Waterford Chamber joined forces with Engineering the South East and South East Technological University (SETU) to deliver the national Toys4Engineers Conference and Expo at the SETU Arena in Waterford.
Featuring ambitious start-ups and leading multinationals, the national event was geared towards those interested in engineering, technology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical science, agri-food, manufacturing, construction, and renewable energy industries.
Talks for transformation
Throughout the day, the Toys4Engineers Conference hosted six scheduled talks focusing on the transformation of manufacturing, energy, transport infrastructure, the circular economy, buildings, and the regional area of Waterford city.
Attendees were provided with a variety of perspectives and insights from some of the brightest minds in the country. Each discussion shed more light on some of the most important topics in the world of engineering today, as a diverse range of industry leaders steered the conversation.
Creating a stronger eco-system
Gerald Hurley, CEO of Waterford Chamber commented, “Waterford Chamber is proud to organise this event, which is now in its seventh year. We couldn’t continue to do it without the support of SETU and Engineering the South East, as well as a host of other sponsors.”
Gerald continued, “Toys4Engineers works because it is about connecting businesses to share their ideas and innovations, work together, and create a stronger eco-system in the world of engineering. Not only that, but people learn so much through the conference element, which brought top class speakers from all over Ireland this year, covering topics such as sustainability, digitalisation, construction, and technology. Our Meet the Buyer offering saw over 80 meetings take place throughout the day, while visitors also got a chance to play with robots, AR and VR, among other toys. Plans are already afoot for next year and we look forward to growing Toys4Engineers further in 2025.”
Regional collaboration
Ken Thomas, Head of Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at SETU’s campus in Waterford stated, “The annual Toys4Engineers Conference and Expo continues to be a great example of SETU collaborating with business for the benefit of the region. The event is not only great for our students and staff, but it is also vital to advancing innovation across all the engineering disciplines in the south east.”
Looking to the future
Close to 100 stands featured at the expo, attendees were given the opportunity to network with like-minded people, learn more about upcoming start-ups, and explore the future possibilities of businesses within industry.
During the event, stand representatives were able to connect with one another, exchange industry information, and showcase their latest technologies and tech toys.
Showcasing world-class engineering
Stephen Rooney, Cluster Manager for Engineering the South East and based at SETU, stated, “Toys4Engineers Expo is a really important event for the Engineering the South East Cluster. It’s a fantastic way for us to showcase the world-class engineering and manufacturing capabilities of the south east as a region and there is always a great local feel to the event. Our conference section this year was excellent and most of the speakers were from right here in the south east. Huge thanks to all who exhibited and attended.”
