09:30 – 10:00 | Registration & Networking Coffee
Welcome refreshments served on arrival as attendees meet industry peers, researchers, and technology leaders to begin informal dialogue on the evolving role of AI in Irish manufacturing.
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10:00 – 10:10 | Opening Remarks
🎤 Adrienne McDonnell, Senior Executive, Irish Medtech Association
The event opens with a strategic overview of the importance of AI as a transformative force in manufacturing and how cross-sector collaboration and policy can enable meaningful adoption at scale.
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10:10 – 10:25 | Current AI Landscape
🎤 Erik O’Donovan, Head of Digital Economy Policy, Ibec
AI is rapidly surpassing human capabilities in areas such as image classification, language processing, and visual reasoning. This session sets the scene by examining where Irish and global industry sits on the AI maturity curve and Ireland’s position in global innovation. It explores governance challenges, ethical considerations, policy & regulatory implications (such as the EU AI Act; Ireland’s AI and Quantum Strategies, etc.), and what industry and government must do to keep pace with change.
10:25 – 10:40 | AI as a Catalyst for Manufacturing Innovation
🎤 Shane Loughlin, President, ESE Academy and Co-founder SL Controls
This talk explores the strategic role of AI in transforming modern manufacturing through smart factories, automation, and data-led operations. It positions AI not just as a technology enabler but as a cultural shift — redefining how we innovate, train our workforce, and future-proof operations. With real-life use case examples of how cutting-edge technological advances have enhanced manufacturing, and advances in Lifesciences for the better.
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10:40 – 10:55 | Focus on AI Adoption and Business Strategy
🎤 Carlos García Santiago, Head of AI Strategy, Irish Manufacturing Research
This session delves into how companies must prepare before scaling AI solutions — from infrastructure and workforce skills to data maturity. It also highlights the need to prioritise AI projects with measurable ROI, and to avoid hype-led investments.
10:55 – 11: 30 Panel discussion: Navigating the AI Frontier: From Policy to Practice
This expert panel brings together strategic thinkers and practitioners from across Ireland’s AI and manufacturing ecosystem to explore how Ireland can lead in industrial AI deployment. Drawing on insights from policy, strategy, and implementation, speakers will examine the evolving AI landscape — from global competitiveness and governance challenges to sectoral readiness and business value. The discussion will explore how Ireland’s AI and Quantum strategies intersect with manufacturing, what support structures industry needs, and how we can shift from isolated pilots to scaled, ROI-driven adoption.
Moderator: Adrienne McDonnell, Senior Executive – Medtech & Engineering Advanced Manufacturing
Panellists:
- Erik O’Donovan, Head of Digital Economy Policy, Ibec (confirmed)
- Shane Loughlin, President, ESE Academy and Co-founder SL Controls (confirmed)
- Carlos García Santiago, Head of AI Strategy, Irish Manufacturing Research (confirmed)
- Bill O’Leary, Director of Global Digitalisation, West Contract Manufacturing (confirmed)
11:30 - 12:40 | Accelerating AI Integration: Real-World Adoption Stories from Industry
In this dynamic session, four companies — two global multinationals and two leading Irish SMEs — share how they are integrating AI into core manufacturing operations. From predictive maintenance and automated quality inspection to workflow optimisation and strategic scaling, each speaker will share lessons learned on accelerating adoption and creating tangible business value. The presentations will be followed by a moderated panel discussion exploring common challenges, investment drivers, and the cultural shift required to build AI-ready teams.
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These short spotlight mini case studies will cover use cases on:
- Global AI deployment in high-volume regulated environments
- Enterprise AI accelerator – scaling adoption across business units
- Large Language Models cand SME implementation
- Early-stage deployment, testing and agile AI integration
Panel discussion:
- Dr Patrick Cronin, Senior Programme Manager – Digitalisation, IMR (Confirmed)
- David Birmingham, Director of AI, AIM Centre, Sligo (Confirmed)
- Industry representatives / practitioners
12:10 – 12:45 | Lunch & Informal Networking
Buffet lunch served on-site. Attendees can explore demo stations and continue informal conversations.
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12:45 – 14:30 | Guided Tour & Live AI Demonstrations
A highlight of the day — this immersive tour showcases how AI is being applied in practice across the labs and production testbeds of Manufacturing Research Ireland. Attendees will rotate through a series of hands-on demonstration zones, where research engineers, technologists and industry collaborators will explain the use of AI in real-time manufacturing environments.
Demonstrations may include:
- Robotic automation with AI
- Real-time defect detection using computer vision
- Predictive analytics platforms for operations
- Human-machine collaboration tools
Brendan Sheppard, CEO of Smart Factory (I have reached out to Brendan) — who is working with IMR to co-develop several of the demos — will also be present and may provide additional insight into the deployment and application of these technologies from an industry perspective.
Attendees are encouraged to ask questions at each station and engage directly with the technical teams leading the projects.
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4:30 – 15:15 | Closing Session: What’s Next for AI in Irish Manufacturing? – From Insight to Action
As AI reshapes global manufacturing, the real opportunity for Ireland lies in how we respond — with skills, agility, and ambition. This closing session moves beyond reflection and into action, offering a sharp look at how Irish industry can move from pilots to transformation.
We’ll spotlight real-world GenAI use cases, explore how innovation and training must go hand-in-hand, and challenge attendees to embrace new technologies and mindsets to unlock the next level of efficiency, resilience, and growth.
Expect rapid-fire insights, practical takeaways, and a collective call to build the future — today.
14:30 – 14:35 | Framing the Future
Adrienne McDonnell, Irish Medtech & Engineering
Setting the tone: Why now is the time to act — and where the biggest opportunities lie
14:35 – 14:45 | Accelerating GenAI in Industry: Insights from Ireland’s First Roadmap
Jennifer McCormack, Programme Manager, Connected Health Skillnet (Confirmed)
First public reveal of key outputs from the national GenAI programme:
- Validated GenAI use cases across operations and business functions
- Common barriers and enablers
- Roadmap for implementation: data, people, ethics & design
- Training and workforce priorities for GenAI success
14:45 – 15:15 | Industry & Research Reflections
- Dr. Patrick Cronin, Senior Programme Manager – Digitalisation, IMR
- Industry Guest:
Discussion:
- What role will GenAI play in shaping workflows and business models?
- How do we scale AI responsibly while building in-house capability?
- What collaboration models (research, education, enterprise) are needed to accelerate talent and innovation?
15:15 – 15:30 | Final Networking & Departure
| Q&A and Call to Action
Moderated by Adrienne McDonnell
Audience engagement + closing reflections on how Ireland’s manufacturers can lead the next wave of digital transformation
Final chance to connect, exchange ideas, and build momentum for post-event collaboration