We were delighted to welcome over 100 attendees from industry, innovation, research, and academia to the SpringRISE event, which took place in the Sheraton hotel, 5th February for a morning dedicated to resilience, leadership and collaboration.
Led by Dr Ann O’Connell (Ibec), joined by Catherine Kiveney (TheHen.ie), Andrea Cawley (EY Consultancy), Máirín Murray (TechFoundHer) and Michelle Egan (Ericsson Network Management), the first panel focused on strong female resilience, staying the course through challenge, and navigating evolving career paths. Speakers shared honest insights on the importance of determination, building diverse and supportive networks, and recognising when to pivot as new opportunities emerge.
The second SpringRISE panel, moderated by Eleanor Moloney, brought together Dr Patricia Moore (Promethio), Aileen Cramer (Zincworks), Emma Callinan (Enterprise Ireland) and Dr Iram Arshad (TUS), explored the value of embracing vulnerability, taking calculated risks, learning from failure, and fostering a culture of lifelong education. Panellists also highlighted the need to incentivise entrepreneurship and innovation to support the next generation of leaders.
Closing with Dr Karen Weekes, performance psychologist & endurance adventurer, who shared her remarkable personal and professional journey. Her reflections offered practical advice and encouragement for those embarking on a business venture – or pursuing any ambitious goal.
Several key themes resonated strongly throughout the event:
- Building layers of resilience by reflecting on past challenges and applying those learnings to new situations
- Understanding what is within our control – and what is not
- Seeking knowledge to better prepare for the future
Additional takeaways included the importance of planning, collaboration, growing your network, making time for rest, and, as the hashtag of the day captured perfectly: #GiveItAGo.
Above all, SpringRISE reinforced a simple but powerful message: collaboration drives real progress. This was evident in the collective effort behind the event, delivered in partnership with First Polymer Training Skillnet, ITAG & ITAG Skillnet, Space Industry Skillnet, and Midlands Women in Tech.
Sincere thanks go to all speakers, moderators and guest speaker Dr Karen Weeks, whose openness and insights grounded the discussions and brought the event’s message to life. SpringRISE left attendees inspired, energised and reminded of the strength that comes from shared experience and collective action.
Opportunities for Collaboration
Space Industry Skillnet is co-funded by Skillnet Ireland and network companies. Skillnet Ireland is funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Enterprise Europe Network assists businesses in expanding by offering services focused on internationalization and access to finance. These services are primarily aimed at SMEs but are also accessible to all other businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, universities, and research institutions. For further details, please visit Enterprise Europe Ireland or alternatively reach out to ann.dooley@enterprise-ireland.com
TUS RISE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27.
