Digital Transformation IE - Q3 2022 by Mediaplanet UK&IE

DON’T JUST KEEP UP. OWN THE presidio.com/moderniseFUTURE. Future-proof your entire infrastructure with Presidio. A Mediaplanet campaign focused on Read more at www.businessnews.ieQ3 2022 | A promotional supplement distributed on behalf of Mediaplanet, which takes sole responsibility for its content Digital Transformation“Businessesmustcontinuetoembracedigitalisationandviewitasanecessaryinvestment.”DamienEnglishTD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Page 04 “Effective digital adoption can increase efficiencies.” John Durcan, Senior Digital Transformation Specialist, Operational Excellence and Digital, Enterprise Ireland Page 02

People

here are many views on digital transformation, some focus just on the technology, while others look to digitise existing ways of work. Overall, it is a lot more complex, especially where businesses are looking at fundamental changes in how their business operates into the future. An approach to aid this is to look at it under four areas: purpose, people, process and technology.

of technology within your current staff to help start the process within a business. Resources such as Skillnet Ireland and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are a good starting point to see what support is available.

Technology

Once a purpose is defined, it is important to look at the staff’s current strengths and future skill needs. Often, one looks for a good digital champion or early adopter

Purpose

The final part is the technology itself. It is important to have technology that best fits the business need. Factors such as size, staff capabilities, sector and competitors will all play a part in this decision. A few useful questions to ask in selecting technologies are: how can it talk to other business systems, and how can one extract the data for analysis at a later stage? Integration and data will be keys to the future growth of the business.

Take time to understand the clear aim of the business in adopting digital — is it to become more cost/energy efficient, enhance customer service, drive research and development? There are several resources available to help. A good starting point is the cluster network for the industry in Ireland. There is also funding support, such as Digital Start from Local Enterprise offices or Digital Discovery from Enterprise Ireland, to help define a roadmap for adoption.

John

Durcan Senior EnterpriseExcellenceSpecialist,TransformationDigitalOperationalandDigital,Ireland INISSUETHIS “The cloud can transform public services — Ireland must act now.” Una Fitzpatrick Director, Technology Ireland Page 06 “Ireland needs a highly skilled population to build resilience.” Mary Cleary Secretary General, Irish Computer Society Page 10 “Digital solutions help predict, prevent and detect falls.” Professor Martin Curley Chair, Irish Digital Health Leadership Steering Group Page 12

There is a tendency to look simply at digitising existing processes. However, this often can lead to extra costs and does not get the maximum benefits out of digital. Ideally, the first step is to understand the process end to end; this helps maximise how digital can automate and enhance the process. It is not uncommon to change a process after applying a digital lens.

Maximum benefits out of digital under four areas of approach

Effective digital adoption can increase efficiencies, improve how customers and companies engage and develop new products/services and business models. It is not uncommon to change a process after applying a digital lens. Project Manager: Cian Raftery Cian.raftery@mediaplanet.com Business Development Manager: Lucy Harris Managing Director: Alex Williams Head of Ireland: Ross Bannatyne | Head of Print & Design: Thomas Kent Designer: Aimee Rayment Content Editor: Angelica Hackett O’Toole | Digital Manager: Harvey O’Donnell Paid Media Strategist: Jonni Asfaha Social & Web Editor: Henry Phillips Digital Assistant: Carolina Galbraith Duarte | All images supplied by Gettyimages, unless otherwise specified @BusinessnewsIE Contact information: uk.info@mediaplanet.com or +44 (0) 203 642 0737@MediaplanetUK Please recycle

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Process

Future of work

WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway

This is the future of work, so resisting it would be a mistake. “Organisations need to empower their people by giving them the opportunity of choice,” says Graham. “Otherwise, they’ll be left behind.”

Organisations that employ remote and hybrid models of working are offering their staff flexibility and freedom — and setting themselves on a path towards an exciting future.

are now firmly in the new world of work,” says Bríd Graham, Senior Vice President at global digital services and solutions provider, Presidio. “People aren’t tied to their desks anymore because work is no longer a physical space. They can work anywhere, at any time.”

while the flexibility of remote and hybrid working retains the talent they already have, notes Graham.

Importance of security

Why you should empower your staff with the opportunity of choice

Security is paramount for any workforce transformation. “It’s vital to protect your organisation, clients and workforce,” says Graham. “For us, as a business at the vanguard of workforce transformation, it’s a collaborative process which involves having meaningful engagements with clients to understand what they are trying to achieve and then helping them plan their transition effectively.”

However, one thing remains: “Staff still have an obligation to do their best work, wherever they are. Our clients want to help their people work remotely to the best of their abilities. Modern users expect a digital experience that mirrors their personal digital lives. To achieve this outcome requires a rethink on the traditional Service Level Agreement (SLA) paradigm. To deliver the flexible workstyle, user centricity is key. Services must go beyond the current SLA standards towards XLA (eXperience Level Agreement) models using DEM (Digital Experience Management) tools and services at its core.”

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“

Investing in tech means organisations can develop a borderless workforce: they can attract the best talent;

Remote working can challenge the culture of an organisation – even with technology that enhances collaboration. Positive things happen in the office that don’t happen when working from home. “That’s why many of our clients are keen to explore the hybrid model for better employee engagement,” says Graham. “Staff could work from home for maybe two or three days a week, then come into the office to meet and keep that culture alive.”

Bríd Graham Senior Vice President, Presidio

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Optimising remote work Change was beginning before the pandemic, Graham admits, but many organisations accelerated the move to remote and hybrid working during lockdowns. She adds: “Employees have been trusted with freedom and flexibility. And that trust has been repaid.”

How can we prepare for the future? Simply by building the right capability. We developed a ‘Workforce of the Future’ Program to build digital capability, change management and problem-solving skills. This program has supported the continued professional development and training of ourWeteam.created the first Digital & Technology function at our site as a pilot for the Global Janssen Supply Chain. As well as a roadmap to enable our 2030 vision of becoming a more predictive and adaptive plant.

From speaking to businesses around the country, we know it can be daunting to consider ‘digitalisation’ as a whole. The advice offered by exemplar businesses at Grow Digital workshops has

been to start by taking a step back and considering one thing about your business that you’d like to change and ask if there’s any way that a digital approach can offer the best solution.

Learning opportunity for digital growth

This summer, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has held a series of Grow Digital workshops around the country. A key advantage of these workshops has been hearing the real and practical questions that our SMEs are asking about the digitalisation journey.

What can we do?

Know what the business needs. We defined some key technologies needed to meet our 2030 vision. One of these was ‘In-Line Conditioning technology’ which the company was awarded the 2022 US-Ireland Research Innovation Award in the Category Enabling Technologies.Toraiseawareness, we hold our Digital & Technology month in September. This gives the organisation an opportunity to learn what is being advanced through our digital journey.

Digital transition offers SMEs the chance to build economic resilience

Embracing digital transformation and adopting new technologies is just as vital for our SMEs as it is for society and the wider economy.

For businesses with 10 or fewer employees looking to develop an e-commerce presence, the Local Enterprise Offices offer a Trading Online Voucher of up to €2,500 while the Online Retail Scheme aims to help retail businesses build and expand their digital capabilities.

WRITTEN BY Damien English TD Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail

Digitalisation

will help as we work to recover from the pandemic as well as improve the competitiveness and sustainability of our enterprise base. In truth, digitalisation is no longer an option but an essential step in future-proofing businesses and building economic resilience.

Paid for by Janssen Sciences Ireland Find out more at janssen.com/ireland/ WRITTEN BY Terri O’Donovan Digital & Technology Site Lead, Janssen Sciences Ireland

In June, we launched the Digital Transition Fund alongside Grow Digital to help businesses toward digitalisation. This fund draws on the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and is in place to help companies at all stages of their digital journey, from the first steps of establishing an online presence to reaching new markets and improving productivity.

Why is it important to digitalise your business?

If we are to achieve a digital transition in all parts of the country, businesses must continue to embrace digitalisation and view it as a necessary investment. We want to encourage businesses to seize the opportunities offered by digital technologies as a matter ofThisurgency.willhelp increase productivity and reduce waste, saving time and money in the long run.

Janssen Sciences Ireland UC, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, has been operating in Ringaskiddy, Cork since 2005. The site manufactures cutting-edge medicines for immunology and oncology patients.Customer expectations are changing rapidly. All Johnson & Johnson teams work together to bring better products to our customers and patients through the use of digital innovation. Together, we are all building digital capabilities that make our supply chain more efficient, resilient, reliable and sustainable.

For many, the first and most important question was, “How do I go about beginning my digital transition? What are my first steps?”

Support for businesses is available

We have built a digital ecosystem by partnering with industrial and academic partners to advance our journey. We are delighted to be part of the Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum where we can contribute to the National Digital Strategy by providing information from the pharmaceutical industry.

Three key focus areas to enable digital transformation

Incorporating digital transformation into your business strategy is a must for future growth and success.

This might be as simple as adopting new software to address issues with your workflow. It might be about introducing automation or using digital technologies to test and deploy widescale technical solutions to improve operations.

We want to encourage businesses to seize the opportunities offered by digital technologies as a matter of urgency.

When people are interested in learning more and upskilling, it truly enables digital transformation.JanssenSciences Ireland UC was awarded the World Economic Forum Global Lighthouse status in March 2020 and the Sustainable Lighthouse status in March 2022.

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The team has created visibility through outreach, trust through delivery and transformation through technology.

Accepting the digitalisation need

Rising cybercrime

.IE

Find out more at hcs.ie/powerstore

As guardians of Ireland’s critical internet infrastructure — the .ie namespace — we take steps to keep the domain safe. This ensures that the level of threat to .ie websites is lower than other top-level domains, such as Along.com.with validating domain applicants’ identity and their connection to Ireland, we have also

Ireland’s accelerated digital transformation must be accompanied by behavioural changes, tools, procedures and appropriate protection measures capable of extending security to digital operations and remote workers to maintain safe operations.

Recent communications from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provide invaluable advice to SMEs.

Paid for by HCS

It’s important that firms remember that digital transformation is not a single solution, but a set of tools and systems to run a business more efficiently.

.IE

any Irish companies urgently need to move to overhaul their ageing IT infrastructure as rivals undergo the process of digital transformation. It can bring many benefits to companies of all sizes including reducing operating costs, improving productivity, more easily meeting compliance requirements and delivering a better experience for customers.

Cybercriminals are becoming more aggressive in their use of automated

Digital transformation won’t happen overnight. And when it does, it does not necessarily mean big, sweeping change across the business. With the right strategy, it involves minimal disruption, brings staff along on the journey and utilises systems and solutions that are already in place.

Firms need a way to deal with data that may be stored in different locations and to access the right data in ‘real time’ — that is what PowerStore offers. It is customer-centric and flexible enough to change as the market demands.

Neil Phelan CEO, HCS

Scan the QR

The storage system can accelerate digital transformation by supporting ‘traditional’ and modern IT workloads across a variety of formats and locations.

A trusted pathway to the internet

Smarter data storage solutions power up large and small businesses

Paid for by

There can be a temptation for busy IT managers and business owners to push the need for digital transformation to one side, faced with seemingly more urgent matters. This tendency to investigate it only when there is extra time without recognising it as a priority is problematic because the time to do it may never be more convenient.

Dell Technologies and HCS, through their PowerStore storage solution, provide customers with the IT infrastructure they need to digitally transform.

HCS uses secure-by-design principles to ensure that it significantly reduces risk by building security into everything. It enables customers to maximise their business performance through professionally managed technology and, having been in business for nearly a quarter century, HCS has an in-depth understanding of Irish businesses and what they need to succeed.

digital transformation of our economy and society has been monumental. With Covid-19 acting as a catalyst, the rate of digital acceleration forced businesses to quickly adapt the way they operate, communicate and sell to meet changing consumer needs. According to Microsoft, the digitalisation of the Irish economy could be worth within the region of €300 billion in 2023. The remote working experience has also been enhanced and seen as a benefit of the pandemic.

Risky delays

The other side of the coin is that firms that don’t move forward risk getting left behind or losing a hard-earned edge on their competitors. The biggest motivator for engaging with digital transformation is the need to survive, especially in the current business climate.

Implementing preventative measures

A storage solution supports traditional and modern workloads and helps SMEs to accelerate their digital transformation.

WRITTEN BY Sean Duke

Storage solution

tools to exploit vulnerabilities. This was seen through the ransomware attack on the Health Service Executive in 2021 that caused its systems in Ireland to shut down. Phishing is a daily occurrence, with cybercriminals tapping into the vulnerabilities of citizens through text messages in an effort to extract bank details and launching malware attempts on business websites that process payments from the public.

Cybercrime is on the rise. With companies fast-tracking digital transformation and implementing hybrid working models, cybersecurity measures must be put in place.

Smooth transition

The

With companies fast-tracking their digital transformation and implementing hybrid working models with remote working staff, cybersecurity is a major concern.

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Cybersecurity must now be a key focus for all SMEs

In addition, we employ Netcraft, which provides cybercrime monitoring and disruption services. These services allow us to proactively respond to online abuse issues, such as .ie websites that are hosting malware, phishing or botnets. This is invaluable as it helps innocent victims, such as SMEs, who might be unaware that they have experienced a cyberattack on their website. Once notified, our Registrar partners work with customers to take the required remediation.

established consumer protection protocols with the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and national regulatory bodies to address online illegality and permit ‘take-down’ of .ie websites under certain circumstances. We achieved industry standard ISO 27001 security certification, which ensures that an organisation manages and mitigates its cybersecurity risks effectively.

David Curtin Chief Executive,

code to find out more

Aligning the public sector with leading examples

of the world’s leading cloud computing firms who have invested massively here, in terms of both infrastructure and people power. Despite this cutting-edge technology on our doorstep, the public sector has been slow to harness it. As the report shows, there is now an opportunity to right that wrong and reap the benefits of digitalisation in the same way as the private sector in Ireland and the public sectors in countries with whom Ireland often benchmarks itself against, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.”

The way public services are being delivered all over the world is rapidly changing. As people make greater use of the internet and smart devices, they want governments to provide better digital services.

Una Fitzpatrick TechnologyDirector, Ireland

But its capacity to transform public services and deliver major benefits for Irish public

ovid-19 has only served to accelerate the digital trend, with a greater expectation than ever that State bodies should be able to operate remotely and at speed.

Compelling security advantages

Technology Ireland has recently launched a report, produced by the leading international consultancy Frontier Economics, that assesses the benefits of increased cloud computing use by the Irish public sector. It also identifies institutional and policy hurdles currently preventing Irish public sector bodies from availing of the technology.

Technology Ireland Director, Una Fitzpatrick, states “Much has been written and said about the undisputed power of the cloud to drive business and enterprise growth. But its capacity to transform public services and deliver major benefits for Irish public sector bodies and people in Ireland has largely been overlooked. That is why this report is so valuable — it highlights clearly what the consequences of the Irish public sector’s low uptake of the technology are.

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Fitzpatrick continues: “Ireland is already home to all

Moving to the cloud, as Frontier Economics’ research demonstrates, would have deep cybersecurity, sustainability, and economic advantages, as well as improving the fundamental quality of public services. It should, therefore, be a no-brainer for the Government.”

The cloud can transform public services — Ireland must act now

Dr Christopher Fenelon, Orthopaedic Specialist Registrar

Assistant Director

PHN

Olivia O’Connor, for , Carmel Twomey, Registered Community Nurse for

Ian McGovern, Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

We are porting a proven technology and applying it in the healthcare sector. The MSc immersed us in the workings of the HSE, thereby allowing us to build systems ﬁt for purpose that deliver huge value. I highly recommend the course to senior persons in private companies looking to build business within the health sector.

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For more information please

Email: annette.mcelligott@ul.ie

Managing the transformation of healthcare ecosystems with emerging digital technologies visit:

PHN

digitalhealthtransformation.ie “

Sinéad Lawlor, Director of Public Health Nursing (PHN) for Practice Development

Foley,

Rose Cafferkey & Maria Ronan, Senior Clinical Pharmacists MSc in Digital TransformationHealth

The MSc combines the skills you need to understand the digital landscape in healthcare from the frontline to the cloud, to deliver sustainable future proofed solutions. We realised an Antimicrobial Stewardship Performance Indicator and Measurement System that is transferrable across hospital sites, modiﬁable to other settings, and scalable to Europe and beyond.

This unique and engaging course provides a comprehensive understanding of the facets and complexities of digital health. Working as a team, to specify a solution to a real problem was truly rewarding. We highly recommend this course to those working in healthcare sectors.

Paul CEO, DreamTec Systems

The MSc in DHT gave us the skills, language and foundation to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to implement a digital patient ﬂow platform in Orthopaedics. Launching this platform, seeing the beneﬁts in the optimization and streamlining of patient care was truly the highlight of our experiences.

Today’s organisations are putting the right tools in employees’ hands and empowering them to do their job in a way that works for everyone. None of this is achievable without a robust underlay network that permits users secure and reliable access at all times. It can help to treat cloud security and connectivity as a coherent objective. Embedding cybersecurity into your network and everything that runs on it does not only reduce the risk of a data breach but simplifies user access to resources. Empower your people to do their job wherever they are, in a way that works best for them and your customers, without worrying about sensitive data.

Some organisations with active digital transformation programs in place were rewarded for their forward planning, with other entities finding themselves under increased strain to react more quickly than ever before.

Over

What this pandemic has clearly shown is a glimpse of our future, today. Connectivity has become this generation’s new frontier, with organisations now having the opportunity to do things better than before.

How to ofthemakemost opportunitiesdigitalahead

Wider reach in a remote environment

For information,more please visit public-sectorie/business/virginmedia.

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Alan Saunders Public Sector Manager, Media

But what does all this change mean for your organisation? And how can you ensure you’re making the most of the digital opportunities ahead? Digital transformation powers growth and positive change in Ireland which leads to increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and customer security. By providing continued investment in digital change, it will help to grow our industries and public sectors, boost the national economy over the coming decades, and ensure your organisation is ready to adapt and thrive in the years ahead.

Virgin

Reacting to the unprecedented disruption caused over the past two years, organisations and enterprises have had to accelerate the pace of their transformation activity to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

Business

In the retail sector, online purchases have increased rapidly over the past few years, meaning cybersecurity has been placed at the forefront of online safety.

Continued productivity in various sectors

Within the public sector, agencies have been able to address their needs in partnership with government networks and the many shared services they can offer via the Government Cloud network. Nevertheless, many agencies are also looking toward a hybrid model, incorporating a blend of Government Cloud and public cloud offerings from providers like Microsoft, AWS and others.

Thankfully, technology and connectivity have provided the means for businesses to carry on and even thrive within this context.

Secure and reliable networking channels

Hybrid working has changed the way we work.

Organisations today need a flexible and resilient network that remains available and secure for remote end-users, regardless of where they choose to work. However, there remains a need to deliver the same user experience without compromising security.

Benefits of digital transformation investment

In the healthcare sector, for example, patients and staff were able to communicate via online consultations, allowing the same quality of care to be delivered while also keeping patients and professionals protected.

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these past few years, all of us have been living with the reality of digital transformation like never before. Sudden requirements such as enabling employees to work remotely, providing virtual learning and homeschooling to children and shifting services from the premises to the cloud have stretched ICT resources to the limit.

Those that have invested in their networks and security have been better placed to react to the pace of innovation demanded by a changing world. They have delivered a more seamless digital experience for both staff and customers, ensuring the organisation can remain relevant, increasingly accessible, and positioned for growth into the future.

Organisations are seeing the value in this and adopting it in their digitalisation strategies to keep up with demand, with security being the focus of all online activity.

communication between staff, suppliers and networks. While for many more, it can help to facilitate training and recruitment.

Many

As businesses adopt technology, they also gather increasing quantities of data such as contact details, emails, invoices and receipts — all of which are essential to its functioning. However, this also makes them more attractive targets of cybercrime. This includes any unauthorised exploitations of systems, networks andHackerstechnologies.recognise that while the financial gain is less than if they targeted a larger business, SMEs often have little to no cybersecurity in place, meaning their chances of success are much greater. The financial burden of a breach can be substantial for a small business, while lost or compromised data can also damage a business’s reputation, so the security of their network should be an important consideration for business owners.

Flexibility in digitalisation

While the adoption of technology does create risks and challenges, embracing it can transform businesses.

For information,more please visit small-businessie/business/virginmedia.NoelO’Reilly

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This all helps to enhance customer experiences, driving loyalty and attracting new business. Embracing this newly emerged connectivity and communication landscape also helps to create a level playing field where SMEs can compete with larger companies for business on a local and global scale.

dayeachTransformingbusinesswithnetwork and solutionsprivacy

High qualities of network infrastructure are essential, both to underpin these technologies and to ensure that businesses are prepared for any future advancementstechnologicalastheycome.

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the bedrock of the Irish economy. But in recent years, their customers’ expectations have shifted — with instant availability of information, services and products now considered the norm.

A solution to network safety

Connecting people with speed

Privacy risks for SMEs

Harnessing the power of digital technologies allows SMEs to streamline their business, adding value and increasing productivity in the process. Digital transformation also offers various benefits reflective of each, individual enterprise. For some, it involves creating an e-commerce offering to allow for out-of-hours trading. For others, it can serve to improve

Virgin

It is this potential for growth which has led to digitalisation being frequently referred to as the industrial‘fourthrevolution.’

Traditional networks were designed to be tied to a specific location, such as an office. But with more and more businesses working remotely, there is a requirement for flexible yet secure access to that network. Cloud computing, such as Virgin Media’s SD-WAN offering, empowers businesses to connect multiple dispersed sites and data centres in a way that ensures the security of any and all data being utilised by the workers.

SMEs have been made sharply aware of their lack of agility when making changes, bringing into focus the need for them to keep abreast of new technologies. While this has created numerous challenges for SMEs, it has also created unprecedented opportunities for the businesses that are open to digital transformation. It is this potential for growth which has led to digitalisation being frequently referred to as the ‘fourth industrial revolution.’

Media empowers businesses with award-winning one gigabyte (GB) broadband — superfast speeds that mean no more lagging calls or slow downloads. Our install times are the quickest in Ireland too, connecting businesses and homes across the country to our network within just five working days.

Business Product and Solutions Manager, Virgin Media Business

To make the most of technology, businesses must assess their working patterns and identify opportunities for improvement. This could include looking at the storage of data and the benefits cloud technology could bring or evaluating the number of sales that could be made through an online offering. SMEs can also see improved efficiency as a result of the digitisation of repetitive, error-prone activities and tasks.

Every

Seizing opportunity

small country that has played an outsized leadership role over the past 50 years. But with global economic pressures and fast-moving digital transformation sweeping in, there’s an urgency to what it needs to focus on.

Connecting the country

Mary Cleary Secretary General, Irish Computer Society

When they do choose to study technology, this cohort has the highest dropout rates of all faculties in the system. Some of the reasons for this are hackneyed — IT being a ‘nerdy,’ ‘male’ subject, depriving its graduates of normal socialisation, as well as the naming and description of courses in colleges and universities being difficult to tease out and link to eventual roles.

the country. We need a plan to keep more of this capital here.

First, we must build on the strong foundation we’ve created as a market with a hardworking, educated population and a high-quality education and healthcare system.

Third, we must decentralise opportunity. For too long, rural areas around the globe have been left behind in terms of economic opportunity. Ireland is no different. Urban areas have an incredible advantage, whereas many rural areas have been left underserved,

However, there are worrying trends in the development of this pipeline of high-quality workers in Ireland. Computer science and related disciplines have slipped down the list of choices made by Irish school leavers for further and higher education.

so often, we must take stock of the performance of ‘Ireland Inc.’ What have we achieved? What did we fail at? What should be next? Based on over 30 years of creating and leading businesses, I believe Ireland needs to do the following five things to increase its competitiveness.

We have new, critical opportunities to further strengthen Ireland’s economy and promote greater opportunity. The time to act is now.

BroadbandNationalIrelandIrelandisa

There is room for an initiative in Ireland to deliver a widespread teacher education module, to speed up the adoption of computer science and ensure that girls’ schools are as keen on teaching the subject as boys’ schools.

Choose IT

Ireland

Fourth, and this point is connected to the previous point, Ireland must finish its plan to make high-speed broadband available to every man, woman and child in the country through its National Broadband Plan. As chairman of NBI, I obviously have a vested interest in making this happen. But as an Irish citizen living in rural Ireland, my connection and commitment to this venture isn’t just a matter of business.

Teach what counts

creating knock-on issues that limit our potential. To grow as a nation, we need to create jobs where people live. We need, through technology, to create new companies, grow existing businesses and attract employment remotely from global corporations.

We need a plan to keep more of this capital here.

Computer science and related disciplines have slipped down the list of choices made by Irish school leavers for further and higher education.

Technology is a game changer in 21st-century Ireland. As a country, we must do better in delivering more bright, ambitious computer science graduates who will leverage all the advantages of digital transformation.

This is a complex challenge, but solving this issue starts with focusing on attracting long-term capital for critical projects and launching efforts to ensure Ireland owns more of its intellectual property — across business, software and entertainment.

Maintaining a strong, competent talent pipeline is essential for this process to play out, with a steady supply of information technology graduates coming into the market from the Irish education system, complemented by workers from abroad.

Second, Ireland needs a plan to address the fact that, at present, onethird of the Irish economy is made up of money that is just passing through

Finally, Ireland needs to be an active participant in setting the tech rules and regulations for internet 3.0 and 4.0.

Staying ahead

There is also a gap in the education system. Despite impressive efforts to bring forward computer science as an examinable subject in second level schools, there remains a situation where uptake is slow due to a lack of suitably skilled teachers whose expertise is recognised as valid for registration to teach the subject.

Expanding industries

David McCourt Chairman,

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needs a highly skilled population to build resilience and take advantage of innovation and its transformative effects on its citizens.

Basics first – attracting more young people to technology

I’ve been blessed to spend 30 years in the technology, media and telecommunication industries. I’ve seen a lot of change — but it’s nothing compared to what’s about to happen.

Find out if your eircode is in the National Broadband Plan at nbi.ie

Despite Ireland’s position at the global cutting-edge of IT, there is an imbalance in the innovation and preparedness for the digital transformation of businesses. Contrasting the strength and investment of multinationals with the indigenous SMEs, it is clear that there is an imperative to identify a means to ensure that Irish-owned and managed companies can digitally transform their businesses and compete in an international market.

Digital Transformation has become a commonplace term; it is, however, a real and critical phenomenon. Strong, coordinated population upskilling is essential for people to cope with the impact of technology on their lives and master it to their advantage.

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Ireland to build on five things amid global digital transformation

Businesses that are slow to respond could face costs and risks in terms of security breaches, poor connectivity and loss of revenue. “The market is changing so fast, and the major driver is digital transformation,” says“TheReid.challenge for the enterprise,” he continues, “is to make sure systems meet the changing connectivity and continuity of service requirements.”

CYBER-SKILLS also worked with Mastercard, along with other MNCs, to upskill the software development workforce.Acutelyaware of the difficulties SMEs have in competing with multinationals in recruiting cybersecurity talent, the program has developed a specialised pathway to deliver the skills to this sector. Their reduced-cost modules look at improving and providing resilience to SMEs to deal with cyber threats and face regulatory and compliance challenges.

ROCTEL is a telecoms and mid-market managed service provider and longstanding partner of Cisco Systems.

Reducing the cybersecurity risks for successful business networking

They have worked with large organisations such as Dell, where personnel with core computer science skills were upskilled in cybersecurity as secure operations specialists. They taught them to secure network services and networks and analyse log files and appraise governance risk.

“And companies that pay up, rather than step up security, leave themselves vulnerable to future cybersecurity breaches,” adds Reid, who pointed to an Irish government campaign warning of the cyber risk.

It embraces the SASE — secure access service edge — concept as an integral part of the protection, with cloud networking and cybersecurity delivered in one package. It runs alongside the company’s ROCSOLID concept, ensuring high availability and benefits from CISCO technologies to maintain services in case of technology outage.

Students can tap into the CYBER-SKILLS educational infrastructure and access state-of-the-art technology to experience real-world cybersecurity scenarios. They are the only educational provider in Ireland that hosts this infrastructure, ensuring learners are workplace ready on graduation.

An escalating need for security Cyber security is a “massive challenge” for companies, says Reid, who is the founder and CEO of ROCTEL. While major organisations such as transport and health systems enhance cybersecurity with professional networks, hackers are targeting mid-market and smaller firms. This sees data locked and only released upon payment of a

DonnaProfessorO’Shea Head of Cybersecurity, MTU

across Ireland are urged to ensure their connectivity and cyber security are optimised. With staff often working in a hybrid model (from home and the office), continuity of internet and telephony networks with security against hacks has grown in necessity.

and medium enterprises (SMEs) are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks because many do not have the resources to adequately protect themselves, according to industry expert Professor Donna O’Shea.

Ensuring internet and telephony systems are secure with high levels of connectivity is paramount as businesses continue to evolve post-pandemic.

“We align to an internationally recognised framework and develop customised pathways in cybersecurity education, aligned to job roles with flexible, short, courses,” she adds.

Paid for by

Flexible modules

Real-world scenarios

Having the most secure tools ROCTEL’s Cyber Defence system is an aggregation of tools ensuring that individual endpoints in a company’s network are secure, whether in-office or at home, anywhere in the world.

Paid for by ROCTEL

It takes an innovative approach to upskill and re-skill learners who already have busy roles in the industry.

Small

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Boosting cybersecurity skills for small businesses in Ireland

Read more at education.cominnopharma

InnopharmaDevelopment,Business

With companies collaborating in a vibrant ecosystem, the future is surely bright with lengthened lives and economic growth delivered in parallel. The digitalisation and virtualisation of care mean sustainability benefits, avoiding travel and minimising the risk of infection for patients.

MartinProfessorCurley Chair, Irish Digital Health SteeringLeadershipGroup

health is recognised as a new discipline providing great potential to transform the healthcare system. Despite outstanding performance in economic growth, digital deployment (Ireland is fifth in the EU DESI) and outstanding clinicians, the Irish healthcare system is ranked very low (number 80) in the ranking of global healthcare systems by CEO World.

Ireland is building an Open Collaborative ecosystem to rapidly improve our healthcare system. Undirected innovation can lead to much waste, slow progress and inefficiencies. To orchestrate the efforts and innovation to fix the Irish healthcare system, we are using the Open Innovation 2.0 methodology. Additionally, we use the Stay Left, Shift Left 10X strategy and doctrine to help align, amplify and accelerate our collective efforts.

Together with Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, we will announce the First 25 at the UNGA Science Summit in New York on September 26th and at the Smart Health Summit in Croke Park on September 28th — the top 25 indigenous Digital Health companies and CEOs in Ireland for 2022 working with the Irish Health System. Five Irish companies will be physically present in New York, sharing their solutions and 10X benefits, Silvercloud, PMD Solutions, Halocare, Redzinc and Phyxium.

Globally, digital health is seeing record levels of venture capital investment, and Ireland is seeing more entrepreneurial activity in the industry.

Recognising leaders

Healthcare investment

Digital health contribution

From a standing start, Ireland has made remarkable progress in establishing a vibrant digital health SME system.

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A culture of openness and the adoption of the Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2) living labs approach has allowed effective collaboration and co-creation with a network of Irish Digital Health SMEs.

foster an environment where digital health solutions and research can be successfully iterated in clinical settings.

Globally, digital health is seeing record levels of venture capital investment, and Ireland is seeing more entrepreneurial activity in the industry.

Historically, it has been very difficult for Irish Digital Health SMEs to penetrate the Irish Health Service. This has created at least two problems: lack of innovation in health services and Irish Digital Health SMEs being forced to go abroad.

HSE Digital Transformation has worked closely with Enterprise Ireland, IDA, SFI, IDHLSG and others to

This list is prepared based on how well each company is helping enable the Irish Digital Health Strategy ‘Stay Left, Shift Left -10X’ and have been assessed based on 12 criteria. This includes better care, lower cost, better experience and better quality of life.

Accelerating health benefits and solutions for Irish citizens and economic growth

Digital

Professor Gaye Stephens Trinity College Dublin, ADAPT

How assistive technology can servicescommunityrevolutionisecare

WRITTEN BY MeredithRussellJones

The time is now Declan Murphy, CEO of Isaac Care, says bringing community and homebased care into the 21st century will make it more effective.

“There are patients in hospitals who need to go home but don’t have the appropriate support or package of care in place. We can offer the technology and personal care to place them back at home.”

The

New governance frameworks can ensure that data is managed and used safely and correctly. The healthcare domain is one area, where connected health data ecosystems and networks has brought new challenges. The work of ADAPT, through programmes such as Empower Data Governance and Precision ALS, is helping to inform the debate and shape the response by providing robust systems to deal with these challenges and use data for social Privacy-preservinggood. technologies are safeguarding the rights of data sharers. Together with intelligent systems, they can protect citizens while streamlining data exchange in the global business ecosystem.

“If hospital admission is required, the peace of mind provided by the technology, backed up by roundthe-clock telecare support and first responders, can accelerate discharge,” Murphy adds.

The service enables health services

out more at

Effective monitoring

The importance of governance in unlocking digital transformation has been recognised internationally. As the secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Rebeca Grynspan, says “governance is what will determine the outcome of digital transformation.”Disruptivetechnologies such as AI and advanced data analytics are enabling organisations to respond more

Lack of data governance can facilitate not only misuse of data but also non-use of data contributed by citizens for use in research. If ethical and regulatory concerns are not resolved, then confidence in digital technology will be eroded; and instead of a digital transformation, there will be a digital Governancestagnation.canunlock the potential of digital technology by providing reassurance, restoring confidence and rescuing the data ecosystem from significant pitfalls and challenges. To respond to this national and global challenge, the SFI ADAPT Centre is driving innovation in this area by developing systems to protect citizens while streamlining data accessibility.

Public benefit

efficiently than ever before. Now, the challenge is to ensure the data governance and management challenges are met.

Find out more at adaptcentre.ie Paid for by SFI ADAPT Centre

Find healthcare/isaac.care/

“This integrated care service allows clinicians, family members and service users themselves to be involved in sharing appropriate data, enhancing someone’s life and preventing them from going into hospital,” says Murphy.

future success of digital transformation depends not simply on technology, but on putting in place the systems necessary to protect people’s data, while making sure it is accessible and organised.

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They offer a set of remote monitoring devices such as fall alarms, in-home sensors and health monitoring equipment, all of which transmit information to the Isaac Care app.

Peace of mind

he Stay Left, Shift Left strategy from eHealth Ireland, as part of Sláintecare’s vision of integrated care, aims to shift from acute care to care within the community. Care within home settings has been shown to keep costs low while also enhancing quality through digital applications, data and technology.

“Care being delivered in the community hasn’t really changed since the days of Florence

Inclusive technology

Care within the community is urgently due an upgrade, with hospitals feeling strained and home support services stretched since long before the pandemic. The HSE has reported that 2 million hours of home help will not be delivered this year.

Declan Murphy CEO, Isaac Care

and caregivers to access information to improve care for issues including dementia, diabetes, respiratory issues and fall risks.

Finding potential

“We have used our 20+ years of experience in the care industry to inform the design of the Isaac Care platform. It is simple and extremely user-friendly.”“Asaresult,we have a high level of engagement even from older people who are tech-agnostic,” explains Murphy. “No one needs to be a tech wizard to use it.”

Digital transformation depends on good governance

Nightingale,” he says.“ But now, after the pandemic, the time is right for health services to explore and invest in technology to help people be proactive in the prevention of health issues while monitoring their health and wellbeing at home when needed.”

Strengthening technology

Reaching all sectors

High data availability is helping power digital transformation, but data governance systems are needed to protect data owners. Data governance concerns creating policies and cultivating practices that scaffold the data pipeline from data collection to data use and data reuse.

The success of digital transformation is not just dependent on technology. It has ethical considerations, regulation standards to meet, and business applications — issues that affect every single person because data is collected on everyone.Proceeding with digital transformation with the right data governance systems in place will ensure that people do not need to fear the future, but can enjoy the benefits and the extraordinary potential of new technologies.

Paid for by Isaac Care

The service also allows users to monitor health and wellbeing over time, using markers such as weight, pulse oxygen levels and heart rate.

Professor Markus Helfert Director of EMPOWERProgramme,GovernanceData&ADAPT

However, in 2021, the European Commission published a policy brief addressing some challenges of Industry 4.0. Critics say it may result in people left behind as it focuses mainly on the potential profit caused by using new innovative technologies.

Critics say it may result in people left behind as it focuses mainly on the potential profit caused by using new technologies.innovative

Geopolitical shifts and natural crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, highlight the fragility of our current approach to globalised production.

Evidence shows that when making career choices, the new crop of graduates of millennials and Generation Z are influenced by how a company impacts its people and the planet as well as its profitability. By acknowledging the pillars of Industry 5.0, companies in Ireland will continue to attract and retain talent.

Rather than asking what can be done with new technology, ask what dotechnologythecanforpeople.

published a white paper: ‘Towards a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry.’ It recognises the power of industry to achieve societal goals beyond jobs and growth. It can make production respect the boundaries of the planet and place worker security at the centre of the process.

Louise O’Gorman Advance Centre Manager, ATU Sligo

Shifting industry priorities

Paid for by Advance Centre

has been strategic support from agencies such as the IDA and Enterprise Ireland as well as the provision of degrees and masters with the required technical knowledge by universities. This leads to sectors like that of medical devices — many of which are in the Western region of Ireland — remaining competitive by enabling Industry 4.0 technologies to create smart factories.

This digital transformation of businesses has allowed companies to become more cost-effective and increaseAcademiaproductivity.isplaying its part by creating initiatives such as the Advance Centre which provides accredited learning in areas like cyber security, data science and cognitive computing which are core technologies of Industry 4.0.

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Rather than asking what can be done with new technology, ask what the technology can do for people. To be sustainable, the industry must develop circular processes that reuse, re-purpose and recycle naturalTechnologiesresources.like artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing can contribute by optimising resource efficiency and minimising waste. Finally, resilience refers to the need to develop a higher degree of robustness in production, protecting it against disruptions and ensuring its ability to provide and support critical infrastructure in a crisis.

Stability in technology

To move from policy to practice, how will universities in Ireland react to the need to produce graduates from STEM programmes who have human-centricity, sustainability and resilience at their heart? There will need to be a strategic approach and a focus on areas such as lifelong learning transdisciplinaryandeducation.

How a human-centric approach would benefit the technology industry

The human-centric approach puts human needs and interests at the centre of the production process.

In a vision for the future of European and, thus, Irish industry–the European Commission recently

There

The implementation phase of the digital transformation of businesses in Ireland is progressing at pace through a collaborative approach between the Government, academia and industry.

It is known as, Industry 5.0’ and complements the existing ‘Industry 4.0’ paradigm by having new technologies drive the transition to a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry. It moves the focus from solely shareholder value to stakeholder value.

Change for human benefit

Focusing on inclusion