Published on Thursday6thJuly2017

Taoiseach Opens Inspirefest 2017

20170706 InspireFest

Pictured are Monica Parker, Founder of Hatch Analytics, Michelle Cullen, Managing Director, Accenture Ireland, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Lesley Tulley, Head of Design Thinking at Bank or Ireland and Kelly Hoey, Author of 'Build Your Dream Network

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this morning opened Inspirefest, Europe’s unique international conference and festival of technology, science, design and the arts.

Themes for the event will vary from Blockchain, Fintech and Medtech, to Infosecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Games as well the Future of Work and STEM learning.

Inspirefest was founded by Ann O’Dea, CEO of Silicon Republic.

Opening the event, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:

The real value of Inspirefest is that it challenges us to open and stretch our minds, it reminds us of what can be achieved if we don’t allow ourselves to be limited in any way, and it pushes us to try and do more.

In Ireland, we strive to be leaders in innovation, not just in STEM but in the Arts. 

Inspirefest is a great example of how science and technology, and the Arts, are all part of the creative process.

In this new government I wanted a special emphasis on the promotion of the arts, culture and heritage in Ireland.

We are building on an ambitious and exciting initiative - our Creative Ireland programme.  Led by Minister Heather Humphreys it will run until 2022 and will place creativity at the centre of Irish public policy for the first time.

At its heart is enabling the creative potential of every child by giving them access to tuition through music, drama, art and coding.

This is an unprecedented investment in every child living in Ireland today.  We want to give every boy and girl an opportunity to have their lives shaped by exposure to the arts.