Brian Cahill, Innovation Coordinator at Nimbus Centre, talks to the Sunday Business Post’s technology magazine Connected. The May issue cover story is focused on start-ups.
“It’s about building up relationships long term. From Nimbus’ perspective, the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly on the factory floor, is a big growth area. We are also working on technologies around water management. Areas like assisted living have a lot of potential.” Cahill is seeing this potential on the ground in Mallow, where the Litmus Smart Cities and Communities test-bed is located. Away from the main campus in Cork City, Cahill’s team has freedom to get creative.
“We have a blank canvas. Not many people know about the Litmus Technology Trialling Centre, but we are using it to facilitate companies that are looking to trial innovative systems and services,” he said.
Street wifi has been rolled across the town to facilitate IoT trials, and Nimbus is working with a day-care centre for retired citizens. “We can reach out to various communities and harvest research on community problems. The day-care centre looks after citizens ranging from 70 to over 90. The staff there find the clients are becoming increasingly community literate, we can introduce them to more online entertainment and services. From there we can work with them on med-tech pilots, and working with sensors.”
That focus on actual health and older generations providing feedback might well be the spark Ireland’s start-up sector needs most. Those who have been there and seen so much are giving their insight in an unexpected way in that north Cork town – and they might well be fuelling the next string of Irish tech businesses.
To read the full Start-Ups Collide article in Connected magazine click here.
