Northern Ireland’s next generation of tech entrepreneurs are raring to go after an action-packed evening at the Northern Ireland Science Park’s Generation Innovation ‘Night of Ambition’ in association with headline sponsor Deloitte Digital, who have a digital and technology practice of over 300 in Belfast.
More than 200 teenagers attended the event at St George’s Market in Belfast. Each had been specially nominated by their schools and colleges for excellence in areas like science and technology, engineering, maths and entrepreneurship.
Kieran O’Neill, Talent and Innovation Leader with Deloitte Digital says: “We were so impressed with the young people attending. Our Brightstart degree programme for school leavers has shown us the quality and potential of young talent in Northern Ireland. Moreover, meeting teenagers at our stand on the night and seeing them in action during the ideas’ development workshop at the event just reinforced the amazing futures and influence that they will have in our growing tech sector – they will be creating the industry of tomorrow. Creating the right environment, through events like this, is critical to giving our teenagers the best possible chance to succeed.”
Speakers at the Generation Innovation Night of Ambition included Rachel Gawley, founder of AppAttic, and Mark Dowds, co-founder of Trov, inc., a Silicon Valley company focused on reinventing the insurance industry
Nicola Wolfe, a pupil at Larne Grammar School said: “It’s amazing to get the chance to hear about all the opportunities that exist right here in Northern Ireland. I am so glad my school nominated me to take part in the Night of Ambition”.
Claire Burgoyne, Generation Innovation programme manager at NISP CONNECT said: “Energy was zipping through St. George’s Market tonight. The feel-good factor of Generation Innovation is unbeatable.”
Deloitte Digital was the headline sponsor of the Generation Innovation Night of Ambition. The event was also supported by principle funder, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and other sponsors, including Core Systems, Equiniti, Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.
