Minister Simon Harris to give opening address at Inspirefest 2018

18 Jun 2018

Minister Simon Harris, TD, will be kicking off Inspirefest 2018. Image: HSE/Diane Cusack

Minister for Health Simon Harris, TD, will kick off Inspirefest 2018 later this week.

Inspirefest 2018 is now just a few days away, with the event set to take place at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on 21 and 22 June.

Today (18 June), it has been revealed that Minister for Health Simon Harris, TD, is set to give the opening address at 9am on Thursday (21 June).

Europe’s leading conference for technology, science and the arts with diversity and inclusion at its core, Inspirefest will see more than 50 speakers from 20 countries take to Dublin over the two-day event.

A varied line-up

From environmental and marine science to space exploration, Inspirefest 2018 will see a broad spectrum of topics tackled, with plenty of entertainment thrown in for good measure. The importance of visibility for LGBTQ people in the STEM sector and equality in the workplace will also be highlighted over the course of the event.

Speakers at this year’s event include Claire Lee, head of early-stage banking at Silicon Valley Bank; cartoonist and advocate Liza Donnelly; and Surbhi Sarna, the founder of multimillion-dollar start-up nVision Medical.

Entertainment on the cards

Performer and writer Zoe Philpott will also be making her return to Inspirefest to collaborate in the development of her latest interactive story, Ada’s Army. With a bag of postage labels, a chair and 500 metres of string, Philpott will be inviting Inspirefest attendees to update history with the overlooked women in STEM.

Now in its fourth year, each day of Inspirefest 2018 will be topped off with a smorgasbord of cultural activities as part of the popular Fringe event, culminating in an after-party at CHQ on the Friday evening (22 June) with music from Hvmmingbyrd and comedic entertainment from Bright Club.

Inspirefest is Silicon Republic’s international event connecting sci-tech professionals passionate about the future of STEM. Get your tickets now to join us in Dublin on 21 and 22 June 2018.

Updated, 5.54pm, 18 June 2018: This article was updated to clarify that there will be more than 50 speakers at Inspirefest, not 20.

Ellen Tannam was a journalist with Silicon Republic, covering all manner of business and tech subjects

editorial@siliconrepublic.com