May AtlanTec Festival to explore the role of AI and cybersecurity in future technology innovation

The AtlanTec Festival 2025 is officially underway, celebrating innovation and technology in the west of Ireland.

With a strong focus on AI and cybersecurity, the AtlanTec Festival Conference at University of Galway will take place on Thursday May 29th, and is set to attract over 400 delegates, including international speakers and representatives from leading technology companies.

Now in its 11th year, the festival is led by the non-profit association itag (Innovation Technology AtlanTec Gateway) with the support of its sponsors, members and the technology community. 

This year the packed programme of events - spanning more than two weeks - centres on the theme of ‘Shaping the Future of Technology Innovation’.

Conference speakers, Johnathan McCrea of Whipsmart Media and Newstalk, Bronagh Riordan of EY, and Dr Bairbre McNicholas, Senior Lecturer at University of Galway and Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Galway University Hospitals, will discuss the role of AI and cybersecurity in their work.

Short-form talks and use cases - ways in which a user interacts with a system or product, will follow from Fidelity, Cisco, Datavant, Accenture and CURIOSS.

AI conference sessions will be led by Professor Michael Madden from the School of Computer Science at University of Galway and will feature a keynote from Gary Short of Darach AI, an AI/Machine Learning modelling company that allows you to make better business decisions by predicting the future.

Cybersecurity conference sessions will be led by Seán Morris of Galway based cybersecurity company TitanHQ and will feature keynotes from Mark Power of Immersive Labs, a company helping the world’s largest organisations to be ready for the future of cyber threats, and Dr Mamoona Asghar from the School of Computer Science.

Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “The festival enriches our collective expertise and allows us to engage with the vibrant technology community in our region, sparking valuable new connections. In addition, it highlights the West of Ireland as a major hub for excellence in innovation, technology, data and AI." 

Caroline Cawley, CEO of itag, said: "Now celebrating its 11th year, AtlanTec continues to drive innovation, fostering collaboration that advances the technology sector across the region. It is more than just a festival - it builds community by connecting professionals, businesses, and visionaries, significantly enhancing talent development throughout the region.”

During the conference, the recent winners of the AtlanTec AI Challenge hackathon will present their AI-driven solution to challenges in the healthcare domain. It aims to create AI solutions to address real-world challenges. 

The two-week festival is anticipated to attract over 1,000 delegates from regional and national technology companies across Ireland. It serves as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and exploring collaborative opportunities between academia and industry.

 The conference is brought to campus by the University of Galway Innovation Office, which is supported under the KT Boost Programme co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027.

For more information and to register for events, visit www.atlantec.ie

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