Barry O'Sullivan, ITLG and RTÉ's Dragons' Den; Maura McMahon, Limerick Chamber; Paul Foley, Limerick City and County Council; Niall Maloney, Shannon Airport; Kieran Barry, Limerick Institute of Technology; and Mary Shire, University of Limerick
The Limerick and Shannon region’s function as a natural gateway for US access to Europe in terms of infrastructure and innovation will be the key talking point of the next annual ITLG Forum in Limerick City at the end of January.
The forum – which takes place on 27 and 28 January – will set the stage for Irish executives and early stage companies to meet with some of the top Irish-American tech titans of Silicon Valley, including former Intel chairman and CEO Craig Barrett, outgoing Cisco SVP Barry O’Sullivan and Limerick native and former top Palm executive John Hartnett.
Senior Irish and American executives from Dell, Disney, Intel, AOL, Google and many others will also attend the event.
Andrew O’Brien, the special representative for Global Partnerships of the US Secretary of State office will also be in attendance.
Indigenous organisations in the fields of cloud technologies, bio tech and convergent pharma, nanotechnology and renewable energies, among others, have been invited to pitch their business ideas to the international delegation of investors and seasoned entrepreneurs.
Homecoming
“This is a homecoming not only for me, but for many members of the ITLG delegation,” explained Hartnett, CEO of the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG).
“The Limerick and Shannon region has very strong ties with Silicon Valley, and showcasing the indigenous talent and innovation, while engaging with US investors and tech leaders will serve both our regions exceptionally well in terms of future growth, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment,” Hartnett said.
Limerick City and County Council, Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), University of Limerick (UL), Shannon Airport and Limerick Chamber have partnered with the ITLG to bring the forum to Munster. The forum will enable Irish executives in early stage companies to meet and collaborate with leading international figures, expanding their network, creating new business opportunities and US market opportunities, which will all drive meaningful job creation in the region. Start-ups and entrepreneurs will also have the chance to pitch for investment to leading VCs, as well as access to leading experts in IP and commercialisation of research.
“Our region is a natural gateway for US access to Europe with an infrastructure that supports innovation and commercialisation of research, as well as being an ideal location in which to invest,” said Conn Murray, manager/CEO, Limerick City and County Council.
