Using innovation and technology to connect, the Irish Virtual Island Summit, September 2nd

Sustainable Island Economies: Connecting Locally and Globally Virtual Island Summit – Ireland’s Virtual Hub Event, Wed 2nd Sept 2020 10.15 am Technology and Connectivity: Using innovation and technology to connect Chair: Simon Cocking, Chief Editor, Irish Tech News Speakers: Dr Sarah Robinson, Post-doctoral researcher with Grassroots Wavelengths Community Radio innovations projects, UCC. Brendan Smith, Insight Centre for Data Analytics, NUI Galway Followed by short Q&A Speakers and Chairs: Dr Nóirín Burke is Director of Education at the National Aquarium of Ireland. She works in both formal and informal education, outreach, ocean literacy and stakeholder engagement. She’s on the secretariat of the Irish Ocean Literacy Network and a board member of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Trish Hegarty is a former BBC and Irish Times journalist and director of Inis Communications PR agency. She has worked on a range of marine, tourism and regional economy projects for clients such as Fáilte Ireland and Foyle Port and ran the award-winning #LoveDonegal Day campaign last year. Rhoda Twombly lives on Inishlyre, Mayo is Secretary of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann (Irish Islands Federation) and ESIN, the European Small Islands Federation. Comhdháil was founded in 1984 by 16 islands to examine the difficulties facing islanders, which they felt weren’t being addressed at regional or national level. Dr. Sarah Robinson is a UCC postdoctoral researcher on the grassroots radio project since January 2019, working with island communities on Bere, Sherkin and Cape Clear. Based at the School of Applied Psychology, her background is in social, cultural and community psychology as well participatory action research. Simon Cocking moved to Ireland 25 years ago and lives on Cape Clear Island. He is an entrepreneur, Chief Editor of Irish Tech News, & Editor in Chief at Crypto Commonwealth. He also writes for the Sunday Business Post and The Irish Times.