Science Gallery receives Special Commendation at European Museum of Year Awards

Science Gallery was one of three cultural institutions singled out for a Special Commendation at the prestigious European Museum of the Year Awards 2010.

Science Gallery Director, Michael John Gorman received the Special Commendation at a ceremony in Tampere, Finland, on Saturday May 22nd May 2010. In introducing Science Gallery the judges mentioned that the innovative approaches of Science Gallery to engaging the public with science and the arts could be inspiring to the European museum community.

Read more and visit the Science Gallery Website:

Irelands Aqua-Nu Brings Breakthrough Filtration Technology to U.S. Drinking Water Market

Ireland’s Aqua-Nu Brings Breakthrough Filtration Technology to U.S. Drinking Water Market:

Solution Delivers Significant Performance Advantages Over Conventional Filters Making Truly Clean Water Available From The Tap – DUNDALK, Ireland and NEW YORK

Aqua-Nu Filtration Systems Limited, an innovator of commercial point-of-use ceramic water filtration systems, recently announced that it is making its advanced solutions available in the U.S.

The company’s filtration innovation – in the form of its Purity Capsule, Ultra-high Flow Rate Ceramic Filter and other proprietary products – represents a major leap forward in commercial water purification techniques. The solution delivers a breakthrough unassisted flow rate of 1.2 liters per minute at 100 millibar over a 32ml disc, which is 60 to 150 times faster than the closest competitor. It filters 99.99 percent of certain hazardous microbes such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Legionella and E.coli. These advantages reduce the threat of often-fatal water-borne bacteria commonly present in developed countries. With Aqua-Nu’s filtration products, consumers can now access truly clean tap water at a price that is less than or comparable to existing products.

“Consumers should not have to choose between their health and the environment, but when it comes to drinking water, those are the options,” said Aqua-Nu’s chief executive officer, Patrick Farrelly. “Existing filtration technologies, while better than nothing, can’t match Aqua-Nu’s flow rates and filtration performance. There is a reasonable demand from U.S. consumers for drinking water that is healthy and affordable, and doesn’t penalize the environment by adding more plastic waste to the country’s landfills. Now, for the first time these demands can be met, giving consumers access to truly clean tap water.”

Aqua-Nu’s uniquely efficient, flexible and durable water filtration technology has performed well above industry standards and competing technologies in scientific tests conducted by independent laboratories, CAL Limited in Ireland, along with South East Water, Severn Trent and Eclipse in the UK. The company’s solution eliminates some of the smallest and most deadly bacteria on contact, and is accommodated within a consumer friendly form factor – a small cap that fits neatly on top of bottles. The technology is suitable for volume manufacturing at a price that is competitive with conventional filtration systems.

“Having spent several years developing and testing our technology and selecting a worldwide distribution partner, we are now targeting initial market opportunities in the U.S.,” continued Farrelly. “To this end, we are actively exploring licensing agreements or joint ventures with established U.S. companies in the drinking water and other markets. The performance advantages and affordability of our technology makes it an ideal fit for broad commercial applications, including water taps and jugs. It also holds potential for vending machines, fire protection systems, air conditioning and waste-water management, as well as other liquid filtration applications. We expect the technology to gain wide acceptance in the U.S. and to reshape the market for drinking water in the process.”

Aqua-Nu is an innovator of water filtration systems and the creator of the Ultra-high Flow Rate Ceramic Filter, PurityCapsule, and other related products, including the PURITYCAP® and PURITY JUG. The company’s proprietary technology has demonstrated superior filtration performance in independent laboratory testing versus existing consumer filtration products. Aqua-Nu is dedicated to providing clean, safe water at an affordable cost to individuals in both developed and developing countries. Based in Dundalk, Ireland, the company is currently forming partnerships around the world to market its advanced clean water ceramic filtration technology.

For more information on Aqua-Nu, please visit www.aqua-nu.com.

SOURCE Aqua-Nu Filtration Systems Limited

InterTradeIreland – All-island Innovation Awards Shortlist Announced

InterTradeIreland has  announced the shortlist of companies who will compete for the overall title of ‘Innovation of the Year’.  Designed to recognise successful innovation in businesses across the island of Ireland, the awards were open to indigenous and international companies of all sizes and sectors operating throughout the island of Ireland. Over 120 companies entered the six categories of the competition.

Seventeen organisations have now been shortlisted by the judging panel to compete for the overall title.

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Enterprise Ireland helps Irish companies innovate and grow through investment in new technology and training.

There are plenty of grant aid and support initiates available in Ireland at present for hungry entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas in todays knowledge economy and who want to get moving. Enterprise Ireland being one of those first ports of call is ready and waiting to hear from innovators all the time. One just has to get ones head around the format, formula and sometimes frustrating hoops you have to jump through. But just like anything new once you get your feet wet and become accustomed to the paperwork and requirements, results can be seen relatively quickly.

If you and your colleagues are serious about your ideas then create a business plan, create a brief outline firstly and always keep the end in mind.

Enterprise Ireland helps Irish companies innovate and grow through investment in new technology and training.

This offer provides supports to Irish SMEs that want to grow their business by increasing productivity and effectiveness through innovative processes.

There are 3 components to the offer:

• Stimulating Business Innovation
  
• Growth Fund – Increasing the competitiveness of SMEs through business innovation
• Growth Expertise

Whilst these offerings are tailored for SMEs, large companies who wish to innovate to achieve greater productivity should talk to Enterprise Ireland directly and discuss what supports may be available.

Read More Here from the EI website

Leading Business and Industry Leaders to Participate in the InterTradeIreland 2010 Innovation Conference

Leading business and industry leaders are among the speakers who will take part in the forthcoming InterTradeIreland 2010 Innovation Conference. Entitled, Building Collaborative Networks for Innovation, the conference will take place in University College Dublin on 28-29 June next.

Day 1 (June 28) will focus on the theme of Building Collaborative Networks for Innovation in a Knowledge Economy. It will blend contemporary thinking on collaborative networks with lessons learnt from key stakeholders.

Read More Here:

New High Level Reports Chart Oppertunuties In Water.

Two new reports remind us that demand for water is already greater than supply, especially in developing countries, and that population growth and climate change will only create further opportunities in water.

The recently released McKinsey report Charting our Water Future also reminds us that the same rationale and models used for energy can be applied to water, for instance in how demand for water in countries such as China and India will see an increase as quality of life improves.

U.S.-based investment management firm Summit Global Management’s The Case for Water Equity Investing 2010 describes the water sector as a particularly safe investment choice amidst the current financial jungle. It cites “exploding demand for water”, “an aging and insufficient infrastructure” and “increasing regulations and awareness” of the shortage.

Also, water being an underestimated resource, many might not realise that it represents the “world’s third biggest [industry sector] in terms of embedded capital behind only oil & gas and electrical power”, and the global market is estimated to near $500 billion per year according to the report.

Moreover, large corporations whose business is heavily dependent on water—such as semiconductors, food and beverage and pharmaceuticals industries—are becoming more active in the clean water business, just as the financial sector is becoming more inclined to fund new opportunities (e.g. see IBM’s water tech threefold effect, and PepsiCo to Reduce Water, Energy Use 20% by 2015.)

Together, this sounds good for entrepreneurs: financiers’ attention to the sector is going up, and large corporations, as well as societies across the world, are in need of new solutions.

The Summit report identifies hot areas of investment within the sector as being in:

• Conservation and Efficiency (especially in the context of agriculture which accounts for 70% of water use)
• Recycling and Re-using
• Residential Water Consumption (tap water quality is a rising concern)
• Technological Solutions (e.g. to enhance monitoring and tracking)

Full Story Here –

December 4, 2009 – by Federica Dalamel, Cleantech Group

Acceptance Speech From A Global Leader & Innovative Thinker.

The Nobel Prize is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations – that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice…

…The Cold War ended with jubilant crowds dismantling a wall. Commerce has stitched much of the world together. Billions have been lifted from poverty. The ideals of liberty, self-determination, equality and the rule of law have haltingly advanced. We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past, and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud….

…Like generations have before us, we must reject that future. As Dr. King said at this occasion so many years ago, “I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him.”

So let us reach for the world that ought to be – that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. Somewhere today, in the here and now, a soldier sees he’s outgunned but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, who believes that a cruel world still has a place for his dreams.

Let us live by their example. We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that – for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.

Barack Obama, Nobel Acceptance Speech

Openet named ISA ‘Company of the Year’ 2009

A Dublin technology company that enables telecoms companies around the world to extract increased business value from network activity has been named ‘Company of the Year’ at the Irish Software Association’s 2009 industry awards.

Combining specialised solution-delivery engagements with its FusionWorks event-processing and transaction-management software platform, Dublin-based Openet enables telecom and cable service providers to gain transactional intelligence and increase revenue and profitability. Check out  more about the event and Openet at SiliconRepublic.com

Purpose of the awards

The awards ceremony on Friday, 13 November, in Dublin, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland, William Fry and Software Skillnet, recognised the outstanding contribution to Ireland’s Smart Economy from companies and individuals in the software industry.

Chair of the Irish Software Association (ISA) Sean Baker said the Irish software industry is weathering the recession with considerable strength.

“Many software companies have diversified their markets, especially geographically, and many have increased their revenues in 2009.

“The (indigenous) industry employs 28,000 in the country and, notwithstanding current pressures, the future of the sector in Ireland remains bright. This year’s award winners testify to the strong range of companies based here, from early start-ups to mature companies.”

Award winners

Avego won the Emerging Software Business award for its work in improving efficiency in the transport sector.

Percana won the Sales Achievement award for its Eclipse product suite, which manages a wide range of life and pensions products.

The Technical Innovation award went to iTab for its range of products and services that allows musicians to take advantage of a new content-delivery channel.

The Corporate Social Responsibility award went to Norkom Technologies for its work with disadvantaged youth in its community.

Collaboration of the Year award went to Local Social, a partnership between Rococo, UCD and theNDRC.

In the individual categories, Paul Kerley, CEO of Norkom, won Software Person of the Year for his 20-year track record of successfully building and leading entrepreneurial teams.

IntertradeIreland Seedcorn Competition Announces Winners

SOPHIA Search Ltd, which was crowned Best High Growth Company, was founded in 2007 by Drs David Patterson and Vladimir Dobrynin.  Based at the NI Science Park in Belfast and in St. Petersburg, Russia, they have developed ground breaking semantic search technology which enables companies and organisations to intelligently search their ever increasing volumes of documents and unstructured information, whether it resides internally or external to the organisation.

Chief Executive, Dr David Patterson, said: “Winning the competition is a tremendous boost for our business.  Being selected as overall High Growth winner will bring excellent validation and credibility to our business plan and put us on a new platform with investors.”

title for Best Emerging Company and prize fund of €100,000 were presented to Cauwill Technologies.

Cauwill Technologies has developed PinPoints – an application that helps users locate their hotel using their mobile phone.  Since the launch of the product in July 2009, the company has secured subscribers in more than 66 countries worldwide.

Co Managing Director, Dr Ronan Skehill, said: “Being recognised as overall Emerging Winner will help us gain more international recognition of our product and new access to the investment community.”

The event was attended by An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Mary Coughlan TD, who said:  “SOPHIA Search Ltd and Cauwill Technologies are to be congratulated on their tremendous achievement here tonight.

Check out the full list of winners at – IntertradeIreland website

Innovation in Ireland: Ground Breakers

Just a little update on Innovation in Ireland – some musings:

So what’s new in Irelands Innovative landscape, let’s have a look at what young companies have come on the scene in the last few years that have turned investors heads with their highly innovative products and services. Were going to look at what companies are the ground breakers and potential money makers coming out of Ireland.

Here’s how the journey usually starts for young and aspiring Irish entrepreneurs or even established companies with new and innovative ideas. In the search for money , advice access to players , markets and mentors the fist port of call is usually Enterprise Ireland – The Irish enterprise and development agnecy in charge ot assisting companies who can develop products or services to sell internationally.

Enterprise Ireland who helps young companies with grant aid and investment funding has seen its fair share of bright stars as well as a plethora of duds over the past number of  years. However it’s newly structured and standardised High Potential Start Up Group is more discerning these days in which projects it allows in and sends up the ladder for approval into the system. On talking to Gerry O Brien their gatekeeper to the HPSU group, new companies need to be able to show that their products or services will perform on an international stage employ at least 10 people in Ireland over the following three years and within that period have a turnover of at least one million Euro. Once the start-up has proven it has the potential and ability to deliver and has what it takes to be a potential international success then the company gets enrolled into the system and a Development Advisor (DA) or handler is assigned to the company to help them move forward in the system toward grant aid and/or investment funding.

Some of the companies I will be discussing have qualified and are in this program have either receive d EI funding or are awaiting funding approval. Some of the companies we will be analyzing haven’t yet approached Enterprise Ireland or might not fit into their required profile of a HPSU Start-Up. Some of the companies will be campus funded and supported companies. In Ireland this means that they have an affiliation of some sort with a learning Institution usually a University and we call these “University Spin-Outs”.

Companies to keep an eye out for are:

1. Aqua-Nu Filtration Systems Ltd. www.aqua-nu.com
2. Beyond Encryption Technologies Ltd
   www.beyondencryption.ie
3. Owjo Technologies Ltd
   www.owjo.com
4. Fairview Analytics Ltd
   www.fairview-analytics.com