Minister to launch inaugural North West Digital Futures conference at ATU Donegal

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, will officially launch the NW 2025: Shaping Our Digital Futures conference on Thursday, October 23, at Atlantic Technological University’s (ATU) Letterkenny campus.

The inaugural event will explore the accelerating pace of digital transformation and its implications for the North West cross-border region.

Hosted by ATU on behalf of the North West Tertiary Education Cluster (NWTEC), the conference will bring together national and international experts to examine opportunities and challenges in the digital economy.

NWTEC is a strategic alliance of the four publicly funded tertiary education providers in the North West City Region: Atlantic Technological University, Ulster University (UU), North West Regional College (NWRC), and Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB).

The conference is a commitment under the North West Digital Employment Pathways Training Hub (NW DEPTH) project - supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme that is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The NW 2025 conference will feature keynote addresses, expert panels, and discussions focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital skills, and regional innovation. Broadcaster Seán O’Rourke, formerly of RTÉ, will chair proceedings throughout the day.

Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU, will open the conference, followed by a morning keynote from Matt Cooper, CEO of Volta, a leading AI startup incubator in Nova Scotia, Canada. His presentation, Exploiting AI to Build New Innovative Enterprises, will set the stage for discussions on the evolving role of AI in industry and education.

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Minister Lawless will then deliver the keynote Ireland’s Digital Education Strategy, formally launching the conference and outlining the Government’s priorities for digital transformation and skills development across the tertiary education sector.

The event is aimed at innovative digital employers from across this region together with key national and regional stakeholders from the development agencies and the tertiary education sector.

Approximately 300 participants are expected to attend, including digital employers, policymakers, educators, and regional development stakeholders. Registration is open via Eventbrite.