Sport Innovation and Technology Summit 2024 announces keynote speakers
Sport Ireland is pleased to officially announce the keynote speakers for the Sport Innovation and Technology Summit 2024, a not-to-be-missed event that spotlights exclusive insights into innovation, digital transformation, and technology in Irish sport.
This event brings together leaders from sport, enterprise, research and technology to explore how innovation is shaping the future of sports. The theme for this year is ‘Accelerating the Digital Evolution of Irish Sport’.
Sport Ireland is excited to welcome three world-leading experts working at the intersection of sports and technology as keynote speakers at this year’s event:
Keynote Speakers
Finbarr Kirwan
Senior Vice President and Chief of Olympic Sport at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), is responsible for maximising medal performance and supporting athlete wellness at the USOPC. He led Team USA to top the medal rankings at the Paris 2024 Olympics and oversaw successful campaigns at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, and Beijing 2022. Finbarr was previously Director of High Performance at the Irish Sports Council, where he oversaw Ireland’s Olympic and Paralympic plans for Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012.
Ali Donnelly
CEO of More than Equal, is working to find the first female Formula 1 World Champion. She brings extensive experience from her time as Executive Director at Sport England, where she led campaigns such as the award-winning This Girl Can and handled high-profile situations such as the Whyte Review which explored abuse in British Gymnastics. Ali has also held senior communications roles with the UK Government, including Deputy Official Spokesperson for former UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Patrick Lucey
Chief Scientist at Stats Perform, leads its AI team to unlock the potential of the company's vast sports data. With over 20 years of experience in machine learning and computer vision, Patrick’s research focuses on AI in sports. He has held research roles at Disney, Carnegie Mellon University, and IBM, and recently launched a course on AI in Sport to introduce students to AI through sports data.
The event will include contributions from Irish sports personalities (details to be announced), an exhibition zone featuring Irish sport SMEs and a selection of third level colleges and research centres. There will also be several project showcase sessions featuring transformative digital projects in Irish sport.
Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “The 2024 Sport Innovation and Technology Summit is a can't-miss event for senior leaders, high-performance directors, CEOs, tech innovators, educators, and students – really anyone who is passionate about the future of sport.
“It’ll feature cutting-edge insights, groundbreaking discussions, and invaluable networking opportunities that will shape the next wave of sport innovation and digital transformation.
“From industry experts to leading-edge technology demonstrations, this summit is guaranteed to be a game-changer. Whether you're in sport, tech, or research, it’ll spark new ideas.”
The summit will take place on October 2nd, 2024, in the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena on the Sport Ireland Campus, Dublin 15.
Join us at the Sport Innovation and Technology Summit 2024 as we dive into the exciting future of sport.
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