Following a virtual version of its namesake in 2021, we were pleased to see Dublin Tech Summit welcome thousands of experts in person to network, collaborate and share the latest updates from around the world. A world in which tech is undoubtedly making huge waves. So, there was much to see, hear and, of course, learn.
Transport
Innovation within the mobility sector is at an all-time high. Naturally, Dublin Tech Summit was perfectly timed to evaluate the current state of play. So, what’s the latest?
- John Redford, CTO and co-founder at software company Five AI discussed the reality of bringing autonomous vehicles onto the road. According to John, the technology is here. However, now we turn to people to make the leap. “The real issue is convincing yourself you can do autonomous driving safely.”
- Turning our attention to the public sector. Via’s Co-COO and European CEO, Chris Snyder spoke about why public transport holds the key to a more sustainable Chris then joined Hal Stevenson, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Lime, commenting: “The pandemic has given an opportunity for cities to redesign the way public transport works. Mobility justice has been done in some cities that were underserved.”
Healthcare
It’s been an unprecedented time in the adoption of health tech, where location tracking and surveillance technology have quickly moved to the front of rollouts. However, speedy uptake has shown industry insiders that immediate change is possible. So, what’s next?
- Top of the list for innovation was the scientific breakthrough of Covid variant tracking. We hope to see the solutions further enhance to spot (and respond to) new variants quicker than ever before.
- Keeping professionals connected plays a key role in the advancement of care. In an engaging panel discussion about health tech innovation, Dr. Phil McElnay discussed the importance of remote connectivity for the healthcare community. His company, MedAll, connects doctors around the world to support the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Cybersecurity
As quickly as technology is being adopted across industries, so too is the risk of greater harm. That’s why keeping users safe was a huge talking point at the summit. To summarise:
- One of the most anticipated guests of the event was Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower, Christopher Wylie. Talking about the unprecedented data breach, he says: “Moving fast and breaking things [in the tech sector] is great for making money. But it also ruins the environment. We need to think a lot more carefully about what we are building, and the effect on surroundings.”
- Also a hot topic was the (rather inevitable) end of passwords. Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, CEO & Publisher of MIT Technology Review, details how companies are moving towards more robust methods of cybersecure authentication such as facial recognition.
AOB
… and there was plenty more to take in, from the powers of digital autonomy and cloud-based comms to the endless possibilities of fintech and Web3. Tech expert Tala Al Jabri joined interesting discussions on adoption of new technology in general, with a gentle reminder: “Right now there is a lot of that people don’t understand and trust. As a sector, we have a lot to do to enable us to break into the system.”
Finally, a surprise appearance brought day two of the event to a standstill. President Zelensky was beamed on to the stage via hologram to share how tech has been used for good. He comments: “These technological possibilities can change public life. They have simplified government to people, and government to business relationships.”
Dublin tech summit joins one of many worldwide tech events we have attended this year – each with their own story to tell about the worlds of AI, automation, 5G and more. Take a look at more insight from the likes of MWC Barcelona, CES, SXSW and more.