#TechThursdayKK curated the Technology, Design and Innovation Stage at the South East Business Expo on Wednesday 3rd April. Discussions and talks covered a wide range of topics, you can check out some of our videos and the main talking points below. Opportunities are on the rise in the South East.

Digital Product Strategy

John Cleere, Red Lemonade

• “A good strategy is a coherent mix of policy and action designed to surmount a high-stakes challenge.” - Richard Rumelt
• Since a strategy can’t be proven to be right, a strategy is a hypothesis that should be tested with a design sprint
• Good strategy leads to innovation
• The iceberg under any innovation is execution
• Work with people who have skin in the game

Virtual Realities in the South East

Aaron Jay, Emagine

• VR is immersive and engaging and takes you where you can't go
• VR is a buzz word, people want it because others have it, but the most importing thing is the brand story and how people perceive you and the product
• Storytelling is critical to VR
• VR allows companies to have a vision for a product, such as architectural projects and the healthcare industry
• VR is growing the South East and has a global reach
• Storytelling in the South East from the work in Emagine and Cartoon Saloon has huge potential to attract further industries such as gaming

Laws of Attraction: What Tech Companies Want

Joy Redmond, Sonru | Peter Lougheed, Microsoft Ireland | Declan McGill, Unum | John O'Connor, Kollect | Michael Gannon

• The new Insuretech Centre in Carlow has the prospect to develop the industry in the South East, working with industry
• Some of the strongest partners Microsoft have in Ireland are in the South East in digital transformation
• Agri and digitisation of data is an area of scope for better farming practices, Agri has deep roots in the South East that can be utilised more
• It's up to companies to create the culture in the South East. Good culture in companies is what attracts people to work and live in the South East
• Kollect have a focus on attracting people to the South East who have families and have career experience
• Unum has over one third of thir staff coming from the local colleges such as IT Carlow and continues to foster relationships with the colleges
• In Agri and food innovation we need new companies beyond Glanbia. There is one less meat meal eaten every week in the U.S.A. compared to 5 years ago and there are many opportunities in this trend
• New startups to compliment the incumbents need to be explored through more networking events and structured dialogue
• Infrastructure for attracting industry is lacking in some areas but we can be creative. Broadband is excellent in the South East. Working remotely is a growing trend in the South East
• From a scale perspective, you have 26,000 companies in the South East but 93% have less than 10 employees. The big requirement is to scale some of the 93%
• Tech employment in the South East has a very high retention rate
• Talent of over 5 years' experience is still difficult to attract but that will change in time

The long Tail of Animation

Margaret Ahearne, HubSpot | Naoise Nunn, Kilkenny Animated | John Cleere, Red Lemonade

• Kilkenny Animated Festival, which was developed in partnership with Cartoon Saloon, is now entering its second year and has sponsorship from Netflix
• In Cartoon Saloon only one of their many current projects is for a traditional television broadcaster. The others are for Netflix and Apple's new streaming service. 90% of their business is supplying streaming services
• Cartoon Saloon and Lighthouse Studios have over 250 people engaged in animation in Kilkenny. Cartoon Saloon having 4 Oscars nominations will attract talent and other animation companies to the region
• VR, gaming industries and other complementary industries should be researched further
• Culture, education and the intangibles beyond the jobs are the key to creating the opportunity for jobs and new industry
• Kilkenny could become the European 'green room' for Netflix, a place where industry can meet and network. Already Kilkenny is already home to the biggest gathering of casting directors in the world, which happens during the Subtitle Festival
• When you turn off the majority, you turn on the minority, and there is a lot of business in that area. Going narrow and deep will create opportunities
• Doubling down on the sectors in the South East that have deep roots like agri and animation will yield other opportunities
• Grass roots businesses in the South East need to work together more closely to promote and develop the region, it won't all come from the grass tops like local government

Productivity: Tools of the Trade

Justin Kearns, Tucr, Wedding Wallet | Maeve Carey, Distilled SCH | Emily-Ann Gilligan, Canice Architects | Margaret Ahearne, HubSpot

4 South0-East based tech experts shared some of the tools they use for better productivity and work/life balance, such as Calendly, Targetprocess and Trello. Watch the video to catch them all.

Lean Startup Learning

Edward Hendrick, Sonru

• Ed is the founder and CEO of Sonru
• Ed decided to build a YouTube for recruitment in 2007
• Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats was a phenomenal tool for assessing the business idea
• Sonru was attempting to disrupt a five hundred-year-old process, the CV
• After the first couple of months' experience, the business pivoted to a second concept, a video conferencing solution tailored for the recruitment industry
• Ed figured out in as quick and cheap a way as possible if customers were going to use Sonru's product using a lean startup model

Setting a Jewel in the South East

Nick Delfino, NearForm

• Nick spoke about the challenges of working in overpopulated, congested cities such as Milan and London and the benefits of remote work
• Speaking on how to set a jewel in the South East, Nick urged people to accept challenges and help but be selective about mentors
• Be humble and accept big and small opportunities as you never know where success is going to come from
• Trust the people you work with. Great relationships build autonomy, trust and ultimately influence

New Kids on the Block

Liz Nolan | Vicki O'Donnell, Wilder Wander | Louise Murphy, Cyc-Lok | Justin Kearns, Tucr

• Support is available from a wide range of places such as Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Office, Acorns etc.
  
• Policy change could help get funding for startups
• Conversations between startups about supports that are available are key.
• A facility like The Hatch Lab in Gorey helps with networking and connections and getting help and new ideas
• Choosing an industry for the South East could be limiting

Gallery

Check out some images from the event