Balbriggan Innovation Challenge - The EcoCore Hackathon

EcoCore Hackathon - With Smart Balbriggan

Description: Join us at The Lark Concert Hall for an exciting Balbriggan Innovation Challenge in collaboration with Smart Balbriggan! Get ready to brainstorm, innovate, and network with like-minded individuals passionate about sustainability and business. This in-person event is your chance to make a difference and contribute to a greener future. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to showcase your skills and ideas, with a €2,500 award available!

Do you have an idea that could support the green economy or a passion for the Circular Economy? Maybe you're looking to lend your skills to a groundbreaking project that could make a real difference? Join us on November 8 for a full day of innovation, creativity, and impact at our Balbriggan Innovation Challenge.

In this jam-packed day, you'll journey through the process of taking an idea from concept to reality, working with a team to develop practical solutions for real-world problems in the climate and circular economy space.

The day will culminate in an exciting Dragons' Den-style pitch, where teams will present their innovative ideas in front of a panel of esteemed judges, including industry experts, entrepreneurs, and investors with a €2,500 award!

• Exciting Prizes: Compete for fantastic prizes, including the opportunity for the winning team to receive further support to develop and launch their product or solution.
• Hands-On Experience: This hackathon offers a unique chance to sharpen your skills by working on a real-world problem and learning the process of rapid idea development, prototyping, and pitching.
• Networking Opportunities: Meet like-minded individuals who are passionate about sustainability, green technology, and the circular economy. Connect with experts from various industries—tech, business, marketing, community development, and beyond—and grow your professional network.
• Collaborative Environment: Whether you're a tech expert, business strategist, creative thinker, community leader, or artist, your unique experiences and expertise are welcome. Come as you are and contribute to the dynamic, fast-paced problem-solving process.

• Pre-made teams are welcome! Feel free to bring your colleagues or friends along and work together on your idea.
• Individuals are also welcome. Don't have a team? No problem! We'll pair you with others to create a collaborative and diverse group ready to innovate.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just getting started in your field, this Innovation challenge and hackathon is designed to inspire, challenge, and provide a platform for your ideas to shine. The day will be full of creative problem-solving, teamwork, and fun, all while tackling one of the most important issues of our time—building a sustainable, circular economy.

Join us and be part of the solution! Together, we can create a greener future.

We've got an amazing panel of judges and mentors to help guide the teams and select winners. Each is an expert in the field of sustainability and brings a wealth of knowledge to support teams throughout the event.

Aoife is a Fingal County Council Senior Executive Officer in Economic Development, with a strong record of leadership of nearly 25 years in the local government sector. She has overseen initiatives such as the Our Balbriggan Rejuvenation Project, the Fingal Skills Strategy, Sustainable Fingal and the Eco Core URBACT project among many others.

Joanne is an environmental scientist and is currently the Resource Efficiency Officer for the Eastern-Midlands Regional Waste Management Planning Office. She is a champion for the Circular Economy, helping to launch MODOS, a circular economy training programme for micro, small and medium size enterprises and works on various My Waste campaigns and initiatives.

Conor has over 22 years of experience with IDA Ireland along with corporate experience with Hewlett Packard. He is currently the Regional Business Development Manager, Dublin & Mid-East for IDA Ireland, which has become a global force in attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland and a key influencer in the development of the Irish economy and its reputation abroad over the past 75 years.

Deirdre is a Senior Enterprise Development Lead in the Fingal Local Enterprise Office with responsibility for funding small businesses in Fingal. She has worked with businesses in various industries assisting them in the start up and scaling stages. Deirdre’s previous background is in the multinational technology sector as a Senior Executive, including extensive experience with IBM.

Dónal is the Community Manager with non-profit organisation, Grow Remote. Grow Remote delivers training, advocacy and events to make remote employment opportunities more visible and accessible across Ireland.Dónal's community-building experience is multifaceted. While studying Law and Human Rights to Master’s level, he volunteered on rights-based projects in communities in Bolivia and Ecuador and has worked with leading human rights organisations in Ireland, north and south. He was Research Assistant to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders in his role at the United Nations OHCHR in Geneva. This global post provided insight into the power of grassroots community development and inspired him to continue his community-building work closer to home.

- Mentor

Sarah has a particular interest in biodiversity policy, nature-based solutions and the circular bioeconomy. She is Secretary of Balbriggan Sustainable Energy Community and a volunteer with Balbriggan Tidy Towns on climate and biodiversity related projects. She completed a PhD in Trinity College Dublin, where she worked for five years as a postdoctoral researcher on a wetland conservation project. She also completed wetland projects for the EPA and National Parks & Wildlife Services and worked with Natural Capital Ireland. Sarah is a Research Officer with the Rediscovery Centre since April 2023, where she recently completed a Food Rescue Café project for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Eamonn's career spans 20 years across technology and media, founding multiple start-ups and a Think Tank. He is also a two-time Emmy Award winner in television. He is the programme manager for Smart Balbriggan in the CONNECT Centre at Trinity College.

Passionate about innovation, science, and technology, Boris serves as a Smart City Programme Manager for Smart Dún Laoghaire and holds a doctorate in vehicular and visible light communication. On the entrepreneurial side, Boris is a board member and Chief Financial Officer of a young start-up. Boris is a scientist and entrepreneur, but at heart, a programmer proficient in C/C++, C#, and Java.Boris has served in many roles in hackathon competitions.

André is a Doctoral Researcher at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in Nature-Based Solutions for water quality and biodiversity. With a background in Environmental Science, Physics, and Climate Entrepreneurship, he is passionate about guiding aspiring change-makers towards a sustainable future. André recently transitioned from a career in technology at Google to pursue his doctoral studies, bringing a unique perspective to his work. He is eager to collaborate with individuals who share his vision for a greener tomorrow.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Lark Concert Hall, Church Street, Dublin, Ireland