The 8th Sligo Engineering & Technology Expo returned to an all in-person event and welcomed its largest attendance ever in Sligo last week. Over 1,200 visitors to the Expo enjoyed an array of talks and projects, including robotics, automated machinery and smart-home devices.
The Expo, which is sponsored by global healthcare company Abbott, offers potential engineering and computing students the opportunity to interact with leading engineering and technology companies from across Ireland and showcasing projects from Atlantic TU Sligo final year students.
Over 100 final year, students presented their projects which included some projects that reflect a changing world with; Social Distance Detectors, Cryptocurrency wallet and car-pooling app.
Climate change was also a key theme at the event, with projects on floating offshore wind turbines and low energy heating systems.
Some of the other unique exhibits included an electronic guide dog and a smart toaster that will end the age-old problem of burnt toast!
Among the award winning exhibitors presented by the President of Atlantic TU, Dr Orla Flynn were: Emma Murphy for her E Health Homeostasis Using Machine Learning; Gary McCormack for Original Climate, Bernard Wilkie for Mapping & Autonomous Geo-locating Integrated E-vehicle (MAGIE); and Kevin Reilly for The Impact of Applying Lean Construction on the Planning & Implementation Phase of a Construction Project.
The Mechanical and Precision Engineering Award went to a group project with Brian Forkan (Sligo), Connall McGowan (Tullaghan, Co. Leitrim), Damien McLoughlin (Argina, Co Roscommon) and Dean Treacy (Dundrum, Dublin). This group of students also won the Abbot Diabetes Care Ronan Healy Memorial Award for their Automated Training & Display Rig.
Ronan Healy was a former student of IT Sligo (now ATU Sligo) and an employee of Abbott who sadly passed away in a road traffic accident in March 2021. Mr Healy was a much-loved student and colleague and is remembered fondly by everyone who knew him. The award was set up by Abbott to remember the young father of one from Roscommon.
Head of Faculty of Engineering and Design at ATU Sligo, Úna Parsons said:
“The showcase highlighted our fabulous student projects, a stellar line-up of industry talks and superb insights into the research our faculty are involved in.
It was wonderful to see so many secondary school students, their parents and the public in attendance. The industry stands were a hive of interactions. I was delighted to learn how many job offers were made between our students and industry.”
Congratulating the winning students, Ms Parsons added: “I want to say a big thank you to all who made this event such a success – our students, staff, industry, key sponsor Abbott and talks partner the AIM Centre (Advancing Innovation in Manufacturing Supply Chain) . The Sligo Engineering & Technology Expo goes from strength to strength each year – looking forward to 2023 already! “
The Expo also included an industry led talk on Supply Chain Challenges in a Digital World was held in association with the AIM Centre. Moderated by Daniel Browne with host of speakers from both Industry and Irelands leading Research Centres this event provided insights and advice on the key challenges facing manufacturing businesses in the current environment.
Speakers included; Shane Clarke, Supply Chain Manager – Abbott Diagnostics Business; Andrew Lynch, Chief Innovation Officer – IMR; Shane Loughlin, Chief Digital Architect – SL Controls; Professor Denis Dowling – Director, I-Form Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre; Domhnall Carroll, Site Director – National Advanced Manufacturing Centre; JJ O’Hara, CEO, FutureCast and Elizabeth Nugent, VP General Manager EMEA, AMCOR who recently announced the creation of 75 jobs for Sligo.
A catalogue of the Expo is available online and includes the industry folios, student posters and research highlights. Please go to: https://www.itsligo.ie/engineeringexpo/. A book edition will be produced and circulated to schools and libraries nationwide from June.