UCD INNOVATION ACADEMY YEAR IN REVIEW 2022 / 23
DESIGNED BY SIONNAIN GREENE AND FIONA MARTIN, UCD INNOVATION ACADEMY. INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? GET IN TOUCH, ELEANOR.KELLY@UCD.IE PUBLISHED AUGUST 2023
UCD INNOVATION ACADEMY A LOOK BACK AT 2022 / 2023
2022/23 At A Glance
1159 UCD Undergraduate Students
09
UCD Innovation Academy undergraduate electives
1 New MSc, Design Thinking for Sustainability
37
UCD schools who participate in our electives
12
80
500
1000
Student society events in our MakerSpace
Postgraduate Students
UCD Masters and PhD Students
Enterprise Ireland participants in our largest Innovation workshop yet
2022/23 At A Glance
52
10
40
50
323
1
1
Students who completed our structured elective in Innovation for Change
Educators from VNU Hanoi learning UCD 21st century teaching pedagogy this year
1400 kg of spent coffee grounds collected, transformed into 485kg of mushrooms
Countries our learners joined us from
Enterprise collaborations
Innovation in Education award
Digital Credentials issued
Robot named Pepper
About UCD Innovation Academy
UCD Innovation Academy provides transformational educational experiences for the betterment of society and the economy. We prepare learners from all walks of life to succeed in an uncertain world. We work with higher education, enterprise and the public sector, nationally and internationally, to equip learners with the mindset, tools and skills for the 21st century. We act as a catalyst for positive change, within individuals, institutions and societies, and we seek to serve as a model for higher education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Anthropocene. Our approach to teaching and learning - the “IA way" - is underpinned by innovation, creativity, leadership, the entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking. Our unique 21st century learning pedagogy centres on experiential, challenge based learning in interdisciplinary groups. By providing learners with the tools, the skills and the mindset to enable innovation, we help people and organisations unlock their true potential.
UCD Innovation Academy was founded by Professor Suzi Jarvis in 2010, a graduate of the University of Oxford and a professor of biophysics. UCD Innovation Academy was the first organisation of its kind in Ireland to offer design-led, challenge based pedagogy delivered by an exceptional team of educators, a combination of academics, entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, creative professionals and design thinking practitioners - team members with decades of ‘real-world’ experience and all committed to delivering a world-class student experience. Our pedagogy is based on the latest research in neuroscience about learning agility. Leading thinkers including Carol Dweck and her globally acclaimed work on the Growth Mindset, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Carl Wieman, education reformer Cathy Davidson and entrepreneurship scholar, Saras D. Sarasvathy have informed our approach. Our programmes are validated by a leading academic and external examiner, Professor Sir Mark Welland, Deputy Vice Provost at the University of Cambridge. Sir Mark is a former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government Ministry of Defence. Our International Advisory Board is chaired by Raomal Perera, a successful technology entrepreneur and Adjunct Professor at INSEAD. Other members include Professor Richard Templer, Director of Innovation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London; Colm Lyon, Founder and CEO of Fire Financial Services and previous Founder and CEO of Realex Payments; Datin Dr. Syahira Hamidon, Ministry for Entrepreneurship in Malaysia and Gay Haskins, Fellow and Former Dean of Executive Education at the Said Business School, University of Oxford. UCD Innovation Academy Founding Director Professor Suzi Jarvis is a member of the inaugural Public Sector Innovation Advisory Board. We believe successful innovation pedagogy must be grounded in a thorough understanding of contemporary needs and realities across all strata of our society and economy. To achieve this, we partner with the public sector, enterprise and non-profits through in-class collaborations, bespoke learning programmes and co-designing innovative solutions to a variety of challenges.
An Overview
UCD Innovation Academy delivered innovation programmes to approximately two thousand learners in the academic year 2022 /23, our highest intake of students since our foundation in 2010. Learners spanned a cross section of ages, disciplines, backgrounds and geographies. From a UCD undergraduate student in Dublin to a nonprofit leader in Haiti, the Vice President of a multi-billion dollar company and the founder of a small enterprise in rural Ireland - the message to all our learners is the same: “You belong here”.
UCD Undergraduates
Our undergraduate numbers reached a record high in 2022/23 with approximately 1159 students participating in our optional electives, coming from all 37 schools in UCD. Students chose from nine undergraduate modules spanning creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and digital transformation. In Autumn 2022, we launched Virtual Reality for Future Skills, an undergraduate elective designed to teach learners vital transversal skills through an immersive virtual reality programme. The programme went on to win an Innovation in Education award at the University Industry Innovation Network conference in Budapest in 2023, competing against universities from across Europe. Real world challenges are a core part of our methodology and this year, we took that up a notch for our undergraduates, bringing 120 students of our Creativity and Innovation elective to Deloitte for a week in March where they worked on real challenges assigned by Deloitte leaders, pitching back solutions at the end of the week to a Deloitte panel. Another 30 students of Virtual Reality for Future Skills visited Accenture to learn how they are applying virtual reality to real world challenges. Students choosing to take three of our electives to secure our structured elective which appears on their transcript, Innovation for Change, rose to a total of 52 in 22/23.
UCD Postgraduate Students
Our postgraduate student numbers also grew in 2022/23 with approximately 80 students participating in our Creative Thinking and Innovation, and Communicating for Impact modules, learning the mindset, tools and skills to transform their PhDs and Masters into real world impact. These students came from disciplines across the university from Architecture, Nursing, Earth Sciences, Physics, Law and many other research areas. Our participants agree the interdisciplinary collaboration on the modules are invaluable to fostering their creative thinking skills.
Undergraduates at the IA
We asked our Undergraduates to describe the Innovation Academy modules in one word..
Where do our Undergraduates come from?
Medicine 21.2%
Computer Science 7.5% Economics 7.5% Other 32 UCD Schools 51.5%
Mechanical & Materials Engineering 5.8%
Business 6.5%
In 2022/23 our 1159 Undergrads came from each of the 37 schools in UCD
I was able to practice and demonstrate a variety of skills such as creativity and innovation, interpersonal skills, and media and information literacy – these are skills that I will be well aware of and strive to use as strengths in any job that I land in the near future. Student, Virtual Reality for Future Skills
I will use the skills I have learnt in this module to make more sustainable choices in my day-today life and use this module a catalyst for designing a more sustainable world. Student, Innovation for Sustainability
Being introduced to Tinkercad software was a major highlight of the module for me – it brought to life all the preparation and discussing we have been having around 3D printing. We are now able to design objects and actually print them! Student, Designing the Future
The learning environment was a really safe space and I felt I gained a lot more than just more knowledge about sustainability over the week. There was a real focus on what we can do with the knowledge we have to enact change. Student, Innovation for Sustainability
I would not trade the experience of this Virtual Reality and Future Skills for any other elective. This module has instilled the need for technological experiences such as VR not only in education but in professional work life too. Student, Virtual Reality for Future Skills
Thriving Campus Culture
Building a thriving on-campus culture is important for all higher education institutions as learning recalibrates after the pandemic. The impact of lockdown on students’ mental health and their engagement with the university continues to be felt. UCD Innovation Academy was proud to play its part in building an engaging campus life at UCD this year. At our MakerSpace, we successfully organized twelve events for various student groups, such as Women+ in Stem, Cosplay, and Board Gaming Societies. We managed to attract a diverse range of groups from around the campus, including the Sci-fi, Japan, Food, Biological, Science, and Fashion Societies. Additionally, we also conducted skill-based workshops for the Young Manufacturers Leaders group. We hosted several theme-based workshops around the holidays engaging UCD Staff in our Lunch and Learn Sessions, which opened to glowing reviews and requests for additional team-building sessions for UCD Agile and Science departments. As word spreads about our MakerSpace programmes, we continue to foster student connections across schools and colleges through our curated interdisciplinary student teams working hands-on on dynamic challenges across campus, including in our living labs.
Collaborations within UCD
UCD Innovation Academy was founded to provide learners with the mindset, tools and skills to solve our world’s wicked problems and to help us all live well in the world. Collaboration across disciplines, organisations and geographies is a vital part of this and in 2022/23 we grew our partnerships within UCD through collaborative endeavours with 10 schools, colleges and units. These included the School of Medicine, Veterinary and Archaeology in our MakerSpace; the Earth Institute and Biosciences around our sustainability ventures; UCD Nova in collaborations on public and private sector innovation programming; the School of Education in our Graduate Certificate for Creativity and Innovation in Education with UCD educators participating in the programme; the School of Engineering where we will deliver the Entrepreneurship in Engineering module from 23/24; and the School of Agriculture, among others.
Collaboration also extended across borders and geographies in 22/23. In February and March we delivered innovation modules to 60 engineering students in UCD China joint college BDIC in Beijing. 120 students from all three UCD China joint colleges, BDIC, CDIC and GDIC, later participated in an International Summer School hosted at UCD with half of the programme delivered by UCD Innovation Academy and in August we delivered a Design Thinking showcase to a group of senior Chinese public servants visiting Ireland as part of a Department of Foreign Affairs delegation.
Sustainability and Digital Transformation
Artificial Intelligence exploded into our lives in 2023 through the arrival of generative AI’s ChatGPT as did the climate crisis with wildfires and record temperatures devastating many parts of the world. Against this backdrop, we launched two new programmes responding to these challenges. The Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation, Technology and Resilience and the Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability provides learners with the tools, the skills and the mindset to meet these challenges today and into the future. These two new programmes brought UCD Innovation Academy’s accredited postgraduate programmes to six with approximately 500 learners participating across the six programmes in 22/23. The addition, in 2023, of an MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability, a pathway option for graduates of the Graduate Diploma of the same name, brings the total to seven, ranging now from 20 ECTS to 90 ECTS.
Educators
UCD Innovation Academy’s collaboration with educators aims to transform education systems nationally and internationally to provide educators, and in turn learners, with 21st century skills and mindsets. 22/23 was the ninth year of the programme, with 30 educators from diverse backgrounds participating in three intensive weeks during June. In response to the paradigm shift in learning and development, its role in organisational culture, talent retention and acquisition, and more following the pandemic, a spin off version of this programme designed specifically for educators in enterprise, was launched in September ‘22 with participants from Google, Microsoft, IBM, Dublin Regional Skills Forum and more.
Springboard funded Postgraduates
The course was a gift. It gave me an understanding that in this life everything is possible. You don’t have to stop, you just have to learn. Yana, UCD Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation, Technology & Resilience
With each individual assignment I did, I gained more confidence in what, at times, seemed like an overwhelming subject area. The assignments helped to ground me, increased my knowledge in the area, and assured me of my ability to work in this field and ultimately make a difference. Student, UCD Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability
This course has been life affirming and totally transformative for me. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to shake up their thinking, challenge their mindset and reframe the way they look at themselves, their career and their abilities. I learned so many new things that I will carry forward with me in my work and personal life. Ann Marie, UCD Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The course gave me the confidence to take risks and pursue my ideas, and provided me with a supportive community of like-minded individuals. I came away from the course with a clear roadmap for launching my own business, and I feel empowered and excited to take the next steps. Paul, UCD Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This course has given me the knowledge and the know-how to perhaps develop an app for use in my new company, a tool that will be hugely useful as a way to quickly get up to speed on my clients’ needs, goals, and objectives when it comes to their financial planning. Erik, UCD Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation, Technology & Resilience
The learning environment was so supportive from both facilitators and my class and I really feel confident in my abilities to harness my creativity in my day-to-day work and encourage others around me to do the same. Andy, UCD Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership
The focus of this graduate certificate is digital transformation but it became the transformation of me. It opened my mind and gave me the confidence to do things I thought I would never be able to do. I learned, step by step, how to interact and take advantage of the advances in digital technology.
Student, UCD Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation, Technology & Resilience
Convene, TU Dublin and the Human Capital Initiative
22/23 was the third year of our Human Capital Initiative collaboration with TU Dublin, Convene. HCI Pillar III supports greater innovation, agility and future skills within Irish higher education and Convene, the largest funded collaborative project in HCI. Convene is a co-learning partnership between the recently established Enterprise Academy at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy. As first-of-their kind, discipline-neutral units within Ireland’s two largest universities, both Academies span enterprise, academia, and innovation. Both seek to adopt a more responsive, agile approach to talent development and crossdisciplinary programme provision, working in partnership with enterprise. We share our learning as exemplar models of university-enterprise engagement that can be adopted across the Irish higher education system.
Enterprise and the Public Sector
Outside of UCD, we grew our engagement with enterprise and the public sector three-fold in 22/23 compared to the previous year. In January, UCD Innovation Academy won a competitive tender to deliver a major part of ESB’s innovation programming, a key level in their ambitious net zero by 2040 strategy, for a further five years. We also delivered our largest ever design thinking workshop to 1,000 participants from Enterprise Ireland; EI reps from all around the world gathered in the RDS in April for a multi-day event to mark their 25th anniversary. Overall, in 22 / 23 we designed and delivered innovation programmes to Dochas (a global development organisation), the Department of Justice, Enterprise Ireland, Skillnet, the Pharmacy Regulator, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, PepsiCo, IDEA, (a global citizenship educational group) and Dublin City Council, among others.
Vietnam National University Hanoi
Our international collaboration with Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi began in 2018 and to date 140 VNU academics have participated in our programming to learn 21st century teaching pedagogies. In 22/23 the collaboration resumed in-person with a VNU delegation of 15 visiting UCD in November ‘22 and in August ‘23 with a focus on sustainability programming. The VNU team went through an intensive sustainability programme, visiting sustainability enterprises and ecotourism destinations.
Practising Innovation
To ‘teach’ innovation, it is vital at UCD Innovation Academy, that we also practise it and in 22/23 we continued to expand our innovation projects and programming. Our ‘Living Labs’ - hands-on, dynamic learning environments where students learn from doing - grew from strength to strength. Revolution Farm, a circular economy sustainability project on campus transforming spent coffee grounds into oyster mushrooms and then delicious ragu, sold in the local area, incorporated more learners into their activities. This, and other sustainability living labs, will now combined to form an on campus Sustainability Hub, to launch in Autumn 2023. Virtual Reality was incorporated across different programmes, allowing students to design technology led solutions to different challenges. Our ‘live online’ practice, dynamic experiential learning designed for, and delivered, online, allowed us to reach learners in China, Haiti and Malawi to name a few. Our hybrid and in-person classes proved popular, with many learners eager for greater in-person connection. With the continued growth of generative AI tools, digital prototyping was incorporated across a range of our programmes.
Community Engagement
UCD Innovation Academy seeks to provide transformational educational experiences for the betterment of our society and economy. Our work in the community is an important part of this mission. Every year we play a central role in UCD Festival, UCD’s spectacular showcase event with thousands of visitors. This year, thousands of visitors visited UCD Innovation Academy’s dedicated innovation space where we offered experiential opportunities to visitors with Pepper, our robot, our Virtual Reality experience and hands-on creative exercises. We also designed and delivered bespoke programmes to Ballymun YouthReach and the Growth English Programme for Ukrainians.
Advocacy
At UCD Innovation Academy, we seek to play our part in reforming higher education to ensure our society and economy is ready to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow. To do this, we amplify our work through advocacy and engagement. Our partnership with TU Dublin through the Human Capital Initiative’s Convene is an exemplar of collaboration between a research intensive university and a technological university. Now, in the second half of the collaboration we amplified this collaboration at numerous advocacy events in 22/23 including with An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at a Convene Enterprise Forum in November; through the HEA’s Collaboration Nation event at the Convention Centre in June showcasing HCI projects from across Ireland and also in June at a Future Talent Forum at TU Enterprise Academy. In October, we participated in Public Sector Innovation Week on panels and in discussions, spotlighting UCD as a partner for innovation and transformation in the public sector. In April, we won an Innovation in Education award at the University Innovation Industry Network in Budapest, competing against world class universities from across Europe. In June, we participated in the ‘European Year of Skills’ by hosting a Festival of Lifelong Learning in O’Reilly Hall. The European Year of Skills is an EU initiative that seeks to give a fresh impetus to lifelong learning, empowering people and companies to contribute to the green and digital transitions, supporting innovation and competitiveness. We welcomed 300 visitors over the course of a day, providing hands-on learning experiences through workshops and talks, and hosting discussions with engaging speakers including Claire McGee, Head of Education at IBEC; Sharon Keegan, entrepreneur and UCD Innovation Academy alum; and Katriona O’Sullivan, award winning educator, author and champion of lifelong learning.
Spotlights on UCD Collaborations
IA MakerSpace The IA MakerSpace is UCD’s premier MakerSpace offering various technologies for students and UCD staff to utilise and explore including: 3D printing (resin and plastics, carbon fibre and fullcolour) Vacuum/pressure forming (for mould making) Computer-controlled Vinyl/Paper Cutting Laser cutting Augmented Reality devices including projection mapping VR Headsets Electronics soldering (planned) Product Photography Small hand tools for repairs Collaborations & Integration into UCD Departments: UCD Graduate Diploma in Design Thinking for Sustainability Our MakerSpace's technology was incorporated, enabling students to apply their learning in sustainable solutions using tools like 3D printing, AR, and VR. UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering A partnership was formed to integrate a filament recycler into the MakerSpace, aiming to convert waste materials into usable items in the future- primarily under their guidance to setup and repair a 3D filament recycler in which plastics from coffee lids and bottles can be made into 3D printer filament.
UCD School of Archaeology The MakerSpace assisted with a project called Cultural Landscapes and Social Spaces (CLaSS), which the Earth Institute funds. This research project focuses on light-framed domestic structures made from organic materials (past and present). Using iPhone apps to scan the structures, the MakerSpace created 3D models such as Irish Roundhouses, stone tablets, and some structures that can be viewed in virtual reality. This enabled those working on the project to quickly communicate their research with others without their audience or students needing to visit the actual sites. "UCD’s MakerSpace has been a pivotal partner in our class project. With their assistance, we've not only accessed new technologies but also deepened our understanding of their purpose and optimal application. This collaboration underscores the transformative power of hands-on learning techniques in both teaching and research, ultimately enriching our project beyond initial anticipations." Dr Brendan O'Neill , Assistant Professor in Archaeology, UCD School of Archaeology
UCD School of Biology A collaboration with the UCD School of Biology resulted in the development of custom 3D-printed models for demonstrations and laboratory use. These models are hard to find in personalised forms and costly when produced in large quantities. The partnership made it possible to provide durable, customisable, and readily available models for numerous students. "This technology allows us to introduce models which promote difficult concepts, especially in the study of Cell Biology and other microscopic structures. The versatility and cost efficiency of 3D printing not only aids in teaching but also in designing specific tools for field work, revolutionising the way we approach biology education and research." Ciara Graham, UCD SBES Teaching Fellow
Training Sessions The IA MakerSpace is gearing up to provide skill-based training sessions, especially focusing on 3D printing and AR/VR applications, for various UCD departments including Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, and Veterinary. We have also hosted multiple lunch-and-learn sessions for UCD staff and students focused around holiday or skill-based themes. Consulting Engagements Beyond the academic realm, the MakerSpace team engaged in various internal consulting projects, such as prototyping for UCD NOVA, creating equipment for an engineering contest, and collaborating with the UCD Artist in Residence, Mark Clare to develop 3D printed sculptures.
External Collaborations and Projects: Repair Café with TOG We collaborated with Dublin’s local MakerSpace TOG on a Repair cafe. TOG staff invited UCD students and staff to bring in their broken small electric devices, shoes, clothing and parts for repair. Throughout the event, the focus was on not just repairing but teaching participants how to repair the items confidently. We repaired over 35 pieces of equipment. The event was attended and staffed by multiple UCD societies including BioSoc, Women in Stem, UCD Fair Fashion and several Engineering Societies. This will be at least a yearly event due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback. Mineral Exploration Model for iCRAG In collaboration with iCRAG, an interactive model of the Irish countryside and geological strata was crafted to educate the public about core-sampling and considerations. “The IA team were brilliant to deal with, and our researchers really enjoyed the collaborative process in creating the crosssections and rock layering of the model with the 3D printing team.“ Dr Fergus McAuliffe, iCRAG the SFI Research Centre in Applied Geosciences
Spotlight on Convene/Human Capital Initiative
Convene/Human Capital Initiative Convene is a co-learning partnership between the recently established Enterprise Academy at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy. As first-of-their kind, discipline-neutral units within Ireland’s two largest universities, both Academies span enterprise, academia, and innovation. Both seek to adopt a more responsive, agile approach to talent development and cross-disciplinary programme provision, working in partnership with enterprise. We share our learning as exemplar models of universityenterprise engagement that can be adopted across the Irish higher education system. CONVENE has designed and delivered several innovations: CONVENE was pivotal to the establishment of the Enterprise Academy at TU Dublin, a dedicated unit to broker cross-disciplinary partnerships between enterprise and faculties, with a specific focus on lifelong learning. Development of a comprehensive (and growing) suite of postgraduate programmes and pathways into and through the booming screen industry in collaboration with Screen Ireland and the TU Dublin School of Media. The project’s first major collaboration, the co-design and launch of the UCD–TU Dublin Joint Professional Diploma in Transversal Skills, took place in 2020 as a response to unemployment, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
CONVENE fellowships allow time, space and support for entrepreneurial faculty, and have led to a series of innovations, including development of the first accredited programme for professionals in the Brewing & Distilling industry. Incorporation of challenge-based pedagogy brings together enterprise and students from different disciplines to work on industry challenges. CONVENE has supported the design of new enterprise centred UCD undergraduate modules, new lifelong learner programmes in Sustainability and Digital Transformation, as well as the incorporation of technological innovation through Virtual Reality and creative technologies in the CONVENE MakerSpace. Co-designed with enterprise, Virtual Reality for Future Skills is the world’s first transversal skills programme in VR and the winner of a University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) Innovation in Education award. Revolution Farm, a campus circular economy microenterprise at UCD where students work with enterprise to learn vital future skills.
Convene aligns with: National Skills Strategy 2025 National Development Plan 2021-2030 Skillnet Ireland Workforce Development for SMEs National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy Convene has also generated broader university collaborations between UCD and TU Dublin across issues of shared interest and concern such as sustainability, immersive technologies and entrepreneurship. In 2023, an independent review by Indecon concluded that the CONVENE project has successfully been established, governance and project management structures created, and that overall delivery is on target, including student enrolment numbers. HCI funding has already enabled the creation of new modules with over 750 enterprise learners and 1,800 oncampus learners from more than ten disciplines. Models are being developed to allow for significant scalability and repeatability in coming years. Over 250 collaborators have engaged with CONVENE from across seven sectors of focus, combining elements of education, technology, and entrepreneurial skills for the future.
Spotlight on Sustainability
Sustainability Sustainability Programmes In 22/23 our engagement with sustainability grew, as did demand from our learners. We are learning to apply our tried and tested methodology to new areas including sustainability. We seek to instil the confidence and skills in students so they can consistently and predictably tackle and solve sustainability problems. Our new postgraduate programme, a Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability, launched in 2022. We rolled out three intakes, one more than scheduled, due to strong demand. Our undergraduate elective of the same name, Innovation for Sustainability and our Graduate Diploma in Design Thinking for Sustainability concluded another year, bringing its total alumni to 100 students and in March, UCD Innovation Academy secured its first Masters, a pathway MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability. We also delivered a summer school for BSc in Sustainability students.
Our challenge based learning is incorporated across all our sustainability modules and programmes leading to real and immediate impact from our classes. 74 projects in total were developed across our sustainability programmes. Projects included: employee engagement in sustainability; developing sustainability strategies for NGOs, companies and sports clubs sustainability practice; developing sustainability initiatives for schools and first and second level organisations; developing sustainability initiatives at third level organisations (UCD,UCC UL, and NCAD); and circular economy projects recovering and reusing material offcast in production process. Community initiatives included deploying Solar Panels, recycling and community gardens. Revolution Farm In 2022, UCD’s Innovation Academy launched a unique food systems experiment on campus in partnership with a micro sustainability enterprise Revolution Farm. Student teams collected spent coffee grounds from cafes and restaurants across UCD which were then used to cultivate oyster mushrooms in a dedicated mini farm container. The oyster mushrooms were harvested and turned into a delicious ragu, available for sale on campus. This is the first circular economy experiment of its kind on a university campus in Ireland. Between June 2022 and June 2023 approx. 1,400 kg of coffee grounds were collected and approx. 485 kg of mushrooms were produced on campus in UCD.
Through our Innovation for Sustainability optional elective run by UCD Innovation Academy, student teams from all disciplines worked directly on the project, collecting coffee grounds and maintaining the mushrooms, gaining vital insights in food systems and the circular economy. Over one hundred students have now taken our Innovation for Sustainability optional elective which engages students from all disciplines in experiential food systems learning. Through the elective's future focus and hands-on learning, we aim to nurture emerging leaders in sustainability across a multitude of disciplines in UCD. By cultivating oyster mushrooms from discarded coffee grounds, we're embracing an innovative approach to food production and also demonstrating our capability to transform waste into a valuable resource.
Sustainability Learning Space 2024 Following its initial success, UCD will scale this project in this coming academic year and launch a first of its kind experiential, sustainability learning space over 3000 square meters on the UCD campus. The space will include the oyster mushroom farm and an advanced biodigester that converts food waste into energy and nutrient rich compost, along with other sustainability initiatives such as a plastics recycler. The project goes beyond technological innovation. With a biodigester and community garden, we will empower students through hands-on learning in sustainable agriculture, forging a direct connection between them and the food they consume. Students from all disciplines actively engage in strategic thinking, technology, and innovation. Selected students take on roles as Sustainability Explorers, managing the operations and maintenance of the oyster mushroom farm. Among the projects in our sustainability space will be: Oyster Mushroom Farm: Home to our groundbreaking mushroom farm that breathes new life into coffee grounds. Precious Plastic Innovation Centre: Where plastic is upcycled into functional and beautiful creations. Dish2Dirt - Pocket Forests, Community Garden, and Biodigester: Nurturing biodiversity and turning waste into valuable resources. Community Hub: A welcoming space where sustainability takes root in the hearts and minds of all. Energy Independence: Powering our space with renewable energy for a brighter tomorrow.
Outdoor Classroom: Embracing nature as a canvas for experiential learning and collaboration. This space is not just a physical location; it is a symbol of our commitment to creating lasting positive impacts on our environment and community. As we explore new horizons in sustainable living Biodiversity monitoring with help of bioacoustics and AI This hands-on experience transforms theory into action, empowering students to become leaders in sustainable agriculture and drive impactful change. Through immersive tours, participants gain insights into our innovative initiatives and witness sustainability in action. By engaging students, staff, and the larger UCD community, we're transforming sustainable concepts into actionable solutions. Our experiential sustainability space, which will be formally named in the near future, is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, showcasing how universities can contribute to global sustainability objectives. We hope this space will serve as an exemplar for campus communities such as universities, hospitals, prisons and more, in Ireland, and beyond.
Spotlight on Electricity Supply Board
Electricity Supply Board UCD Innovation Academy delivers a key part of ESB’s innovation programme, central to its mission to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and to put in place the infrastructure and services to enable customers to do likewise. The programme ‘Innovation Academy@ESB’ ran for its sixth year in 2023, after UCD Innovation Academy successfully won a competitive tender for another five years. Innovation Academy@ESB, is an intensive five month programme involving 20 participants from across all business units within ESB. The programme fosters creativity, entrepreneurialism and innovation through a blend of academic, practical, action based learning and project work. Participants learn about innovation and immerse themselves in design thinking in particular. Participants focus on applying this approach to identify a problem-to-be-solved within a specific domain of concern to ESB, learning iteratively through trial and error, peer learning and reflection. The programme seeks to build the capability for innovation in ESB, develop the competence for innovation among participants, enhance the overall innovative capability and culture in the business, improve collaboration across business boundaries and with customers, enable the participating business units to engage together and build relationships and provide different approaches to address business challenges. In 2023, the focus on innovation as a lever for sustainability grew further with projects tackling community engagement around offshore wind energy, mapping the EV and heat pump population of Ireland, smart metres for SMEs and elevating innovation culture within the ESB.
The InnovationAcademy@ESB programme develops ideas and concepts for the innovation pipeline in our business, as well as building specialists, mentors, sponsors, networks and innovation leaders to drive our Net Zero 2040 Strategy. It started out in 2017 as a people capability programme around Innovation and Design Thinking, then we added sponsored business challenges based on our Net Zero 20240 Strategy, extended it to all Business Units across ESB Group, and it is now a pillar programme of our Innovation Strategy.” Mark Fowler, Innovation Capability Manager, ESB
Also in 22/23 UCD Innovation Academy delivered short workshops to different parts of ESB including a graduate innovation Hackathon to 45 new ESB recruits over the course of two days; a ‘Beat the Peak’ workshop which sought to find creative ways to encourage consumers to use electricity outside peak hours; and a creative leadership programme. UCD Innovation Academy incorporated UCD experts into our programming throughout the year including Dr Páraic Carroll, Assistant Professor in the School of Civil Engineering, where his teaching and research focus is Transportation Engineering and Dr Leonhard Lades who leads the Behavioural Science and Policy Group at the UCD Geary Institute.
Spotlight on Dóchas
Dóchas In February 2023, after eight months of collaboration and co-design, we delivered the Dóchas | UCD Innovation Academy Creative Leadership Programme to 33 international development leaders from across the world. Dóchas connects, strengthens and represents a network of international development and humanitarian organisations who have a shared vision of a just, sustainable and equal world. Its network includes 58 organisations in 104 countries. Members include Trocaire, Goal, Concern and Sightsavers, among others. The Dóchas | UCD Innovation Academy Creative Leadership Programme began on February 7th 2023, just a day after a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria killing at least 56,000 people including many humanitarian workers. Two Goal participants from the programme withdrew as the organisation redirected all of its resources to the region; 28 Goal staff were later confirmed dead in the earthquake. Suddenly, the question of leadership in the humanitarian and development sector was cast into a new and urgent light.
Our Partner Organisations
The programme was devised to empower leaders, at all levels locally within Ireland and globally, emerging and experienced, within humanitarian aid agencies, large and small. It offered a bespoke, high quality training programme aimed at unlocking leadership capacity for creativity and innovation. This interactive learning experience sought to build and enhance the creative leadership skills of existing and emerging leaders in the INGO sector; to explore participants’ personal strengths, weaknesses, mindsets and values as a creative, innovative leader; to acquire the skills to strengthen capacity for self awareness, self reflection and resilience; to learn how to enable change in participants’ organisation and beyond; and to develop the skills and tools needed to cultivate an innovative environment in participants’ organisation.
Our Global Impact
Ireland
Haiti
Ethiopia Uganda
Somalia Kenya Malawi Mozambique
What were the participants' most valuable learnings from the programme? Having the belief that anyone can be innovative, the value of self-reflection and techniques for critical thinking
The realisation that we don't always have to show up with the answer/solution, the process is just as important as the outcome
Leadership is about creating spaces for others to flourish
Do something, anything. In the past I suffered from paralysis by analysis whereas the course highlighted how doing something, anything, creates its own dynamic and momentum even if it's not the best option at the time
Innovation needs curiosity, the willingness to fail and a bit of playfulness
Courageous decisions, transformational leaderships and not fearing to fail
Spotlight on Dublin City Council Project
Dublin City Council Project In collaboration with Dublin City Council (DCC), the UCD Innovation Academy MakerSpace initiated a public engagement drive on March 22nd, 2023, World Water Day. It aimed to foster discussions regarding water awareness and drive positive transformations in everyday water consumption habits within Ireland. The project harnessed cutting-edge technologies in our MakerSpace like 3D printing, augmented reality, and virtual reality, combined with subject matter expertise from UCD academics to produce a series of immersive experiences, seamlessly merging physical and digital components. Launched on World Water Day, the interactive physical model was prominently showcased in Dublin drawing in numerous visitors seeking hands-on learning experiences. Visitors were encouraged to replicate rainwater flow using a watering pot while also witnessing the effects of road flooding stemming from variations in pavement structure and water-retaining soil.
Water cycle and runoff concept drawings provided by DCC prior to the design and build of the physical model
This interactive learning experience sought to build and enhance the creative leadership skills of existing and emerging leaders in the INGO sector; to explore participants’ personal strengths, weaknesses, mindsets and values as a creative, innovative leader; to acquire the skills to strengthen capacity for self awareness, self reflection and resilience; to learn how to enable change in participants’ organisation and beyond; and to develop the skills and tools needed to cultivate an innovative environment in participants’ organisation. Another aspect of the campaign was introduced online via an Instagram AR filter. This gamified and educational AR filter garnered more than 1700 interactions, with stories being shared through social media.
The momentum of the campaign extended into the UCD festival on June 11th, 2023, where a 360-degree film titled "Tales of Water" was unveiled. This film, enriched by narratives from the National Folklore Collection, was presented alongside the physical model. The exhibition succeeded in engaging thousands of participants, allowing them to interact, converse, and immerse themselves around scientific knowledge and cultural stories about water.
To learn more about UCD Innovation Academy and find out ways we might work together, contact Eleanor.Kelly@ucd.ie