Innovation Nation 2018 shines a light on vibrant economy in Newry, Mourne and Down area.
A large number of techy minded people arrived at the Newry City Hall to enjoy Innovation 2018, a top level conference promoting the innovation and digital sector in South Down and beyond.
This sector has grown within the local economy in Newry, Mourne and Down in recent years with pillars such as First Derivatives, and it is cementing its growing reputation on the world map as a hub of innovation with the help of some fast-growing, indigenous businesses and an energetic tech ecosystem.
That was the message from the first ever Innovation Nation conference held in Newry on Thursday 27th September where some of the district’s most prominent entrepreneurs and business leaders shared their experiences on how they have grown globally recognisable businesses.
Innovation Nation 2018 heard from Brian Conlon, Founder and Chief Executive of First Derivatives plc; Norbrook Laboratories Chief Executive Liam Nagle and STATSports Chief Commercial Officer Sean O’Connor, as well as inspiring entrepreneurs and tech leaders from elsewhere.
Keynote speaker and serial entrepreneur Mark Little addressed the conference on the opportunities in the digital age for companies from all sectors of the business world and told his story of starting successful technology companies and working for one of the most well-known social media firms, Twitter.
He said: “It has been hugely inspiring to see first-hand the brilliant energy which is to be found in the businesses we’ve seen from in and around the Newry Mourne and Down District. Some really exciting global companies have emerged from the area and if the talent from the start-up community is anything to go by, there will be many more to come in the years ahead.”
Mark Murin, Chair of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, said: “Innovation Nation 2018 has shone a light on the vibrant ecosystem of innovation and technology which has been building in this district for some time. It is great to hear the stories of how some of our local companies have got to where they are and to get the input from experts in the technology field.
“As a council we want to see the economy here flourish and we’re determined to make sure we do all we can to encourage even more innovation, more energy and more entrepreneurial spirit in the coming years. We want to work in partnership with our businesses and other key stakeholders to turbo-boost the district and ensure it can take its place as a pivotal city between Dublin and Belfast whilst building a connected web across the world.”
Other speakers at the event included Secure Broadcast founder Helen Lennon; Queen’s University Belfast Director of Operations Claire McAlinden; INCISIV founder Dr Cathy Craig; Peter McCaul, Chief Executive Officer at Péarlaí; Adrian Toner, Chief Operating Officer at First Derivatives; Matthew Scott from Navada Studios and Steve Pette, Co-founder at Ormeau Baths.
For more details on the programme, speakers and how to get involve visit:
https://nmdinnovationnation.com/
The format for the day was a series of presentations with panels on the main hall where the audience floated in and out depending on their interests and time etc. One key discussion in the morning focused on business start-ups and Peter McCaul of Pearlai agreed that Invest NI was a key player in supporting business start-ups, especially those with an export potential. He said: “Invest NI have been very supportive of our business. They have had a significant input in helping our company get up and running.”
Jerome Finnegan of Fieldmotion said: “We found that we needed to hire the right guys that can sell our services. Every business needs sales. It is the life blood of business. Companies may look good but if they cannot sell then they will likely go down.” And Kieran Swail of SRC added: “It is important for young companies to be able to reach the market… their marketing strategy is vital in this area.”
In the Sean Hollywood Centre adjacent through the day there was also an opportunity for businesses to pitch to four dragons ( business angels), who had the unenviable task of selecting the best positioned business to succeed and the prize for this was a 50,000 EUROS package. Presentations lasted around 10 minutes and each presenter was grilled on the performance of their business idea. There were a wide range of ideas presented through the day from a motor sports promotions business, an ‘Afterbook’ life stories record online for the deceased, and a detection system for stowaways on vessels, lorries etc.
There was also an advice session and stalls available with Invest NI, Intertrade Ireland, the Southern Regional College, First Derivatives and STATSports.
And outside the front door the engineering department of QUB Belfast were displaying their August 1981 Delorean car converted to run on electric which created quite a lot of interest.
Through the day there was a constant chatter on the Twitter feed #InnovationNationNewry2018
