Ireland’s Newest Tech Paradise
29 May 2018
Hugh McCarthy, Regional Manager of Brightwater’s IT division, has nearly 20 years’ experience within the IT sector. Recently, Hugh has made the move from Dublin to Cork to develop Brightwater’s regional IT recruitment division. He shares his thoughts on the sector and why he is optimistic about the market in Munster.
Sarah O’Shea and I recently attended the IT @ Cork Web Summit, one of the most popular events in the it @ Cork calendar. The day was filled with interesting and thought provoking discussions from industry leaders and well known tech professionals.
One of my favourite speakers on the day was Don O’Leary, Ireland Century Lead at Stripe, the $9 billion start up fronted by Limerick brothers Patrick and John Collison. Don spoke about the growth in internet commerce, with annual revenue in Ireland valued at $4 billion, with expected growth of $5.6 billion by 2021. Certainly, a noteworthy statistic and an indicator of job growth in the future. Automation also proved a huge talking point though out the day, with Professor of Robotics at Trinity College, Conor McGuinn discussing its applications – he particularly noted its importance for the elderly.
The younger generation and the impact of tech in the future was an also a feature with the events speakers. Caroline O’Driscoll, Partner at KPMG, poignantly stated that 65% of school children will work in “jobs that don’t currently exist”.
Professor Barry O ‘Sullivan, Founding Director Insights Centre for Data Analytics talked about how technology and social media in particular is shaping the younger generation for both the best and the worst. He noted that although the benefits that tech provides young people and the learnings we can take for it, it can be a dangerous place and the onus is on internet service providers and social media companies to safe guard the interests of young people “a child is a child until they reach maturity – not when they can use a smart phone”.
Without doubt, the future is bright for the Munster IT market. This is a diverse and growing market here with a wide range of employers ranging from well-known multinationals to innovative start-ups. Don’t hesitate to get in contact with myself, or my colleague Sarah O’Shea on 021 422 1000 to discuss the next step in your career or if you have any recruitment requirements.