Tech Awards highlight sector's role in reimaging Ireland

Technology Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the technology sector, today launched the 28th Annual Technology Ireland Industry Awards. The Technology Ireland Industry Awards are designed to honour the best and brightest of Ireland’s technology companies. Ireland has fostered a thriving indigenous technology sector while attracting many of the leading multinational technology companies to base their European headquarters here.

Commenting at the launch, Director of Technology Ireland, Una Fitzpatrick stated: “These awards recognise and celebrate those companies who have achieved exceptional success and developed innovative digital technologies, across nine award categories. COVID-19 has made 2020 an exceptionally challenging year, but it has also underlined Ireland’s technology sector as a cornerstone of Ireland’s economic and social infrastructure.”

To reflect the positive impact of the Irish technology sector, this year will see the introduction of a new award category, ‘Tech 4 Good – Company Award’ that recognises where a tech company has made an exceptional contribution of benefit to wider society. The award will highlight the unique contributions that only the technology sector can provide to support our communities and enrich people’s lives.

Platinum sponsor EY Ireland will present the Digital Technology Company of the Year Award. Marie Treacy, Partner and Technology Sector Lead, EY Ireland, commented: “Acknowledging outstanding performance and technical innovation is perhaps more important now than ever and we are pleased to once again sponsor these awards. EY’s most recent economic outlook - ‘Hope on the other side’ - notes the continued rise in demand for digital skills and predicts that the ICT sector will be the first to return to 2019 employment levels following the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital innovations will also be at the heart of other sectors’ recoveries. Covid has forced huge changes in how all companies and organisations operate and many of those will remain in place after the pandemic.  EY understands that for companies these changes, while challenging, can present an unprecedented opportunity to drive growth by harnessing transformation and putting digital at the heart of their business.”

Speaking at the launch, Jonathan Hyland Chief Technology Officer at Workhuman and Chair of Technology Ireland said: “Ireland’s technology sector has adjusted admirably to the COVID-19 crisis and helped to support many other sectors in business, health, education and the wider community. Our technology sector is the engine that will drive Ireland’s recovery.”

Technology Ireland, together with Award sponsors EY Ireland, Workhuman, Fidelity Investments Enterprise Ireland, FIT ICT Associate Apprenticeship, Technology Ireland Software Skillnet, and Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, are urging all Irish software and digital technology companies to submit their own entries for the Awards by Friday, 2nd October. Entry is free and not restricted. To submit an entry visit: www.technology-ireland.ie/awards.  

The virtual awards will take place from The Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin on 26th  November 2020 and will streamed online and available to all.  

The 9 categories are: 

·        Digital Technology Company of the Year 
·        Emerging Technology Company of the Year 
·        Technology Innovation of the Year 
·        Tech 4 Good Company Award (NEW)
·        Outstanding Achievement in International Growth 
·        Digital Technology Services Project of the Year
·        Women in Technology Company Award
·        Excellence in Talent Development Award 
·        Outstanding Academic Achievement of the Year