Ireland’s first sustainability hackathon is coming to Wexford’s GreenTech HQ

Greentech HQ, Ireland’s premier sustainability innovation hub, is proud to partner with NDRC and the 2050 Accelerator to run the first 2050 Sustainability Hackathon on Saturday, 9th March, onsite Greentech’s hub in Enniscorthy, the first event of its type in Ireland. This triad of innovation brings together Ireland’s national startup accelerator and the national sustainability accelerator together in Ireland’s first fully passive commercial building.

The one-day hackathon will welcome up to 80 budding entrepreneurs, who are chomping at the bit to start, grow, and power up a startup with sustainability at its core. Participants will get the chance to tackle themes including biodiversity management and applications of AI in building a circular economy, the carbon credits market, upend social economies, or promote more diverse and equitable perspectives in the professional world.

Aspiring founders, developers, and curious minds are encouraged to sign up to join or build a team, develop an idea from scratch, and benefit from expert mentorship before pitching their business at the evening showcase.

Hackathon participants will experience the rollercoaster of a founder journey, in just one day, from  idea development and customer discovery in the morning to afternoon mentoring sessions with sustainability innovation experts. Teams will pitch to an esteemed judging panel of sustainability and innovation experts, with winners receiving a sustainability-themed prize yet to be revealed.

Supporting mentors who’ve walked the walk include Donal Quinn, founder of ESG-focused ENSO Initiatives, Killowen Farm’s Pauline Dunne – a leading actor in the dairy manufacturing sector, and Paul O’Reilly, Founder & Chairman of Watt Footprint – an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and energy consultant with over 25 years’ of experience, perfectly poised to give these budding entrepreneurs a leg up.

In late 2023, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath was welcomed to Wexford’s sustainability hub and joined by Ed Murphy, CEO at Greentech HQ, Gemma Marshall Director at NDRC, and Dave Power Director of Innovation at Dogpatch Labs, marking a significant milestone in Ireland’s cross-hub, cross-programme and cross-industry space.

This new initiative is building on the success and positive impact for startups as a result of the regional hub collaboration between Dogpatch Labs, RDI Hub, Republic of Work and PorterShed over the last number of years

Last November, NDRC Startup Sprint, a collaboration between Professor Stephen Kinsella, Co-Director of University of Limerick’s Immersive Software Engineering course, and NDRC regional hub RDI Hub, created 14 new startups teams, who hacked ideas and developed prototypes for the day.

Meanwhile the 2050 Ecosystem, which operates under the umbrella of Dogpatch Labs and is backed by the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications, has supported events including Galway City Climathon at PorterShed, the Future of Fashion 2030 & Beyond hits at Republic of Work, the Dublin Sustainability Meetup at Dogpatch Labs, and more, welcoming top-class calibre speakers to the fold. Greentech HQ is as a key partner within the 2050 Ecosystem, so this collaboration is a no-brainer.

Apply at this link before the deadline of Monday, 4th March where you can also find details on transportation, accommodation, and FAQs.

An Irish Tech News podcast on the first 2050 Sustainability Hackathon will be published tomorrow.

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