The Irish Tech News Podcast

The recent 10th World Ocean Summit, a leading annual global event on the marine economy took place in Lisbon, focusing on the theme, "inspiring ocean solutions".  I was lucky enough to interview two of the speakers at this years World Ocean Summit and in my first interview I talk to Professor Steve Widdicombe.  Professor Widdicombe talks about his background, technology advancements, having information much more quickly, earthquakes, plankton, new species, making a difference and more.  More about Professor Steve Widdicombe: Professor Stephen Widdicombe is a marine ecologist who has studied the impacts of humans and climate on marine ecosystems and biodiversity for more than 30 years. His work has substantially increased understanding of the effects of ocean acidification on the marine environment. Professor Widdicombe contributed to the founding of the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), becoming co-chair of its executive council in 2019. In 2021 he co-led the development and endorsement of the UN Ocean Decade Programme OARS (Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability), which aims to provide society with the observational and scientific evidence needed to sustainably identify, monitor, mitigate and adapt to ocean acidification.

We chat with Oisin De Conduin, from Xtremepush about AI and how it can help businesses. Topics we look at include: - Is it all hype or is there real business value in AI? - What is it good at, where are the benefits? - What are the pitfalls or things to watch out for?- How can a business start to take advantage of it? More about Oisin De Conduin -  Oisin De Conduin is the Director of Engineering at Xtremepush. He has 10+ years of experience in application modernisation, digital transformation, and cloud adoption. He is responsible for bringing innovation, security best practices, and ensuring a high quality of engineering across the platform, which is purpose-built for hyper-personalised omnichannel marketing. A key part of his role is looking at new and emerging technologies (like AI), and seeing how they can help unlock value for Xtremepush's customers. More about - Xtremepush.com Xtremepush is an Omnichannel Customer Engagement Platform powered by a built-in CDP. It enables high-velocity companies to build, grow, and retain strong customer relationships through personalised, relevant, and timely communication.

A fluid discussion with a payments veteran around payments. Panagiotis Kriaris shares his takeaways from the World Banking Forum. We talk about top concerns in payments, push & pull payments, and digital wallets. Enjoy the global perspective Panagiotis Kriaris https://www.linkedin.com/in/pkriaris/ is the Commercial Director and Head of Business Development at Unzer. Panagiotis has spent his career in the borderline between business and technology with a leadership background at an international level. Panagiotis brings senior expertise across Financial Services, Banking, Payments, FinTech, Retail and E-Commerce. Innovation, strategy, business development, strategic partnerships and building businesses and products from scratch have been at the center of his work and attention throughout his career. Being a recognized voice in the financial services industry, Panagiotis has contributed to various publications and podcasts and is often invited as a public speaker at events around the globe. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter.  Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal

India’s Big AmbitionsIn this weeks episode of The Futurists we talk to author Gunjan Bagla, a leading figure in India-US trade relationships and commerce. Bagla argues that while China is seen as a massive threat to the US, India is a natural ally of the west having supported outsourcing over the last 4 decades, and being more aligned on policy. But like China, India has big ambitions and will overtake China as the most populous nation this decade. Will that translate into economic growth or does India need infrastructure investment to level up as a global economic powerhouse? Brett King is a world-renowned entrepreneur, futurist, speaker, international bestselling author, and media personality. China’s President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his 2018 national address; the same book that was listed as a Top 10 non-fiction book in North America. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia for that year. Robert Tercek is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and educator focused on the process of dematerialization and innovation. In his professional capacity, Mr. Tercek is a seasoned business executive with deep expertise in digital media and internet services. He is a prolific creator of interactive programs and products. He has designed and launched successful consumer experiences on every digital platform, including digital television, game consoles, broadband Internet, and mobile networks. In 2021, Mr. Tercek was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Media Excellence Awards for his leadership in designing and launching COVID SMART™, an interactive training program designed to keep workers safe on the job during the pandemic.

Ayelen hails from a strong corporate background working for companies such as Bain and Revolut - and is now working in a startup which last year raised $3.5 million. She speaks about the challenges of being a female founder looking to raise money in Web3. Your host is Jillian Godsil

Le Random, a pioneering digital generative art institution, announces its $8 million seed to establish a permanent collection that celebrates the movement’s heritage, tells its story and anticipates its future. Co Founders Zack Taylor and the Funny Guys talk about generative art (how is exists for more than 60 years) as they define generative art as an artist setting up rules from which art is then executed. Your host is Jillian Godsil

What is the future of wallet and how do banks prepare for the digital space race? Join us as we travel back in time with Ronit Ghose from the golden era of London — through Stockholm and Hong Kong to Dubai, crisscrossing stories between traditional finance, decentralization, consumer fintech, and digital assets. What is Ronit’s prediction for the future of the internet and the future of wallet? Will CBDC happen in Europe and the U.S.? Tune in to find out!

According to a report by Zoom in collaboration with FRS Recruitment, jobseekers in the IT sector are predominantly seeking fully remote working conditions, while 80% in the commercial sector prefer hybrid working conditions. Remote or hybrid working models will continue to be the new norm, with options for remote working becoming an increasingly important consideration for candidates when accepting job offers. In addition to this, according to the Hays Salary & Recruitment Guide 2023, 90% of tech employers plan to hire new staff in the next 12 months, a six-year high, despite economic concerns and skills shortages. Figures published by the Central Statistics Office show that the digital sector employs more than 270,000 people in Ireland. Ronan talks to Brian O hOisin, the founder of Tech Nomads, a new event series, bringing Ireland’s top tech talent face-to-face with the country’s most exciting tech companies, with hundreds of jobs on offer. Brian talks about his background, Tech Nomads, AI, disruptors, the metaverse, mentorship and more. More about Brian O hOisin: Brian is a well known business and tech entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Career Zoo. He is also the CEO of Tech Tribes, the head of innovation at Catalyst Media, the founder of Tech Nomads and is also involved with Dublin Tech Summit.

Will Humanity thrive with the Planet or will the world remain fragmented (amongst us and with nature)? Can Innovation enable us to solve our wicked problems and what mind shift is required?  Dr. Mihaela Ulieru brings us into her highly rich world, her passions, and shares glimpses of how platforms can enable holistic decision-making; how we can upgrade our socioeconomic operating system and much more.   Stay to the end, to listen to her recite one of her own poems. Dr. Mihaela Ulieru https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaelaul... is a technology alchemist and an innovator at the edge of the impossible with a solid background as a “rocket scientist” backed by a PhD in robotics and an illustrious academic career. She is founder and President of the IMPACT Institute for the Digital Economy. IMPACT stands for ”Innovation Management and Policy Accelerated with Communication Technologies”- a spinout from her academic research in “eSociety” aiming at policy reforms for the adoption of the latest digital technologies in all areas of society and sectors of the economy. Since her early career she kept inspiring and supporting young entrepreneurs – one of her first MSc students was Garret Camp, co-founder of Uber and StumbleUpon –and she currently advises several startups aiming to put the “Fourth IndustrialRevolution” technologies (AI, Blockchain, IoT) to work to make the world a better place. Stay to the end, to listen to her recite one of her own poems. Dr. Mihaela Ulieru https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaelaul... is a technology alchemist and an innovator at the edge of the impossible with a solid background as a “rocket scientist” backed by a PhD in robotics and an illustrious academic career. She is founder and President of the IMPACT Institute for the Digital Economy. IMPACT stands for ”Innovation Management and Policy Accelerated with Communication Technologies”- a spinout from her academic research in “eSociety” aiming at policy reforms for the adoption of the latest digital technologies in all areas of society and sectors of the economy. Since her early career she kept inspiring and supporting young entrepreneurs – one of her first MSc students was Garret Camp, co-founder of Uber and StumbleUpon –and she currently advises several startups aiming to put the “Fourth IndustrialRevolution” technologies (AI, Blockchain, IoT) to work to make the world a better place.

Guest: Dean Takahashi Description: Co-hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview journalist Dean Takahashi, who has been covering innovation in the game industry for three decades. Dean gives The Futurists a post-CES roundup of new trends and genres that span a dizzying array of evolving technologies. Games have expanded beyond a niche category of entertainment to dominate mainstream media. Games now foster new story franchises that attract tens of millions of fans daily. Dean explains how game tech is blurring the boundaries between the classic game industry and other media, such as motion pictures and television series. He tells us why game developers are most likely to lead the way into the metaverse. And he anticipates interoperable game economies where any player can also be a creator of generative worlds that are photorealistic. Topics include: core gamers, casual games, free-to-play, cloud gaming, blockchain games, VR and AR, Roblox, Fortnite, PUBG, digital twins and game communities.