and the indigenous business economy," the report notes. "Ireland has a high dependence on foreign-owned companies in terms of employment, corporation and income tax receipts, and general economic activity. Given this high level of 'concentration risk' there is considerable pressure on Ireland to preserve its status as a good country in which to do business. That is now under considerable pressure," the authors say. The report highlights that a lot of global intellectual property is stored in Ireland and is a major contributor to tax revenues. "Many of the largest corporations in Ireland are in high-tech industries like pharmaceuticals or information technology that rely heavily on IP. Unlike a building or a machine, it is very easy to move Intellectual Property into or out of a country. There is a lot of Intellectual Property held in Ireland. Some of it has been produced here, while much is imported between different arms of the same multinational corporation." "The location of IP in Ireland makes a significant contribution to exports of goods and services from Ireland. In 2024, exports of computer services...

Guest post by Shefaly M. Yogendra, Ph.D. Her book "Uncharted Spaces. Reset the Agenda. Reimagine the Boardroom." is out now. A recent Institute of Directors Ireland snap poll of Irish business leaders found that most directors use AI tools with varying degrees of confidence, and a majority believes AI adoption is critical for competitiveness and relevance. However fully two-thirds are not confident about their understanding of the impact of the Regulation of AI Bill 2026 on their business. Fewer than half of the boards have discussed AI governance in the last year. This suggests a gap in broader AI fluency and hence potentially deficient guardrails and governance mechanisms. While there is huge opportunity, risks need to be managed smartly too. E.g. a 3GEM research report found that while 89% of Irish SME workers actively use AI tools in their daily workflows, only 44% of those organizations have a formal AI policy or strategy. In plain English this is a shadow IT challenge. On steroids. How could Irish SME boards enable strategic success for their businesses, such as by ensuring safe, responsible, compliant AI adoption? Here are some actionable ideas. Relevant skills: A recent EY CHRO 2030 survey found that Generative AI adoption and the transition to a green economy are both accelerating at the same time. This means that skills that did not really crystallise even five years ago are needed urgently. It is crucial to get hiring right and to build strategic, ongoing skills development capacity in the business. This change would start with the board and the executive leadership team, underpinned by a regularly updated, dynamic skills matrix. The skills matrix needs to move away from box-ticking with the static safety of well-known employers and past big titles, and move towards active exploration of experience, capabilities, and evidence of growth and reflection. This will of course change sourcing, interviewing, and appointment of candidates, and then how the board evaluates its own construction continually for relevance. Relevant mindsets: In addition to hiring for demonstrable capabilities and skills, future-relevant boards need mindsets that shape the business for future success. A changed mindset would view compliance and governance not as burdens or checklists but as enablers of growth and client acquisition. Cubic Telecom's well-known governance evolution serves as an illustrative example. Following a capital event where SoftBank became a majority owner, the board reconfigured itself to balance global ambition with local roots and operational agility. SoftBank-appointed directors serve alongside strategic customer observers from Audi and Qualcomm, while the founder and CEO Barry Napier helps bridge the company's Irish product roots with its international ambition. Barespace provides another live example, this time of how high-calibre, enterprise-grade governance could be designed and implemented well, right from the start. Following a €2.9 million seed round in September 2025, the company appointed prominent Irish VC and tech veteran Brian Caulfield as Chair of the board. Its strategic advisers include Rick Kelley and Barry Napier, who bring growth and strategic nous to the boardroom right from the foundational stage. The wisdom of these choices is borne out in the experiences of building new businesses, where specialists, hands-on warriors and famous names all play specific roles in the shaping of the business. Relevant cadence: Future-relevant boards need a different workflow and cadence than the current practice of quarterly, compliance-centric approaches. Rolling strategic reviews would serve the business well especially with shrinking and super-short technology hype cycles. These hype cycles do not need reactive, kneejerk responses but steady and calm leadership to steer the business through a time of rapid change. Wild success, however we define it, is not accidental but deliberate. Culture as the underpinning e...

The Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) has announced a new round of Government of Ireland funding of €20 million to support energy research and innovation under its 2026 National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) Funding Programme and Energise Fellowship Programme. The RD&D call welcomes innovative energy research proposals that will help accelerate Ireland's transition to a clean, secure and affordable energy future, supporting national climate and energy objectives. The 2026 call is open to researchers across all disciplines and to public and private sector organisations, encouraging collaboration to deliver impactful and scalable solutions for Ireland's energy transition. The deadline for applications to the RD&D call for the call is 13:00, Tuesday 30th June 2026. SEAI is pleased to announce that the 2026 RD&D call involves co-funding partnerships with Met Éireann and Geological Survey Ireland. In parallel, the SEAI Energise Fellowship Programme 2026 calls are now open, offering opportunities for researchers to undertake high-impact, policy-relevant energy research. The programme aims to build capacity in the sustainable energy sector, strengthen the link between research and policy, and support evidence-based decision-making for Ireland's clean energy transition. Fellowships are available in both academic settings and within SEAI, with the SEAI-based fellowships offering a unique opportunity to gain direct experience of energy policy development and implementation. Eligibility for those has been expanded for 2026 to attract more senior and established researchers, including academic staff, broadening participation and strengthening the impact of the programme. The deadline for the SEAI based fellowships applications is 13:00, Thursday 11th June 2026, and for the academic fellowships is 13:00, Tuesday 30th June 2026. SEAI has supported energy research since 2002, with the RD&D programme playing a central role in delivering innovation across the energy sector. More than 300 projects have been supported to date, with total funding of over €120 million, spanning areas such as renewable energy, energy systems, energy management and efficiency, transport, energy policy, human behaviour and community engagement. What's new for 2026 The 2026 programme introduces several key updates: A revised thematic approach, focusing on priority research areas in line with government national priorities A new (optional) Offshore Renewable Energy RDD+ funding pathway, supporting projects that are relevant to offshore renewable energy, and require access to specialist test facilities outside Ireland, with funding of up to €2 million per project Enhancements to the Energise Fellowship Programme, broadening eligibility and strengthening links between research and policy Equal, diverse, and inclusive teams lead to higher productivity, creativity, and greater problem-solving ability, resulting in more impactful research. We strive to enhance opportunities to address gender imbalances in research leadership. Wider support is also available to support equality, diversity and inclusion including funding for those who may have additional support needs and accompanied travel for those with caring responsibilities. Further information is available at: https://www.seai.ie/seai research/research-funding/ Minister for the Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O'Brien, TD said: "This €20 million investment highlights the Government's strong commitment to driving innovation that will accelerate Ireland's transition to a clean, secure and affordable energy future. I welcome the continued growth of SEAI's RD&D and Energise Fellowship programmes, as well as the new Offshore Renewable Energy pathway, which will help position Ireland at the forefront of renewable innovation. I encourage researchers and organisations to apply and play a key role in shaping a more sustainable energy system." William Walsh, CEO of SEAI added: "Innovation...

Ageing mind and impact of social media on the brain up for debate at Robert Boyle Summer School June 4 to 7 What effect does social media have on the mind? What changes take place in the ageing mind and what goes on in the minds of serial killers? All will be revealed as avid conversationalists and the culturally curious gather for four days of intriguing discussion and debate. 'Mind and Matter' is the theme for this year's Robert Boyle Summer School, a not-to-be-missed gathering from June 4 to 7 that promises thought-provoking talks, discussions and entertainment in Waterford city and Lismore. This year begins with a special opening evening with SETU forensic psychologists Dr Lorraine Bowman Grieve and Dr Jennifer O'Mahoney as they explore our fascination with true crime and serial killers, followed by a weekend full of engaging conversation and social events. The Summer School is a weekend event for adults interested in exploring the role of science in our culture, organiser, Eoin Gill said. It's an annual pilgrimage to the south east for many from across Ireland. "The annual Robert Boyle Summer School is in the tradition if Irish cultural summer schools -very much a Festival for adults, not a school; focusing on Science, but not for Scientists," Eoin Gill said. "We explore where ideas come from and how they impact and affect how we see the world today. The annual Robert Boyle Summer School brings together speakers across various fields on a particular theme relevant to society. This year's Mind and Matter theme will resonate with our audience and we look forward to really good, mind-opening conversation and debate. "We're honoured that this year, we will be joined by excellent speakers and experts in their field, among these Prof. William Eaton head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Georgia Southern University; Dr Emma Farrell from the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, and Regius Professor Rose Anne Kenny from the Trinity College who leads the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and is author of the best-selling Age Proof : The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life "We're privileged to also have Prof. Mark Cunningham from Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience with us for the 2026 Festival, along with Prof. Luke Gibbons from Maynooth University. In addition to the talks and discussions, the weekend features an array of entertainment, social gatherings and the iconic Garden Party in the stunning surrounds of Lismore Castle Gardens," he explained. The Robert Boyle Summer School is organised by CALMAST, South East Technological University's STEM Engagement Centre in partnership with Lismore Heritage Centre, with support from Waterford City and County Council, Lismore Castle Estates, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local industry West, Waters, Sanofi, Haleon and Bausch and Lomb. Book a session, a day or the whole Summer School on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/robert-boyle-summer-school-2026-tickets-1981338115640?aff=website See more breaking stories here. 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 Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie 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.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting and business solutions, who operate a Global Delivery Centre in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, today announced a landmark strategic partnership with Mistral, one of world's leading AI companies. As part of this collaboration, TCS has become the first global systems integrator partner for Mistral Forge, Mistral's advanced system for enterprises to build frontier-grade AI models grounded in their proprietary enterprise knowledge and domain-specific data. The partnership combines Mistral's frontier AI capabilities with TCS' deep context of enterprise customers, domain knowledge and engineering excellence, to help organisations scale enterprise AI responsibly with greater speed. As part of this strategic collaboration, TCS will leverage Mistral Forge to build custom AI models for enterprises. It will help customers deploy their data and enterprise context to improve decision outcomes. This collaboration draws on TCS' strong global presence across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia-Pacific to deliver AI solutions tailored to industry needs, operations and regulatory requirements. The partnership will initially focus on sectors like banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), manufacturing, healthcare, and the public sector, where trusted AI adoption is becoming increasingly critical. TCS will also establish a dedicated Centre of Excellence for Mistral to drive joint innovation, build industry-specific solutions, support project delivery, and accelerate client value through early access to Mistral's beta models. The Centre of Excellence will serve as a strategic hub for advanced talent, focused training, and the capabilities needed to design, deploy, and govern AI solutions. Arthur Mensch, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Mistral, said, "TCS' global scale and contextual industry knowledge make them an ideal partner for Mistral. Together, we are enabling enterprises worldwide to move from experimentation to AI deployment with systems that are open, production-ready and aligned with their strategic and operational requirements." K Krithivasan, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director at TCS said, "The partnership with Mistral reinforces TCS' commitment to scaling enterprise AI with trust, control, and measurable business outcomes at the core. This partnership expands TCS' AI ecosystem, uniquely positioning TCS to create a differentiated solution proposition for our clients. Together with Mistral, we will solve for specific industry challenges, regulatory requirements, and sovereign needs for our enterprise customers." As part of its broader Infrastructure to Intelligence AI strategy, TCS continues to invest across infrastructure, models, data, application, platforms and physical and digital intelligence. This aligns with TCS' ambition to become the world's largest AI-led technology services company, underpinned by a five-pillar strategy focused on embedding AI across the enterprise, scaling AI-led delivery capabilities, and driving measurable business outcomes for clients.

Tech salaries trends to watch Irish tech roles now command salaries that compete with – and often exceed – those in other key global economies and tech markets, reinforcing the country's position as a top-tier destination for skilled professionals, according to the latest Hays Tech Talent Explorer. While much of the global conversation around Artificial Intelligence has focused on job displacement, the research highlights how AI is instead reshaping tech roles. Routine and administrative tasks are becoming increasingly automated, allowing professionals to focus on complex, high-impact work. In Ireland, this shift is contributing to continued salary growth as demand rises for professionals who combine technical expertise with critical thinking, creativity, and decision-making skills. Ireland's Growing Global Competitiveness The research benchmarks Ireland against other key international markets, focusing on salaries in each economy across a range of tech roles. Ireland maintains a significant pay advantage in several key roles, such as Data Engineers and Solutions Architects. When compared to markets like the UK and Germany, Ireland performs strongly, with overall tech salaries in those countries trailing by 17% and 19% respectively. While the United States remains the global leader in compensation – with average tech salaries reaching approximately €108,387 compared to €81,338 in Ireland – the data reveals a tightening gap in specialised fields such as Data Scientists. The findings suggest Ireland offers employers access to highly skilled technical talent at a more sustainable cost base. Furthermore, salary benchmarks in Ireland remain closely aligned with major global markets like Australia and Singapore, while contractor day rates rival major hubs including Luxembourg and Hong Kong, reflecting the country's strategic importance as a centre for global tech operations. Despite broader economic uncertainty, Irish tech wages continue to be driven by sustained demand for advanced, future-ready skill sets rather than AI-led disruption. Senior Managing Director for Hays Ireland, Barney Ely, said: "Ireland is no longer just a European branch office for major tech companies, it is now a primary engine of global tech innovation. We are seeing a shift where AI is enabling tech professionals to move away from routine tasks and towards work that is more strategic and globally impactful. "We've recently seen layoffs at major players across the tech industry, but the continued strength of salaries demonstrates the resilience of the Irish market. "For talent, Ireland offers a landscape where technical skills are met with high-value rewards. For employers, the challenge is no longer just finding people – it's partnering with experts who can navigate an increasingly AI-enhanced environment." See more breaking stories here.