2026 AtlanTec Festival Programme

Friday 17 April

AtlanTec AI Challenge: Human Intelligence Driving Transformative Innovation

This year as part of itag’s AtlanTec Festival ‘Human Intelligence Driving Transformative Innovation’ we will be hosting an AI hackathon. The two-day event will bring innovators, tech enthusiasts, and industry leaders from across the West together to develop cutting-edge AI solutions that tackle real-world challenges.

For more information visit: https://atlantec.ie/atlantec-ai-challenge/

Venue: University of Galway 9.30am - 5pm

AtlanTec AI Challenge will be a full day event, held at the School of Computer Science, University of Galway. Teams will collaborate from 9.30am to lunch. Followed by presentations from 2pm – 5pm. Winning teams will be selected by our AI expert judging panel.

Wednesday 10 May

Product Management Forum: Re-Imagining Product Process

Details coming soon! 

 

Venue: Datavant, Bonham Quay

Details coming soon!

09:45 - 10:00 Coffee & Networking

 

 

10:00 - 10:05 itag Welcome Note - Dee Timoney, itag Skillnet

 

 

10:05 - 10:30 CS & AI: An Operational Overview - Nuno Paiva Das Neves

 

 

10:30 - 10:55 Empowering Customer Success Roles with Gen AI Tooling - Jessica Bobbitt, Genesys

 

 

10:55 - 11:20 Driving Product Adoption with AI - Damien McCoy, Cisco

 

 

11:20 - 12:00 Panel Discussion

 

 

12:00 Refreshments & Networking

 

 


Wednesday 21 May

The Rise: Leadership Succession Insights, Stories & Strategies

AtlanTec will host a special Leadership Event on the 21st at the Hardiman Hotel. 

  • Dinner
  • Wisdom in Action Leadership Insights from Dr Sarah Kiernan Assistant Dean, Executive and Professional Education at University of Limerick.
  • Panel Discussion
  • Audience Roundtable

 

Limited spots available and the event is invite only so if interested in attending please email ccawley@itag.ie

The event will take place from 5pm – 8pm.

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Venue: The Hardiman Hotel Galway 5-8pm

Thursday 7 May

Women of Impact: Human Intelligence in Action: Women Driving Transformative Change

This event will be held by itag’s Digital Women’s forum.

Venue: The Hardiman Hotel, Galway 2.30pm - 5.30pm

Details coming soon!

Thriving through Change: Leading resilient, high performance tech teams in a dynamic landscape

Elaine Murphy, Signify Health Ireland

Elaine Murphy is Site Lead for Signify Health Ireland. As an operations leader with a rich background in multinational tech scale-ups, board memberships, and leadership roles like the former president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Elaine brings a unique perspective to the 2025 Atlantec festival. Elaine’s experience navigating complex, matrixed organisations and driving growth in dynamic environments will resonate deeply with an audience of tech enthusiasts, operations leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

In this keynote, Elaine will explore how to foster adaptability and collaboration in teams facing disruption. She will champion specific change management principles that empower teams to pivot swiftly while maintaining focus on performance and innovation. From cultivating a culture of trust and psychological safety to leveraging data-driven decision-making, Elaine offers practical insights for leaders to drive sustainable growth. Her approach, rooted in real-world successes and her advocacy for diversity and inclusion, highlights how inclusive leadership fuels resilience.

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Thriving through Change Panel Discussion:

Eimear Coffey, Fidelity Investments, Julie Dowling, AIM Centre & Florence Higgins, Smartbear

Moderated by Signify Health Site Lead, Elaine Murphy, the panel will include:

 

The panel will delve further into the topic of building resilience, fostering phycological safety and leveraging data driven insights within leadership in Tech.

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Thursday 22 May

This event held by itag’s Product Management Forum will take place on Thursday 22nd May at PorterShed Galway.

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Venue: PorterShed, Market Street Galway 6.30pm - 8pm
Product Managing AI products: Practical Lessons, by Sarah Madden, SalesForce
AI's Impact on Healthcare Delivery: Navigating the Present and Shaping the Future of Product Management
Alex Blackstock, CVS Healthcare Delivery (Signify Health)

Alex is the Chief Product Officer For CVS Healthcare Delivery, which was  acquired by Signify Health in 2022. Prior to his time at CVS, Alex was the Global Head of Product for Amazon Geospatial. 

His talk will explore the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping the landscape of healthcare delivery and its profound implications for product management. As AI continues to evolve, it presents both unprecedented opportunities and unique challenges for healthcare organizations like CVS Health. 

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Panel Discussion: How AI is changing Product Management
Amanda Halpin, Genesys, Rob O'Shaughnessy, Switch Dimension, Rory O'Flynn, FirstBlox
Moderator: Keerthi Chandra Sekaren, Skedda

Friday 23 May

Agile Forum - The New New Think Tank: Evolving Agile Practices in a Changing World
Nigel Baker, Neueda

Agile Coach, Certified Scrum Trainer, and creator of the Nigel Scale.

Nigel Baker is a seasoned Agile Coach and Certified Scrum Trainer with well over 20 years of experience in the Agile field. He has worked extensively with organizations of varying sizes, helping them implement and refine Agile approaches. .Nigel is also the creator of the Nigel Scale, a tool designed to help teams assess the applicability of Agile practices within their specific contexts. 

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Venue: Genesys 10am - 12pm
10:00 – 11:00 Keynote Presentation: Evolving Agile Practices in a Changing World

Session Overview:

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting workplace dynamics, traditional Agile methodologies are being challenged to adapt. This session, led by renowned Agile Coach Nigel Baker, delves into innovative Agile techniques and approaches tailored for the modern world.

Key Topics:

  • Adapting to the New World: Strategies for Agile teams to thrive amidst remote work, digital transformation, and evolving organizational structures.
  • Embracing Change: Understanding the importance of flexibility and continuous learning in Agile practices.
  • ScrumMastery: Exploring the evolving role of Scrum Masters as facilitators of change and champions of team empowerment.
  • Integrating AI: Assessing the impact of Artificial Intelligence on Agile workflows and decision-making processes.
  • Scaling Agile: Insights into effectively scaling Agile practices across large and complex organizations.
  • The Nigel Scale: An introduction to Nigel Baker’s framework for evaluating Agile practices based on context and necessity.nigelbaker+1agiletoagility.com+1

 

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11:00 - 12:00 Interactive Q&A Session

Interactive Q&A Session:

Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with Nigel Baker during an hour-long Q&A session. This interactive segment is designed to address specific challenges, share experiences, and explore solutions tailored to participants’ unique organizational contexts.

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Monday 11 May

itag Data Forum - Data with Purpose: Turning Intelligence into Impact

Details coming soon!

Edward Curry is a Professor Data Science, University of Galway, Director of  Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics,  Director for Data Science Institute and VP for Big Data Value Association (BDVA) | dataspaces.info 

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AI-Ready Data: Your Intelligent Data Strategy for AI
John Tallon, Storm Technology

John Tallon is an AI Thought Leader, Practice Director leading AI & Data, App Innovation, and M365 Productivity at Storm Technology.

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De-Identifying Unstructured Data at Scale: Challenges and Advances in AI-Driven Privacy
David Copeland, Datavant

David Copeland is a Senior Data Scientist and Privacy Expert for Datavant.

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Venue: University of Galway

Details coming soon!

Monday 11 May

itag Testing Forum: Engineering Trust: Testing in the Age of AI

Brought to you by itag’s Testing Forum. 

 

18:00 - 18:30 Pizza & Networking

Brought to you by itag’s Testing Forum. 

Explore how process excellence, advanced tooling, and AI converge to enhance software quality. Join our itag’s Testing Forum to discover insights and practical strategies.
Empower your approach to quality through innovative technology and smarter workflows.

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18:30 - 19:00 Tooling, what problem are you trying to solve?
Stephen Conneely & Shane Coyne, Fidelity Investments

Speakers Stephen Conneely, Director of Quality Engineering, Fidelity Investments and Shane Coyne, Principal Software Quality Engineer, Fidelity Investments will discuss:

Success in Quality Engineering comes from solving the right problems with the right mix of tools, processes, and people. This talk explores how to move beyond trends—embracing focused microtools, intentional process design, and scalable AI use cases that deliver real, repeatable value.

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19:00 - 19:30 Transforming Workflows at Liberty IT: Developer and Business Journeys with GenAI
Ruadhri Howman & Ronan Brigdale, Liberty IT

Speakers, Ruadhrí Howman, Senior Solutions Architect, Liberty IT and Ronan Brigdale, Senior Software Engineer, Liberty IT will discuss transforming workflows at Liberty IT.

A year-long story of how Gen AI has permeated Liberty IT. Looking at the impact on developers through tooling such as GitHub Copilot, and the evolution of that tool, plus how we took a range of business use-cases and experimented with how Gen AI could bring value, either through time-saving efficiencies or cost-reduction opportunities.”

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Venue: Genesys, Bonham Quay

Details coming soon!

Tuesday 12 May

Scaling Customer Success Without Losing the Human Touch

Practical use cases that drive proactive, customer-centric outcomes. Presented by itag’s Customer Success Forum.

Venue: PorterShed, Market Street, Galway 11am - 1pm

Details coming soon!

Wednesday 13 May

Leaders Series : Region to Reputation

Details coming soon!

Panel Discussion: Michael McCarthy, Cloud Infrastructure Ireland (CII) & Niall Muphy, Cisco
Chaired by: Pauline O’Reilly, Irish District Energy Association
  • Niall Muphy is an engineering manager in Cisco Systems in Galway. He has authored one book on safety for software controlled systems. From 2020 to 2024 he was a Galway City Councillor and campaigned for a more sustainable environment through city development plans and city policy.
  • Michael McCarthy is director of Cloud Infrastructure Ireland (CII) having previously served as CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association [ISEA]. Michael holds extensive experience of environmental-related legislation within the Oireachtas through his service of 14 years as a TD and Senator including as Chair of the joint committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, and the chairing of the public consultation on the pre-legislative stages of the Climate and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
  • Pauline O’Reilly Pauline O’Reilly is the CEO of the Irish District Energy Association, which promotes district heating and cooling in Ireland. Prior to taking up this role Pauline served as a Senator, city councillor, and Chairperson of a political party.

 

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Venue: TBC

Details coming soon!

Wednesday 13 May

itag Tech Writing Forum

Details coming soon!

Panel Discussion: Michael McCarthy, Cloud Infrastructure Ireland (CII) & Niall Muphy, Cisco
Chaired by: Pauline O’Reilly, Irish District Energy Association
  • Niall Muphy is an engineering manager in Cisco Systems in Galway. He has authored one book on safety for software controlled systems. From 2020 to 2024 he was a Galway City Councillor and campaigned for a more sustainable environment through city development plans and city policy.
  • Michael McCarthy is director of Cloud Infrastructure Ireland (CII) having previously served as CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association [ISEA]. Michael holds extensive experience of environmental-related legislation within the Oireachtas through his service of 14 years as a TD and Senator including as Chair of the joint committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, and the chairing of the public consultation on the pre-legislative stages of the Climate and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
  • Pauline O’Reilly Pauline O’Reilly is the CEO of the Irish District Energy Association, which promotes district heating and cooling in Ireland. Prior to taking up this role Pauline served as a Senator, city councillor, and Chairperson of a political party.

 

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Venue: HPE Galway 10am - 12pm

Details coming soon!

Thursday 14 May - AtlanTec Conference Morning

AtlanTec Conference: Intelligence Augmented: The Frontier of Human Judgement
Venue: Bailey Allen Hall, University of Galway
09:00 - 09:05 Welcome Address itag - Sharon Walsh, SVP Technology Fidelity Investments, itag chair
 
 
 
 
09:05 - 09:15 Opening Address: Aengus Parsons, Acting VP for Research & Innovation University of Galway
 
 
 
 
09:15 - 10:00 Keynote Innovation in an Age of Uncertainty and Interactive Q&A
Mark Little, Journalist & Entrepreneur

Abstract: Mark Little will explore innovation in uncertain times, examining trends reshaping organizations, flatter structures, and predictive AI. He’ll highlight energy and infrastructure challenges for Ireland and beyond. He’ll emphasize empathy and decentralized leadership. Crucially, he’ll address how agentic AI augments human judgment, enhancing decision-making at the frontier of leadership. If needed, he’s open to adding insights on fostering trust or combating disinformation—both key to the tech community.

 

Bio: Mark Little, is a renowned journalist and entrepreneur, with a wealth of experience in digital media, tech and entrepreneurship. As the founder of Storyful and co-founder of Kinzen, an AI media technology platform that combats the spread of misinformation, Mark has spent his career at the intersection of tech and democracy. A former RTÉ foreign correspondent and TV presenter, Mark’s presence will be a huge draw to the tech conference, offering a deep dive into trust, safety, and the future of public media.

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10:00 - 10:40 Keynote: The Human Algorithm: Engineering Empathy and Ethics into our Digital Future
Dr Lollie Mancey, InsTech.ie & UCD Innovation Academy

Dr. Lollie Mancey is an internationally acclaimed anthropologist and futurist dedicated to decoding the intersection of technology and human culture. Currently the Head of Innovation for InsTech and a former director at University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy, she blends academic excellence with entrepreneurial success as a director of three businesses. A dynamic storyteller and Dublin Story Slam Champion, Dr. Mancey is a prominent media personality, co-presenting RTÉ’s Futureville and collaborating with NASA on systemic shifts. Whether demystifying AI ethics on global stages like the Pendulum Summit or advocating for underrepresented founders, she empowers leaders to navigate digital transformation with a human-centered, inclusive strategy for the future.

10:40 - 11:00 The Agentic Blueprint: Engineering Autonomy into the AI-Native Enterprise
Prof Paul Buitelaar, Deputy Director of Data Science Institute, Insight Research Centre
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 - 12:10 Keynote: Human Leadership in an AI-powered World
Angus Nelson, Kuma Partners
Angus Nelson is a leadership coach, strategist, and keynote speaker who helps high-performing entrepreneurs and executives break through plateaus and achieve extraordinary success. As the founder of Evolve Leadership, he combines psychology, emotional intelligence, and proven frameworks to guide clients in overcoming limiting beliefs, aligning purpose with profit, and driving personal growth. He has worked with leaders from FedEx, Cisco, and Bridgestone and delivered keynotes at Walmart, Coca-Cola, BMW, and Disney. Angus is the author of Confidence Comes Later and hosts the Evolve Leadership podcast, where he empowers listeners to cultivate clarity, wealth, and freedom while becoming bold, aligned, and unstoppable.
 
12:10 - 13:00 A Brave New World of Engineering: Scaling Impact through Data and Innovation
Lightning Talks Industry Companies
13:00 - 13:10 AI Challenge 2026: Winner Presentation & Awarding
13:10 - 14:00 Light Lunch and Networking
 

Thursday 14 May AtlanTec Conference Afternoon

AI & Cyber: Practical Implementation & Resilience
Venue: University of Galway, Bailey Allen Hall
14:00 - 14:15 Welcome Prof Professor David Burn, President University of Galway

 

 

14:15 - 15:00 Panel Discussion - Putting AI to Work in Engineering Teams
Genesys, Cisco & Rent The Runway (RTR)
 
15:10 - 15:20 Sustainability Lightning Talk: Sustainability Without Permission: What Developers Can Do Today
15:20 - 16:25 Panel Discussion The Security Paradox: From ‘Vibe Coding’ to Verified Code—Securing Prompt-Driven Development
Veronica Breene Intuity Technologies, Eamonn Larkin Centripetal, James McDermott University of Galway
 
16:25 - 16:30 Closing Remarks
16:30 Networking Reception: Pizza & Drinks at SULT.