UCD Innovation Academy Year in Review 2025/26 by ucdinnovationacademy

2025/26 At A Glance

1140 UCD undergraduate students taking our optional electives

Students participating in our electives in Beijing

680

Student bookings in our MakerSpace

16 Years of UCD Innovation Academy delivering transformational learning in UCD

Lifelong Learners who took our inaugural Professional Diploma Summer School

6 Student Hackathons

162 UCD PhD Students taking our modules in creativity & innovation

900 Lifelong Learners in our accredited & executive programmes

2025/26 At A Glance

Years partnering with Deloitte on Creative Thinking & Innovation

30,000 Students in Laos National University, NUOL, our partner in transforming education.

52 Students from all over Europe taking the Creative Thinking & Innovation module as part of the NICE Summer Programme

61,000 Students in OMO, our Dutch secondary school partner.

250,000 Vietnamese students impacted by UCD Innovation Academy’s VIBE programme with Vietnam National University over 9 years

3 Universities who participated in Global Innovation Challenges, UCD, VNU and the National University of Laos (NUOL)

300 Participants in our Public Sector Innovation Partnership

Come Together Embracing Emergent Education By Prof Suzi Jarvis, Founding Director, UCD Innovation Academy Matt Mion, Education Officer 2025/26, UCD Students’ Union This article originally appeared in the Irish Independent in June 2026

In recent decades, knowledge has become a form of private property to be acquired and demonstrated under the intense pressure of increased competition. Our society has become obsessed with individual attainment as the primary route to future rewards.

From self-commodification to collective intelligence Yet these rewards can be elusive in tumultuous times. Today’s problems require groups capable of thinking together, drawing on diverse perspectives and creating solutions that no single person could conjure up alone. What we now need from education has shifted, from self-commodification to collective intelligence. Collective intelligence isn’t a modern invention. Many resilient cultures assume that knowledge is inherently shared: something held between people, generations and communities. The African philosophy of Ubuntu (“I am because we are”) frames learning as deeply relational, grounded in mutual responsibility. UCD Innovation Academy sustainability students bring their learning outside to UCD’s surrounding woodland. July 2026.

For thousands of years, such collective ways of knowing have enabled communities to adapt, survive and transmit wisdom across time. So, what would our system look like if we regarded collective intelligence as the desired outcome? The core premise broadens from ‘What can you achieve?’ to ‘What should we accomplish?’. Curriculum stops being a march through siloed disciplines and becomes a series of evolving problems worth solving. Students engage with the wider community where they learn to test their ideas in context, negotiate competing needs and refine understanding through implementation. The school becomes a pollinator of ideas in a wider learning ecosystem.

Collaboration as the foundation of learning When it comes to assessment, ranking individuals makes little sense when the goal is building collective capability. Competition becomes ‘us versus a problem’ rather than ‘student versus student.’ Students think aloud because their ideas matter to the group. The psychological effect is exhilarating. Engagement increases because success benefits everyone. Teachers become pivotal as designers of the social conditions in which collective thinking can flourish. They become creative catalysts, curating worthwhile problems, fostering novel alliances, guiding the synthesis of diverse perspectives and telling stories which inspire action. This is already visible across Ireland, from the Dingle Hub to the UCD Innovation Academy, where students learn by cocreating solutions with each other and their community. These environments thrive on curiosity, creativity, generosity and trust. Yet the wider education system continues to treat collaboration as a soft skill or even cheating, rather than the foundation of learning.

Systemic change will only come when we reckon honestly with the original ambitions of the industrial model of education: to sort the many in service of the few and displace communities from the field to the factory line. Reductive psychological theories, like IQ testing, perpetuated the idea that ability was innate instead of emergent. Now, we know that human potential is fluid and profoundly shaped by context. We flourish not as isolated competitors, but when we coalesce for the greater good – in Irish, the concept of Meitheal.

Big problems require big change Why, then, is the current system maintained? In part because credentialing seeks to annotate difference. Also, because bureaucracies prioritise what’s measurable over what’s meaningful. Ultimately, because of the belief that the labour market and economic productivity still demand it. But is that right, or even good for society at large?

Dún Chaoin, Co. Kerry, 1948. Photographer: Caoimhín Ó Danachair. National Folklore Collection, UCD. Neighbours in rural Ireland would often form a Meitheal around harvest time, to share the work across the community.

But the reality is unavoidable. If we want societies capable of responding to climate disruption, geopolitical instability, rising inequality and technological displacement, we need an education system centred on what communities can accomplish. The industrial logic of individual ranking has run its course. The next revolution in education won’t come from more personalised learning, adaptive algorithms or continuous assessment. It will come from treating classrooms — and entire systems — as evolving communities of collective intelligence, connected not only to each other but to ancestors whose knowledge we inherit and future generations whose wellbeing depends on what we learn to do now – together.

UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub, located on an acre of UCD’s woodland campus in Belfield, provides immersive, hands-on sustainability experiences to explore, experiment and learn how to take meaningful actions for a sustainable planet.

TRANSFORMING LEARNING Nurturing Creative Minds, Critical Thinkers and Belonging in UCD

Delivering Undergraduate General Education This has been a landmark year for artificial intelligence, one that has forced every sector, and every discipline, to reckon with what it means to learn, work, and think in an age of AI. Against this backdrop, the case for general education has never been more compelling. The capabilities that endure - critical thinking, creative problem-solving, collaboration across disciplines and the ability to deal with uncertainty - are precisely those that a broad, challenge-based education cultivates. In 2025/26, our twelfth year offering undergraduate electives at UCD, 1140 undergraduate students took our optional electives, an 11 percent increase on last year.

Virtual Reality for Future Skills

Design a Sustainable Future

Creative Thinking & Innovation

Essentials of Entrepreneurship

Design Your Life

Designing the Future

Social Entrepreneurship

Design a Digital Future

Design Thinking

Innovation for Sustainability

Global Innovation Challenges

Undergraduate Students: 1140 Total Undergraduate Modules

14 Creative Thinking and Innovation

406

Design Your Life

206

200

177

Essentials of Entrepreneurship Innovation for Sustainability

Social Entrepreneurship

Design Thinking for Innovation

Virtual Reality for Future Skills

Design A Digital Future

Global Innovation Challenges

Design A Sustainable Future

22 0

100

200

300

400

Top colleges our undergraduate students come from (%) Business 12.9%

Science 20.7%

10 Arts and Humanities 15.7%

Social Sciences and Law 21.4%

Engineering and Architecture 10.2%

Health and Agricultural Sciences 19.2%

500

Our undergraduate electives foster creative, innovative mindsets alongside indemand skills and knowledge. We use approaches like work-integrated learning that connect students to real organisations, real problems, and real people. Rather than a fixed set of answers, students leave with the confidence and flexibility to navigate problems now and into the future. This year's electives reaffirmed, in line with UCD’s Breaking Boundaries strategy, that general education is not a supplement to a degree but a necessary counterpart to it: the space where students learn to ask better questions, work across boundaries, and deal with complexity. The following pages set out how that ambition translated into practice, in the classroom, across disciplines, and at record scale.

This year UCD Innovation Academy’s Structured Elective - Innovation for Change - was the most popular Structured Elective in UCD.

Students who completed the Innovation for Change Structured Elective were able to reconnect with their classmates and receive certificates of completion in an inaugural celebration. Read more: Structured Elective Celebration

Design Your Purposeful Life An in-demand life design elective Design Your Purposeful Life was our second most popular elective this year with 206 students. Using a Design Thinking approach, students reflect on their values and sense of purpose and map out their path ahead. Its rising popularity reflects a real shift in how students are approaching their futures. The traditional trajectory of degree leading neatly to job can no longer be assumed, and students are increasingly aware that they need multiple plans, not one fixed destination.

I was struck by just how much students benefitted from and appreciated the space to explore and make sense of themselves and their lives. This kind of space is often absent from their everyday lives as students in a world of assignments, deadlines and performance. Niall Walsh, Design Your Life Facilitator, UCD Innovation Academy

Ambiguity is now a defining feature of the years ahead rather than an exception to plan around. What students gain is not a single answer but a repeatable toolkit: a way of navigating uncertainty, evaluating options, and making informed choices that they can return to at any point in life, not just at graduation. A graduation day at UCD, 2026.

Student Voices

I thought designing my life would be something deeply individual, but hearing other people’s stories made me feel both inspired and less alone - our lives were so different, yet so many of the questions underneath were the same.

I learnt to hear my own voice more clearly - what I value, what I’m good at and what I really want - and to challenge the beliefs that had been making my world smaller."

I came in thinking my degree had already narrowed my future; I left seeing not one path, but a whole landscape of lives I could still design."

By the end of the module, it was remarkable the sense of agency that students felt in relation to the possible future directions their lives and careers might take, and how grounded people felt to their core values and beliefs ... also the sense of connection and community people felt from having cocreated and held this space together, despite being complete strangers to each other on Day one, Niall Walsh, Design Your Life Facilitator, UCD Innovation Academy

Challenge Partnerships Our Fourth Year Partnering with Deloitte UCD Innovation Academy collaborated with Deloitte for the fourth year in a row, with our Creative Thinking and Innovation classes hosted at Deloitte's offices for a week in March. Students experienced the same Creativity and Innovation elective facilitated by Innovation Academy facilitators, but with the added benefit of applying their learning in a live, real-world business environment. Working alongside Deloitte Partners and Subject Matter Experts, students tackled real organisational challenges and presented their work for real-time feedback. This kind of work-integrated learning matters more than ever in a graduate recruitment landscape being reshaped by automation and AI. As entry-level roles evolve and employers place growing weight on adaptability, collaboration and applied problem-solving, the chance to test these skills in a genuine workplace setting is one our students really value.

Emer Sherlock Alumni and University Engagement Lead at Deloitte

We are delighted to partner with the Innovation Academy. This is our fourth year doing it and it has gone from strength to strength. On Day one what we say to the students is that we really value their opinion, that everyone has a voice at the table ... we want them to be confident to bring their ideas forward.

Challenge Partnerships Design Thinking and Daricha School For the Design Thinking Spring elective, UCD Innovation Academy collaborated with Daricha School, an organisation working with a network of community schools for girls in Afghanistan. A journalist from Afghanistan and also a volunteer of the group, Arezo Rahimi, dropped by the class to give context to the many challenges facing the group, including funding and awareness raising about the situation of girls in Afghanistan.

The problem was so big at the start. I remember talking with our group, “How are we ever going to find a solution to this?” But I’m really proud of what we came up with.

Hannah Lynam Second Year Veterinary Medicine

Journalist Arezo Rahimi

Some of the students focused on raising awareness and the credibility of the group through various digital methods, while others focused on connecting the Daricha network to funders and scholarship opportunities.

Lucy McPhilipps Final Year International Commerce

It was really interesting to see how everyone took it in a different way. And we were working on a problem that we weren’t necessarily exposed to in our normal coursework.

Hands-On, Experiential Learning in Sustainability Our undergraduate elective Design a Sustainable Future is a hands-on class with activities like mushroom farming, plastic recycling and biomimicry projects. Students tackle real sustainability challenges on campus and propose innovative solutions.

For Autumn term, students of this elective created a Willow House using only materials they can find within Greenacre. For Spring term, students created hedges around the border of UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub.

We’re slowly learning because there’s a lot of teamwork involved. Our class comes from different streams but it’s a great way to know each other through a lot of failure. Patrick Smith Third Year, Sustainability & Economics

Experiential learning also takes centre stage in the undergraduate elective Innovation for Sustainability. As part of the module, students took part in a field trip that brings sustainability to life beyond the classroom. Visiting a range of organisations and sites, including the offices of B Corp-certified companies, students explored how sustainability is embedded in business and everyday operations.

The Innovation for Sustainability class visits Wicklow Wolf, a certified B Corp

Creative Hackathons Our hackathons are creative events: fast-paced, immersive challenges where problem-solving, imagination and collaboration matter far more than technical skill. Open to all students, regardless of discipline or prior experience, they bring people together around a shared challenge and a tight deadline, creating space for genuine connection. In just a day or two, students form new networks, practise thinking on their feet, and discover what they can build when working alongside people they might never otherwise meet.

Students came up with prototypes of AI-powered services and products that could significantly improve their lives as students of UCD in the year’s first Hackathon.

Launching UCD’s Flagship New Building for Future Learning The UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning launched at the beginning of March with a fitting first event: a two-day innovation hackathon organised by UCD Innovation Academy in partnership with UCD Careers Network, UCD School of Architecture, and UCD Foundation. Bringing together students from across disciplines, the hackathon challenged participants to answer the question, “How Might We Design the University of the Future?” through bold ideas, collaboration, and rapid prototyping.

The hackathon began at UCD Innovation Academy’s Shackleton Lounge before moving to the new O’Connor Centre

Teams developed and presented innovative concepts across themes including the future of learning, sustainability, transport, energy, and wellbeing

Students were supported by facilitators and were also given access to Innovation Academy’s MakerSpace, enabling them to transform ideas into tangible prototypes.

The showcase formed part of the official launch of the UCD O’Connor Centre for Learning, attended by UCD President Orla Feely, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless T.D., the O’Connor family, Registrar and Vice President Colin Scott and other senior members of the UCD community. Guests engaged directly with students throughout the event, and the winning teams were recognised during the launch ceremony, highlighting UCD’s commitment to student-led innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

UCD Investors and Entrepreneurs Society’s 24hr Start-A-Thon UCD Innovation Academy hosted a 24-hour Start-a-thon with UCD I&E, bringing together students from a wide range of disciplines for an intensive weekend of entrepreneurship and innovation. The event began with participants forming teams, generating ideas, and developing new venture concepts over the course of 24 hours. The winning team, Veritas (Sergei Malyshev, Sophia Encarnacion, Lorcán Martin, Daniel Waldron, and Vansh Aggarwal), was recognised for its innovative solution and entrepreneurial potential. Throughout the event, students were supported by workshop facilitator Raomal Perera, UCD Innovation Academy Board Chair, guest speaker Alan Hicks of Manna Air Delivery, mentors from Deloitte, and an experienced judging panel, making the Start-a-thon a hands-on opportunity to build ideas, collaborate across disciplines, and experience the fast-paced nature of innovation and venture creation.

Human and Computer Interaction Hackathon In 2026, we continued our partnership with the School of Information and Communication Studies by hosting Hackathons with industry partners such as IBM. Prototypes for solutions were all created by the students in the MakerSpace in a span of a few hours. The theme of their projects was devices powered by AI which support vulnerable populations. The winning team’s prototype was an accessory for mood regulation that could pre-empt mood disorders such as panic attacks

Other teams’ solutions focused on vulnerable populations such as students or workers who are away from their homes, as well as the sick and elderly

Incluza Palooza with Access and Lifelong Learning (ALL) UCD Innovation Academy partnered with Access and Lifelong Learning for Incluza-Palooza 2026, UCD’s annual festival celebrating inclusivity on campus, to deliver a hackathon focused on designing more inclusive sensory spaces for students.

It was one of the series of activities that week and the hackathon brought together more than 30 students who worked collaboratively to develop creative solutions that could improve accessibility and wellbeing across the campus. Teams applied design thinking and innovation methods to reimagine sensory-friendly spaces, including mobile sensory trucks, themed pods where students could retreat and relax, and more.

The winning team received noisecancelling headphones and the opportunity to see their concept explored as a potential future initiative on campus.

Student Challenge: Supporting and Celebrating Family Carers UCD Innovation Academy partnered with UCD Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), the UCD EDI Carers Working Group, and I-Form to deliver a four-week innovation challenge focused on supporting family carers. The challenge invited students to work in teams to build empathy with carers, identify their needs, and develop innovative products and technology solutions that could better support carers in their daily lives. With more than 500,000 family carers in Ireland, the initiative highlighted the experiences of students and staff balancing academic and professional life with caring responsibilities.

The challenge culminated in a final showcase, with students presenting their prototypes during National Carers Week at the Higher Education Institution (HEI) Carers Conference

Student Societies Collaborations Investors and Entrepreneurs Society & The Hult Prize Student entrepreneurship is about more than new ventures. Fostering student entrepreneurship in UCD cultivates innovation, critical thinking, and problemsolving skills. It encourages risk-taking, creativity, and the real-world application of the world-class knowledge students gain through their studies at UCD. This year, our entrepreneurship undergraduate module was in our top three most popular undergraduate electives. UCD Innovation Academy supports student entrepreneurship in UCD in different ways, from lending our spaces to societies like the Investors and Entrepreneurs society, our electives span a range of entrepreneurial topics, and to supporting the Hult Prize, an annual startup competition among students to solve societal issues.

NetSoc and Game Day Christmas & Valentines UCD Innovation Academy partnered with UCD Netsoc to deliver two successful Game Day events during the academic year, with editions held during Christmas and Valentine’s Week. The collaboration transformed the Shackleton and Crean Lounges into a vibrant games café, creating relaxed and inclusive spaces where students could connect, unwind, and engage with one another outside the classroom. Across both events, students had access to a wide variety of activities, including board games, puzzles, riddles, video games, and VR headsets that could be borrowed throughout the day.

The aim was to foster community, creativity, and collaboration through play while offering students a welcoming environment to take a break from academic pressures and meet new people from across the university.

The events were well received, with approximately 100 students attending each Game Day. Bubble tea, pizza, and a range of snacks were provided, contributing to the caféstyle atmosphere and encouraging students to stay, socialise, and participate in the different activities on offer. The partnership between UCD Innovation Academy and UCD Netsoc demonstrated the impact of cross-campus collaboration in enhancing the student experience.

UCD Slow Fashion Show The Shackleton and Crean Lounges at UCD Innovation Academy were temporarily transformed into a fashion runway as students took centre stage for the 4th Annual UCD Slow Fashion Show on 3 March. Led by UCD Circular in collaboration with the UCD Sustainability Society, UCD Fair Fashion, UCD Students’ Union, and The Loop, the event showcased the work of 10 student designers who created garments using slow, ethical, and sustainable fashion practices. Each designer presented one or two outfits inspired by one or more of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the role of fashion in addressing social and environmental challenges. They also had guest speaker Mariana Silva, a post-growth fashion researcher, sharing insights into the future of sustainable fashion.

Refreshers: Open House During Spring Refresher’s Week, UCD Innovation Academy hosted an Open House event, welcoming students back to campus and inviting them to explore the Innovation Academy’s spaces and facilities. The event was designed to introduce students to the Makerspace, Shackleton and Crean Lounges, and the wider Innovation Academy community, particularly those who had not yet visited the space.

Students were encouraged to explore the facilities through a series of interactive activities and mini games, with information about UCD Innovation Academy’s courses and programmes embedded throughout the experience.

Learning for Life Postgraduate Learning This year 455 students participated in our postgraduate accredited programmes that include Graduate Certificates, Professional Diplomas and an MSc spanning creativity, innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial education and sustainability. In keeping with UCD’s commitment to Learning for Life, we engage and empower a diverse community of learners to fulfil their potential and advance our society through disruptive times. In total this year, UCD Innovation Academy delivered programmes to 900 lifelong learners across a range of accredited and executive (non-accredited) programmes. In 2025/26 we delivered the following accredited programmes: Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability Professional Cert/Diploma in Creativity and Innovation for Educators

Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability, July 2026

Lifelong Learning in Numbers

Lifelong learners (in our credit bearing programmes) breakdown

75 108

455 lifelong learners 133 120

Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability (includes students on full-time 90 ECTS Msc and returning Graduate Diploma in Design Thinking for Sustainability students completing 30 ECTS capstone module) Professional Cert/Diploma in Creativity and Innovation for Education

Summer School Professional Diploma Students Participate in Summer Intakes and After School Activities

This year marked an important milestone for UCD Innovation Academy, with the Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership delivered as a fully in-person programme for the first time in Summer. Alongside this, the Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability also had a blended format, with Module 1: Creative Thinking and Innovation delivered on the UCD Belfield campus, bringing both cohorts together for an immersive summer school experience. The intensive opening module was designed to move beyond traditional classroom learning, giving participants the opportunity to explore creativity and innovation through hands-on, experiential activities. Students were also offered optional after class activities, taking advantage of UCD’s extensive campus.

A visit to the UCD National Folklore Collection to explore storytelling, culture, and Ireland’s rich heritage

MakerSpace Taster Sessions, where students experimented with creative technologies and prototyping tools

A Woodland Walk that encouraged observation, reflection, and creative thinking inspired by the natural environment.

STUDENT VOICE Alexander Skvorchevsky, Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability

I encountered a more dynamic, creative, and hands-on approach to learning. Working alongside classmates from different professional backgrounds, I became actively involved in learning by doing.

As an engineer and researcher in machine engineering, I came to appreciate the importance of integrating sustainability principles into machine design and retrofitting. Working alongside classmates from different professional backgrounds, I became actively involved in learning by doing. At first, this teaching style surprised me, as it was unlike any approach I had experienced before. However, I soon realised how effective it is, particularly for adult learners with diverse experiences and perspectives.

STUDENT VOICE Rosa Remedor, Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability

I’ve developed a better understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals, my own carbon footprint, planetary boundaries, carbon cycles and carbon budgets, and how interconnected environmental systems are.

I took this course because I genuinely love studying and learning new things. I also wanted to reconnect with my creative side. After spending many years working in corporate environments, I felt I wanted to give myself the opportunity to explore creativity, innovation and sustainability in a more practical way.

In just the first few weeks, I’ve learned about the connection between our environment and human wellbeing, ecosystem services, and how environmental pressures can become drivers of innovation. From the innovation side, I’ve learned that creativity can be developed through practice, and that innovation starts with understanding people before trying to solve a problem.

I also really enjoyed seeing sustainability as an interconnected system rather than simply thinking about environmental protection in isolation. Understanding how environmental, social and economic systems interact has made the subject much more meaningful to me. I would encourage anyone who is interested in innovation, sustainability or creating positive change to take this course. What I particularly value is that you don't just learn about these concepts, you experience them. You learn about sustainability, but you also learn about yourself, how you think, how you collaborate and how you approach problems.

STUDENT VOICE Irene Zakhariuk, Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability

The "learning through action" approach was a wonderful new experience for me. Every task was engaging, and after every class I couldn't wait to share my new insights with other people. Working with such a diverse group of people made my world feel bigger and gave me inspiration to move forward. For me, that is what learning is all about. I recently moved to Ireland and wanted to continue my professional development and learn from a local perspective. Through this course, I discovered the "learning through action" approach, design thinking, and deeper understanding of my own patterns in work and communication. The most enjoyable aspect of is meeting people. Being part of such a diverse group made my world feel bigger and gave me inspiration to move forward. This course is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, such a safe and inspiring space for growth.

STUDENT VOICE Aisling O’Leary, Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership

There are changes in legislation, there's changes in technology. I wanted to make sure that I have the skills to lead my colleagues and support my colleagues in a creative and in an innovative way to help us support the work that we do, but also to deliver for the public that we serve.

I'm a HR manager in the Civil Service. I work in a department where I have one thousand staff who I'm helping to direct and support and enable as part of their work as civil servants for members of the public. I chose to do this course because I work in an environment where there's loads of change all the time.

My department has a big role in supporting other government departments as well as members of the public in terms of finding somewhere to live, in terms of making sure that there is land available where there can be accommodation built, but also in terms of the resources and supplies that we need. And as we know, communities and the country are changing all the time, so our needs are changing all the time. So I'd like to be able to take creative ideas from this course, a creative and innovative approach, and the leadership mindset to help and support my department to do that.

STUDENT VOICE Karmen Kern, Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership

Here, in this programme, I found this freedom, this openness, and a different way of thinking and expressing myself.

I'm a social care worker. I've been in Dublin, Ireland, for 10 years now, and I finished my bachelor's degree in sociology and social policy. I decided to do this course because I had a feeling that there was something missing in connection with my work. Although I work as a social care worker, there's a lot of leading all the time—leading families and leading children. I support families, parents and children with autism, and we need to look a lot at social connections and improvement: How can we improve things for children with autism? For instance, how can we involve them and connect them with activities, work, education and society? This innovation and creativity course will be very helpful for me, for my development, and for helping those people and the community. We're learning while we're doing, and this doing is actually a sort of playing. We have a very open space for our ideas and our creativity. This was something I was missing in my traditional university experience.

STUDENT VOICE Salah Hussein, Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership

New technologies, including deep machine learning and AI, are developing in innovative ways, creating new dimensions of creativity and new models of leadership.

I’m originally from Sudan, and I came to Ireland in 2007. My background is as a social researcher. I then worked in different sectors, from home care to manufacturing, and later became a data analyst. After gaining considerable experience, I found that with the development of new technologies—including deep machine learning and AI—research was developing in innovative ways, creating new dimensions of creativity and new models of leadership. These models combine new technologies with the knowledge and experience we already have. I joined the Innovation Academy to explore these developments further and transfer my previous experience into the area of innovation, creativity and current technologies. I’ve found this to be a very rich experience. It’s fun and it clears the way for us to explore our potential and do more in the future. I’m very grateful and thankful to the Innovation Academy for giving us this opportunity.

Learning for Life MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability The MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability is a unique masters programme that bridges sustainability knowledge and skills, ensuring students are ready to quickly transition to new roles and opportunities upon graduation. Everything students learn is put into practice with real world projects and challenges. By the end of the MSc students are ready for the emerging green economy. 2025 marked the first year our full-time, one-year long 90 ECTS MSc programme ran without the support of external funding. We welcomed 15 students from 9 countries as part of this cohort. We also launched the Shackleton Scholarships, a competitive fund that provided bursaries to three students with a demonstrable commitment to sustainability.

It’s been a crazy good experience. I learned a lot, mostly through self-reflection which is an important part of the course. One of the main things Innovation Academy did for me is that I got rid of the fear of approaching people and became more confident...which is actually the skill that not a lot of courses can give you. Iakov Lagutin, 2025/26 Shackleton Scholarship recipient for the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability

Learning for Life MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability Mid-way through the year, MSc students apply their latest knowledge and skills to a challenge assigned by an external organisation. Challenge-based learning engages MSc students in real-world problem-solving, developing critical thinking, collaboration, and practical skills. It increases motivation through authentic projects, bridges theory-practice gaps, builds resilience, and prepares students for dealing with challenges upon graduation. This active approach promotes deeper understanding and learning. On pitch day, representatives from each host organisation attend and share live feedback with teams on their proposals.

MSc students cap off their degree with a three month, individually led Applied Sustainability Project with a host company of their choosing,

Spotlight on MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability PROJECTS Host Organisation: Musgrave Team: Jack Lucey, Peter Kole, Daiyue Wang, Anish Kudal Challenge: Consumers who express interest in healthier and more sustainable food need a way to consistently act on those intentions because price pressure, time constraints, and decision fatigue override their choices in the moment. Solution: “Better Bites”: an in-store system designed to make sustainable and healthy shopping easier, faster, and more affordable. It combines clear shelf-level labelling, a simple badge system highlighting key factors (organic, Irish produced etc.), and a financial incentive through a discount program to remove common barriers like confusion and price perception. This is supported by visual cues such as the Better Bites Bee mascot, pre-curated meal baskets, in-store education, and interactive elements like tastings and gamification. Together, these features guide shoppers toward better choices without requiring extra effort, turning intention into action at the point of purchase. The solution is adaptable across SuperValu, Centra, and Daybreak, ensuring a consistent customer experience. Furthermore, the foundational badge system and gamification concepts can be extended into digital channels and future AIdriven personalisation, allowing Musgrave to continuously refine and deepen its relationship with the consumer.

Spotlight on MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability PROJECTS Host Organisation: Oxfam Ireland Team: Jemima Hurley, Serah Arokoyo, Diego Borrego Challenge: How does Oxfam Ireland Trading maximise the opportunity to capture the higher quality shopper in the retail market as a donor and encourage regular donors to be more conscious of donating higher quality clothing? Solution: “Hang for good”: A simple hanger-based system that creates a visible donation zone inside the wardrobe and connects donors to impact updates, turning onetime donations into ongoing engagement through recognition, feedback, and timely activation. The solution has strong potential for implementation as it builds on existing infrastructure such as Oxfam’s PostBack service and in-store touchpoints. Its simplicity makes it easy to pilot at small scale of current Oxfam clothes donors, and iterate based on user feedback. Further development could focus on refining the engagement layer, including impact communication and partnerships, to strengthen long-term donor relationships and increase repeat donations.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION FOSTERING COLLABORATION ACROSS DISCIPLINES

Advancing Research & Innovation PhD Electives UCD Innovation Academy began as a project to support PhD students to learn the knowledge, skills and mindset to thrive after they completed their PhDs. Today, we continue our work with PhDs and researchers. In 2025/26, 179 PhDs and Masters students joined our electives from a range of backgrounds. This year also saw a collaboration with the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, with the inclusion of two of our modules Communicating for Impact and Entrepreneurship as core modules on the MSc Food Science with Nutrition.

PHD & MASTERS MODULES 2025/26 Creative Thinking & Innovation

Design Thinking

Entrepreneurship

Communicating for Impact

Design Your Life

Advancing Research & Innovation Student Voice UCD Innovation Academy is one of the most unique learning experiences available at University College Dublin. I did enjoy the duck exercise. It was a simple but powerful illustration that there is rarely a single correct perspective or answer. Each of us filters information through our own experiences, assumptions and context, shaping how we understand the world around us. It was a reminder that different perspectives can coexist and learning happens when we listen with curiosity. Experience and expertise are valuable, but healthy teams are built when everyone feels able to contribute, challenge ideas respectfully, stay flexible, and share their perspective. Chiara, Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD researcher in visual optics

Before you brainstorm, you brainwrite, you write down whatever comes to mind. I’ve never really done that before so that was really helpful to progress and be creative. Fabian, PhD student researching chemistry education

Advancing Research & Innovation Student Voice We got to break the idea of thinking of solutions and tackling problems into parts, so really isolating the problem, what is happening, and putting on both optimistic and pessimistic hats to counter the issue. I think breaking the issue down to these sub-components has been really helpful in thinking of more creative ideas. As well, through the module I was able to learn about sustainability projects that the school currently does, including Greenacre which I wasn’t aware of before, which is something I would hopefully get more involved with in the future. Fiona, Masters student in the School of Chemistry

It’s been really lovely talking to folks from all the different disciplines, we got to do some really really fun stuff where we got to play and come up with new ideas. The team here has given us really good skills and processes we can use throughout our creative and innovative careers, so it’s been really fun, I highly recommend it.

Mairéad, Masters student studying nanotechnology

UCD Innovation Academy MakerSpace UCD Innovation Academy’s MakerSpace helps students learn, create, innovate, prototype and test in a supported and facilitated environment. The MakerSpace is supported by two fulltime Technology Integration Managers.

Students In the past academic year, we welcomed over 680 bookings for 1500 students. These students come from all over UCD including the Colleges of Engineering and Architecture, Science, Social Sciences and Law, Business, Health and Agricultural Sciences, and Arts and Humanities. We provided a space for these students to learn about 3D printing, vacuum forming, and laser cutting, facilitating a huge range of projects.

New in the MakerSpace Shaper Origin A handheld smart CNC machine, which allows deep engraving and cutting of large materials. This will work well in tandem with our laser cutter, for cutting materials down to size and doing deep engraves with a bit less of a burning laser smell!

X-Tool This year, we have also secured a sponsorship with X-Tool, generously donating a high-precision laser that that could engrave on surfaces such as glass or even food surfaces.

New in the MakerSpace

Chomp Saw Our new Chomp Saw makes it easier to quickly and accurately cut cardboard for hands-on projects and prototyping. It’s a useful addition for students looking to turn ideas into physical creations in the MakerSpace.

Electronics from Soldered A range of electronics and environmental sensors for students to experiment with, prototype, and build interactive projects.

New 3D Printers Ten new Prusa Core One L 3D printers are added to accommodate more students who will be using this in time for the next academic year’s Designing The Future module.

New in the MakerSpace Enterprise Collaboration 123-3D.ie This year, we continued our collaboration opportunities with 1233D.ie, who generously provide printing materials and 3D Printer parts to maintain the space, enabling opportunities that would not have otherwise been possible.

Our Technology Integration Manager, Leo HumphreysNewman visited the Prusa HQ the company behind all of our 3D printers. With the help of our partners at 123-3D, we continue working with Prusa equipment - a European manufacturer with a focus on developing equipment in a local, sustainable, way.

Supporting Winning Projects My team and I won the UCD SDG Pitching Competition with our idea on sustainable floating farming. What made this even more special was that we were the only team with a working prototype—something we were able to build in just one day at the MakerSpace. Going in without a CAD file could have been a major setback, but the support and guidance from the MakerSpace team made all the difference. Their willingness to help us bring our idea to life, even under time pressure, truly reflects what innovation and collaboration should look like.

Project Aronno members: Nusrat Nahar Islam and Rossa Bellew, MSc Digital Innovation students

Now, we’re incredibly excited to be taking this prototype and our idea to Finland to present at the INNOVA EUROPE Summit 2026. It’s amazing to see how something built in a single day at MakerSpace can open doors to international opportunities.

Demystifying the Past with Ancient Objects UCD School of Classics Throughout 2025 and 2026, we worked closely with the UCD School of Classics to 3D print different artefacts to allow both faculty and students study the objects more closely.

We conducted extensive research work with the UCD Classical Museum to process micro-CT imagery of ancient cuneiform clay tablets. This enabled us to use the MakerSpace to create physical models, as well as decipher the text on the tablet, working with Yale University on transcribing it and leading to research output. We 3D printed both the exterior and interior of the tablet for this project.

A physical model of a cuneiform tablet in our MakerSpace.

An example of a cast of a cuneiform tablet. Image: National Museum of Ireland

Another MakerSpace project in 2025/26 with the School of Classics was the hinged model of an ancient vase with a false bottom, The vase was also CT scanned to reveal the interior view so that students and researchers could view the internal mechanism of the object.

UCD School of Archeology In our 3D prints, we can also customise the type of filament we use so that it could be as close to the original item as possible. For this specific project with the School of Archeology, we used a wooden filament as the original excavated item was made out of wood.

Roman wooden object

UCD School of Veterinary Medicine In 2026, we received requests from students to 3D print a selection of bat skulls, as well as canine skulls for their classes.

Pendulum Clocks for Classes UCD School of Engineering In 2025, UCD Innovation Academy MakerSpace supported students from the School of Engineering in the development and fabrication of a series of 3Dprinted pendulum clocks as part of a module-based project. Working closely with multiple engineering groups, the MakerSpace provided access to advanced 3D printing equipment, technical guidance, and rapid prototyping support throughout the design and production process. By enabling students to prototype and iterate their designs in a hands-on environment, the MakerSpace played an important role in bridging classroom learning with practical application. The wide variety of completed pendulum clocks demonstrated both the creativity of the student teams and the collaborative value of interdisciplinary support across UCD.

“Casting” for Earth Worms UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science Oscar Falconer, a second-year PhD student at the UCD School of Agricultural and Food Science, is developing a novel project focused on how earthworms are distributed at different depths in the soil. His work addresses a key challenge in studying earthworm behaviour: traditional digging methods disturb the soil and cause the worms to move, making accurate measurement difficult. To solve this, he worked with the UCD Innovation Academy MakerSpace to design an in situ depth sampler. The device consists of interlocking compartments housed within a sleeve that remains in the soil, allowing earthworms to move naturally while being sampled. This approach makes it possible to study earthworm distribution without disrupting their habitat.

The sampler has already been tested successfully in the field, and Falconer has been producing it in larger quantities with support from the MakerSpace. His project shows how access to rapid prototyping and fabrication resources can help turn a scientific idea into a practical research tool.

I do encourage anyone, whether in Engineering, Arts, or Science - particularly Science, because you can rapid prototype - to engage with the MakerSpace as it’s an incredibly advantageous resource at UCD. Oscar Falconer, PhD Student

MakerSpace x HCI: From Ideas to Prototypes During Summer term, UCD Innovation Academy’s MakerSpace collaborated with the MSc in Human-Computer Interaction programme to support students as they developed their final design projects. Through a series of hands-on workshops, students had the opportunity to explore prototyping tools, experiment with making and bring their design concepts to life as they worked towards their final projects. The collaboration culminated in the HCI Design Project Final Presentation Day at the UCD Village Theatre, where 13 interdisciplinary teams presented solutions to real-world challenges set by community and industry partners. Projects explored diverse areas including AI, healthcare, sustainability, enterprise, community building and creative technology. The partnership showcased how hands-on making and experiential learning can complement HCI design, giving students the space, tools and practical experience to turn research and ideas into tangible solutions.

Sustainability Research at UCD Innovation Academy Greenacre Sustainability Hub supports active research collaborations across UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science, Biosystems & Food Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Architecture. It functions as an outdoor teaching and living laboratory space for over 90 students across undergraduate and master programmes at UCD Innovation Academy. It has attracted 19 student volunteers, six interns, and one artist in residence, and engaged over 350 participants across community festivals drawing staff and students from more than 15 UCD Schools and units to contribute. As a working living laboratory, Greenacre provides a field-lab environment that enables place-based learning, applied sustainability research, live research pilots, and community cohesion in ways that directly advance UCD's interdisciplinary research, teaching, and sustainability mission.

UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub An Outdoor Classroom UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub provided the learning space for a series of species identification workshops during Biodiversity Week 2026, reaching 80 students, staff, and members of the public. Sessions included birds and mammals field observation with Dr. Adam Kane, and earthworm identification and soil sampling with Stephanie Clune and Olaf Schmidt. The workshops also introduced participants to citizen science methods using passive monitoring technology. MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability UCD Greenacre also provides a practical learning space for the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability, supporting hands-on teaching in a natural environment. It helps students explore sustainability concepts through direct engagement with outdoor settings and collaborative learning.

“We often use it as an outdoor space for different types of activities and we are also encouraged to use the space for learning outside the classroom or to hang out with friends. This place feels like a country house because we care for it as our own property. We love it as students.” Iakov Lagutin, MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability

UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub Applied Research The mushroom farm at UCD Greenacre exemplifies circular economy principles in action. This innovative project demonstrates how agricultural waste can be transformed into nutritious food while eliminating waste at every stage. The circular process works like this: the farm uses coffee grounds collected from UCD University Club as the primary growing medium for oyster mushrooms. Instead of these grounds ending up in landfill, they’re given new life as nutrientrich substrate for mushroom cultivation. But the circularity doesn’t stop there. Through a collaboration between UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, UCD University Club, and UCD Innovation Academy, the mushrooms grown using the Club’s coffee grounds are delivered back to UCD University Club.

This closed-loop system delivers multiple benefits: Waste reduction: Coffee grounds from UCD University Club become valuable growing resources Complete circularity: Mushrooms return to their source, closing the loop from waste to food Local food production: Fresh, organic mushrooms grown and consumed in campus Collaborative innovation: Partnership between engineering, hospitality, and other units in the university Carbon footprint reduction: Minimal transportation in a truly local food system Educational leadership: Demonstrating circular economy at a scale few universities worldwide have achieved

Mushroom substrate reuse & biodigester research In collaboration with School of Agriculture & Food Science Greenacre directly supports doctoral research led by Dr. Ajay Menon, Assistant Professor in the School of Agriculture and Food Science, and his PhD student Bhargav Neela. Their research investigates how reused mushroom substrate — a waste product generated by Greenacre's own growing operations — can influence biodigester processes, creating a live circular-economy research loop between the site and the laboratory. Digital transformation of the mycelium and mushroom sector In collaboration with School of Biosystems & Food Engineering Dr. Dimitrios Argyropoulos, Assistant Professor in the UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, uses Greenacre as a controlled-environment research site for his lab's work on the digital transformation of mycelium and mushroom production. The collaboration focuses on optimising growing conditions and developing data-driven approaches to scaling the sector, with Greenacre providing an active, on-campus test environment. Hydroponics systems, master thesis research In collaboration with School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering Greenacre will host master thesis projects on hydroponics in collaboration with Andrea Ortiz Cuadros, Chief Technical Officer at the UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The site functions as a live testbed for students applying engineering principles to sustainable food production systems, bridging disciplinary boundaries between engineering, food science, and environmental sustainability.

UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub Work Integrated Learning Student volunteer programme, 19 students volunteers via Studentvolunteers.ie Greenacre has attracted 19 UCD undergraduate and master students through its partnership with Studentvolunteers.ie, providing structured volunteering opportunities that develop practical sustainability skills alongside academic study. The programme draws from across disciplines, reflecting the cross-campus relevance of Greenacre's work and its role as a site for applied, realworld learning beyond the lecture hall.

Summer internship & artist residency programme, six placements During the summer trimester 2025, Greenacre hired five interns drawn from across UCD disciplines, a mix of undergraduate and master students, alongside one artist in residency. The programme provides a distinctive model of research-adjacent work experience that combines sustainability practice, creative enquiry, and operational responsibility, building graduate attributes that extend well beyond what traditional academic placements offer.

UCD Greenacre Sustainability Hub Community Engagement Cross-campus community events 350+ participants 15+ Schools and units across all UCD Colleges Greenacre hosted three major all-campus events this year to celebrate Halloween/Samhain, Bealtaine Festival, and Earth Day, drawing over 350 participants from across UCD. During Halloween 2025 the space came alive as students, staff, and faculty members of the Innovation Academy gathered to celebrate the season creatively and collaboratively. Likewise, a Bealtaine festival took place to coincide with Celtic festival calendar.

Community Garden currently has 47 staff and researchers The Greenacre Community Garden provides 47 UCD admin staff and researchers with a dedicated space for gardening, food growing, and sharing. The garden serves as a practical wellbeing resource that also builds informal interdisciplinary connections across the campus community, supporting a culture of sustainability that extends beyond formal research and teaching activities.

Gather & Grow Programme, five week student togetherness initiative The Gather and Grow Programme is a five-week initiative run in collaboration with UCD in the Community, using Greenacre as the gathering point for a group aimed at promoting connection and togetherness amongst UCD students.

The programme demonstrates Greenacre's capacity to serve pastoral and social inclusion goals alongside its research and teaching functions, reinforcing its value as a multi-purpose campus infrastructure asset.

ENGAGING FOR IMPACT TRANSFORMATION THROUGH GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION

Summer Innovation Module at UCD Beijing-Dublin International College Students at Beijing Dublin International College (BDIC), a joint college between Beijing University of Technology and University College Dublin, recently completed the UCD Innovation Academy Summer Innovation module, Creative Thinking and Innovation, in Beijing.

Over the course of two weeks, students tackled realworld sustainability challenges with challenge partner Huawei while applying UCD Innovation Academy’s hands-on, human-centred innovation methodology.

Creative Thinking and Innovation with NICE Summer School From 29 June to 3 July, UCD Innovation Academy welcomed not only UCD students, but also students from universities around the world to take part in its Creative Thinking and Innovation module as part of the NICE (Network for Intercultural Competence to facilitate Entrepreneurship) programme. The programme brought together students from The University of Edinburgh, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the University of Padova, the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the University of Johannesburg, and other partner institutions, creating a uniquely international learning environment.

Throughout the week, participants worked in multicultural teams to develop innovative business solutions, combining creativity, entrepreneurship, and cross-cultural collaboration.

It’s a great opportunity for young people to get together and solve global issues and it’s a great opportunity to meet up with friends, make connections, and experience Ireland. Nazarii Lialiuk University of Edinburgh

I’m really enjoying this week and my favourite activity is putting down ideas and figuring out big ideas from small ideas. Sara Biason University of Padova

Engaging for Impact Partnering with VNU and NUOL

UCD Innovation Academy continued its partnership with Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) and the National University of Laos (NUOL) to deliver a training programme focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability in higher education. The initiative aims to strengthen NUOL’s capacity to foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking across its academic community, while building on the long-standing collaboration between University College Dublin and VNU through the VIBE programme.

New External Examiner Dr. Christine Ortiz, MIT UCD Innovation Academy appointed Professor Christine Ortiz, Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Director of the MIT Technology and Policy Program (MIT TPP), as its new External Examiner in 25/26. The appointment reflects the Academy’s renewed commitment to world-class experiential, challenge-based education at a time when artificial intelligence, global disruption, and increasing complexity are reshaping the future of learning. Professor Ortiz brings extensive expertise in innovation, technology policy, and inclusive education through her leadership at MIT and as Founder of Station1, a nonprofit higher education institution focused on impact-driven STEM education.

Professor Ortiz during a Fireside Chat with UCD staff about the future of education.

I am deeply honored to serve as External Examiner for UCD Innovation Academy, a pioneering educational effort that embodies a forward‑looking and profoundly thoughtful approach in this era of rapid technological change. I have long admired the Academy’s commitment to experiential, challenge‑based approaches that transform ideas into meaningful impact and sets a powerful standard for innovation education globally. I am excited to support this extraordinary community and to champion a model that prepares students to lead with rigor, integrity, and purpose. Professor Christine Ortiz, MIT / Founder, Station1

On behalf of the UCD Innovation Academy, I am delighted and deeply grateful that Professor Christine Ortiz has agreed to serve as External Examiner. Christine is a scholar and educational leader of exceptional calibre, who brings a rare combination of intellectual depth, global perspective, and a profound commitment to inclusive, impact-oriented learning. Her oversight and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to push the boundaries of transformational education and equip our students to navigate and shape a rapidly changing world.” Dr. Suzi Jarvis Founding Director, UCD Innovation Academy

Fostering Public Sector Innovation Dept of Enterprise, Tourism & Employment

UCD Innovation Academy won a competitive tender in 2025 to partner with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in a multiyear collaboration to foster a culture of innovation across the department. The collaboration includes a six-month programme for a group of DETE staff designed to equip participants with the mindset, knowledge and skills to become innovation champions within DETE. It also includes a workshop series which addresses live DETE challenges through innovation methodologies.

The inaugural DETE Innovation Leadership class of 2026

Applied Innovation Through Partnerships Our partnerships with EXL and ESB continue to demonstrate the value of applied innovation programmes tailored to organisations at different stages of their innovation journeys. With ESB, Ireland’s foremost energy provider, now in its eighth year of collaboration, we deliver programmes designed to embed a culture of creative problem-solving and innovative thinking across the organisation, helping unlock the potential already present within its people and teams. Our partnership with EXL, a data analytics company, takes a similarly applied approach, equipping employees with the tools, mindsets and confidence to tackle live business challenges through hands-on, experiential learning rather than theoretical instruction. In both cases, our role is not to prescribe solutions but to build capability: giving teams a repeatable methodology for innovation that they can carry forward long after the programme ends. Together, these partnerships reflect UCD Innovation Academy's broader ambition to collaborate with enterprise, applying the same rigour and creativity we bring to undergraduate education to the challenges organisations face today.

Engaging for Impact Partnering with OMO In 2025/26, UCD Innovation Academy continued its partnership with OMO, an association of secondary schools in the Netherlands. The collaboration equips hundreds of educators with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to deliver transformative learning experiences for students in the 21st century. The heart of this initiative is a series of bespoke innovation programmes designed for educational changemakers from OMO, a network of 68 secondary schools founded in 1916 that educates over 61,000 students with the support of 6,800 staff. To date, 64 OMO school leaders have completed the Creative Leadership for Education microcredential, 89 OMO educators have completed the Professional Certificate in Creativity and Innovation for Education, and 37 participants are at various stages of their Diploma journey.

An artefact from a final creative project

Celebrating Our Alumni In 2025, UCD Innovation Academy alumnus Dr. Shourjya Sanyal won a UCD Alumni Award for Research, Innovation, and Impact. Shourjya completed UCD Innovation Academy’s Graduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise in 2013. A physicist turned innovation strategist, Dr Shourjya Sanyal is at the forefront of AI-driven transformation for the benefit of business and society. Shourjya is the founder of Think Biosolution, a Dublin-based digital health company, and Voice Health, an AI-powered virtual medical receptionist platform, now serving clinics across the US. He is currently Head of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning at UNUM Ireland, a Fortune 250 insurance provider, where he drives strategic AI initiatives delivering over $100 million in enterprise value. A committed voice for responsible AI and innovation equity, he believes that the true challenge lies not just in deploying intelligent systems, but in aligning them with regulatory, ethical and human values.

My strongest memory of my time in UCD is probably the first week when I did a module in the Innovation Academy. It taught students to go out and learn from the end user and that has always stayed with me as I built a career in innovation.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? GET IN TOUCH, ELEANOR.KELLY@UCD.IE PUBLISHED AUGUST 2026