sync ni magazine - winter 2014/15

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Northern Ireland’s Tech & Business Community

WINTER 2015

Issue 16RASPBERRY JAM 08

START UP: LIMEJAR 11

CAREER INSIGHT 17

www.syncni.com

NI Science Festival 11 Days, 100 events, Infinite Ideas

06 ‘Exclusive Interview: Eben Upton, founder of Raspberry Pi’

www.syncni.com Northern Ireland’s Tech & Business Community

Discover what’s possible

Venture Capital Conference 2015Your opportunity to meet investors The Helix, DCU, Dublin 11th March 2015

InterTradeIreland’s annual Venture Capital Conference returns to Dublin. Once again bringing together in one room for one day the island’s new and growing companies seeking investment along with all of the funds and individuals on the island with money to invest.

The only Venture Capital Conference on the island - it is a must for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, business angels, investors and anyone with an interest in venture capital.

Register Today.

Help to attract fundingintertradeireland.com

For more information and to register visit

www.intertradeireland.com/vcc

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3SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2015

Information and Communication Technology is the driving force of a globally competitive economy, underpinning innovation, competitiveness and long term prosperity.

There is no doubt in my mind that the availability of skills is one of the key determinants of our ability to fully capture opportunities presented to us both now and in coming years. We need to create a pipeline that will deliver real skills required by the ICT sector, that will fuel a knowledge based economy and that will ensure prosperity for our country. The challenge lies in identifying the skills we need to compete and in developing innovative ways of meeting these needs.

The ICT Sector Implementation Group, which I chair, brings together employers, government, academia, employer representative bodies, sector skills councils and trade associations to work collaboratively and strategically in ensuring both the people and skills required by the sector. The focus of much of our work to date has been both on attracting people into the sector and delivering the skills required to ensure that the local ICT industry has access to the workforce it needs to grow and flourish, both now and in the future.

I recognise the important role our universities and colleges play in providing ICT skills. I have invested in infrastructure to ensure state of the art facilities and since I took up office in 2011 there has been an increase of around 1,500 undergraduate places in local higher education institutions - all in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.

Welcome to the Winter edition of the Sync NI magazine

foreword from Dr Stephen Farry, Minister for Employment and Learning

Northern Ireland’s Tech & Business Community

CONTENT & EDITORIALNicola McNairEmail: [email protected]: 028 90820944

ADVERTISING & MARKETING ENQUIRIESCaoimhe CaldwellPhone: 02890820942Email: [email protected]

Natalie GrayPhone: 02890820944 Email: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: [email protected]

GENERAL ENQUIRIES Sync NI28 Adelaide streetRochester BuildingBelfastBT28GD Phone: 028 90820944 Email: [email protected] Website: www.syncni.com

COPYRIGHTNo part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyholder and publisher. SyncNi accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SyncNi , unless otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress associated to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this magazine can be accepted by the authors, contributors, editors or publishers. SyncNi does not endorse any goods or services advertised, nor any claims or representations made in

I am also conscious of the need to offer other pathways to ensure a robust skills pipeline. In June of last year, my department published the Northern Ireland Strategy on Apprenticeships, Securing our Success, setting out the way forward in delivering a world class 21st century apprenticeship system.

My Department, in conjunction with employers and academia, has already delivered new entry level ICT Apprenticeships in software development and infrastructure which to date has delivered over 100 able apprentices to a range of companies. We are now working together to offer apprenticeships which will provide higher level skills and qualifications.

In addition to these longer term investments we have also had considerable successes in addressing more immediate skills needs with bespoke interventions such as the Academies in Software Testing, Data Analytics and Cloud Technology, funded through my Department’s Assured Skills programme.

All of these achievements have, at their foundation, collaboration between industry and the public sector. Government has moved to be more industry responsive and it is fundamental that we continue to work collaboratively to further develop our understanding of the changing demand as this will be essential in ensuring that our economy and skills system can rapidly respond to the challenges of the future.

Dr. Stephen FarryMinister for Employment and Learning

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03 Foreword05 Generation Innovation06 Eben Upton on Raspberry Pi08 Locally Made #RaspberryJam09 Start Up - Comprized10 Choosing your Cloud Provider11 Start Up - Limejar12 Northern Ireland Science Festival16 Commercialising your IP17 Career Insight: Rob McConnell, SQS18 Tascomi Prioritise IT Education19 Learning how to Learn20 Tesco harnesses the power of ‘social’21 Upcoming Events22 Logging Off

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Generation Innovation - Northern Ireland’s Network of AmbitionThe café of the Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP) in

Titanic Quarter, Belfast is a regular hang-out for some of NI’s top entrepreneurs, startups and investors.

Recently though, two new faces have emerged on the scene. With their Diet Cokes and MacBook Airs, teenagers Jordan Earle and Matthew Carson have become fixtures at NISP each Wednesday afternoon. The two sixth-formers are using their free study time to develop ideas and contacts among the tech community.

Jordan (17) and Matthew (18) are both members of the Generation Innovation network, which was set up to encourage our most innovative, creative and entrepreneurial young people and is run by NISP CONNECT, a non-profit organisation supported by the Northern Ireland Science Park.

Jordan and Matthew both took part in Generation Innovation’s ‘Night of Ambition’ last February. The event at the Ulster Hall brought together 16 - 17 year olds from across Northern Ireland, many nominated by their schools and colleges as those young people most likely to succeed in the new ‘knowledge economy’. At the event the teenagers met the founders of some of our most exciting companies, including Chris McClelland, CEO of Brewbot. There was also a special live-link with Sarah Friar, originally from Sion Mills and now CFO with Square in California, plus her boss, Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter.

Jordan Earle said “Matthew and I attended Generation Innovation last year, this has resulted in so many opportunities that we would not have had a chance to get involved with otherwise. Just this past summer we had an internship with

NISP CONNECT and ran a creative conference for young people (@CreateHQ). I would definitely encourage other young people to get involved and come along for the Night of Ambition!”

NISP CONNECT is now seeking participants for this year’s Generation Innovation Night of Ambition. Schools and colleges are invited to nominate one or two young people (aged 16 - 17), be they engineers, scientists, gamers, App developers, programmers, designers, creatives, salespeople or budding entrepreneurs.

Claire Burgoyne from NISP CONNECT explains: “This event is all about inspiring young people in Northern Ireland. We also encourage them to bring a parent/guardian or teacher, so everyone can find out about the lucrative careers now available in the knowledge economy”.

For more information, please follow @GenInnovators and contact Claire Burgoyne on 028 9073 7806 or [email protected].


Since its launch in 2012 the Raspberry Pi computer has captured the imaginations of makers and hackers around the world becoming a global sensation. In

spite of its huge success among the hobbyist community, its roots lie firmly in education. The intention of Raspberry Pi has always been to promote the teaching of information technology in schools and inspire a new generation. Eben Upton, founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, spoke to Sync NI about Raspberry Pi and what’s in store for the future.

q Around 4 million Raspberry Pi’s have been sold worldwide. Did you ever expect your ‘tiny computer’ to be such a success?

We didn’t imagine success like this, nowhere near! Originally we thought that we were solving a small problem. At Cambridge University we were concerned about the decline in the numbers and skills levels of applicants for Computer Science. Creating Raspberry Pi was initially about providing kids with a programming environment and encouraging them to experiment. It really just snowballed from there!

I mean our first batch of products came in a pallet of 2000 boards, we have now sold nearly 4 million units.

q How have you managed to scale up so quickly?A couple of things have helped us to do this. Number one

being demand, we have had latent demand for our product, our price point has certainly helped to drive this. Our neat

business model has definately contributed to our scalability. We have a very capital light business model, we licence to our manufacturing partners.

q Kids learning to programme – is this still the central mission of Raspberry Pi?

Yes but we have expanded geographically and have broadened our reach outside ICT, to STEM and beyond. We have seen Raspberry Pi integrated into other subjects such as Art…I mean it’s pretty cool seeing Art installations run by Raspberry Pi. Instead of just looking at Raspberry Pi and computing we want to introduce people to computing by showing them that it is a way to do something interesting. We want kids to know that computing is relevant, fun and can help them accomplish what they want to do.

I attended the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in Dublin and was blown away. It was amazing as a place to do science and it was exciting to watch kids build Raspberry Pi into things.

q How important is the community aspect of Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is not just a product, yes we have an available product but our community is the foundation behind the Raspberry Pi. We listen to what people say and we develop our product around what they need and want. Before we even began selling we already had a very vibrant community.

Eben Upton on Raspberry Pi & Inspiring the Next Generation of Tech Pioneers


q Every student in school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. Realistically how well are we implementing this in the UK?

It is no understatement to say that the curriculum change is a miracle! When we were looking at the original proposals we were thinking this is amazing but it will get rolled back. It didn’t get rolled back!

However there is a problem with teacher training, a real deficiency which the government has not addressed. It’s unfair to expect teachers to make the huge jump to new teaching expectations without adequate training. The scale of government investment in teacher training is currently not enough.

q Why did you set up Picademy?The idea was brought to the organisation by Carrie Anne

Philbin who had a real conviction that we needed to get involved in teacher training. The free two day course gives teachers the opportunity to learn new ICT skills in a friendly and positive environment. The courses have mostly been taking place at our base in Cambridge but next year there will be a real focus on offsite Picademy. We have no hidden agenda with Picademy and we are committed to offering free training opportunities to teachers. We will have trained 250

teachers in our first year. These teachers haven’t just been ICT teachers, they have been from different disciplines but have the same aim – they want to bring Raspberry Pi into the classroom.

q Do you have any favourite Raspberry Pi innovations?I like seeing people use Raspberry Pi in media. We have a

consumer product and that is central to us so it’s good to see people using it as a piece of consumer electronics. We did not just want to be seen as another ‘worthy platform’ we wanted Raspberry Pi to be a fun and interactive machine.

I love seeing Raspberry Pi being used by the Hobbyist. Watching a man send weather balloons to the edge of space is great but when he integrates this with Raspberry Pi technology so that he can take amazing pictures..that’s inspiring.

By using this technology every primary school could have their own space programme and I defy any child not to be excited by space. When given the right tool, in this case Raspberry Pi, the individual can accomplish so much…it’s empowering. This brings me back again to BT Young Scientist of the Year, the founders of this have single-handedly built a tech revolution in Ireland. If we could replicate even a bit of this in England and Wales that would be incredible.

q What do you see in the future for Raspberry Pi?We are making our software more user friendly for both

kids and adults. Educationally we want to roll out more of the Picademy and we want to replicate its success. We really are focusing on doubling down and finding the next one or two big things that are going to make a real impact.

Twitter: @Raspberry_Pi - Web: www.raspberrypi.org


After interviewing Eben Upton, we wanted to find out more about Raspberry Pi related events in Northern Ireland. Raspberry Pi

enthusiast, Andrew Mulholland gave us the lowdown and told us about his experience running Raspberry Jam.

The NI Raspberry Jam itself began a few years ago. It was initially run by members of Farset labs who thought it was a cool idea. I helped out with the second Raspberry Jam and then had the opportunity to take care of organising the third event.

Up until October, the Raspberry Jams were roughly every six months. In September 2014 I commenced my studies at Queens University Belfast and decided to trial the running of the Jams on a monthly basis until Christmas. We began with approximately seven to ten people at the Jam in October, which

Locally Made #RaspberryJam

has steadily increased. January’s Jam sold all thirty tickets in two weeks. The actual jam had roughly forty attendees. All tickets are free and we politely ask

parents, if their children have enjoyed themselves, to donate a few coins to help sustain Jam events.

On top of the NI Raspberry Jams, I also carry out computer science workshops with local schools. Recently, I visited Victoria College Belfast to host six two-hour Raspberry Pi workshops. The Year 8 students were given the opportunity to

familiarise themselves with Raspberry Pi and learn more about and try out basic coding principles. Overall, the feedback from the students and teachers of

Victoria College was fantastic. Many of the school-children have already signed up for the next Raspberry Jam and the Head of ICT is currently working on a coding club to commence early 2015!

As this programme was initially planned as a pilot, I am overwhelmed by the level of support and positive reactions from students and staff alike.

At all Raspberry Pi related events, we ensure activities feature a number of open-ended tasks to enable the children to express their creativity and fuel their imaginations.

For the NI Raspberry Jam we have an entire desk of worksheets, activities and components that they can pick up and play about with, or even combine together to build a cool result.

My involvement and commitment to this process played a massive role in me being awarded the UK overall TalkTalk Digital 2014 Hero, for which I attended the ceremony at the House of Commons in October 2014.

Want to come along to the next NI Raspberry Jam?

NI Raspberry Jam is held on the 2nd Saturday of every month and tickets are available via Eventbrite.

Northern Ireland Raspberry Jam Group


Sync NI spoke to entrepreneur Carley Morrow, fresh from her experience on Invest Northern Ireland’s 2013/14 Propel Programme, about her start-up Comprized.

A system which allows users to create a viral competition or prize draw designed to meet their specific marketing objectives, we found out more about the Comprized journey so far.

q The IdeaWithin just a few minutes, users of Comprized can publish

a promotion aimed at encouraging social engagement, raising brand awareness or generating sales leads. Central to Comprized is a rewards system – entrants are given a better chance of winning if they complete various actions such as helping promote the competition or connecting with the user on social media.

Beyond the promotion itself, the real value to the customer is in data and building re-usable marketing assets. The email address, device information and physical location of every entrant is collected as a minimum, with the option to collect more, including information directly from Facebook.

q My JourneyWorking as a digital marketing consultant since 2010, I

encountered many businesses facing difficulties in setting up promotions and running them effectively. Nothing was automated, systems were rarely in place and the data collected (if any) was often lost or underutilized.

In 2012 I was encouraged to look towards creating a product, and so Comprized was born. It would be more than a year before I gained funding to build a prototype. Mid 2013 “Proof of Concept” funding was awarded and later in the year I was successfully accepted onto the 2013/14 Invest Northern Ireland Propel Programme, which allowed me to fully develop my business idea. Currently Comprized is in a controlled public beta, which basically means anyone can register, but gives us the flexibility to pause accepting new users at any time.

There are more than 150 promoters on board, primarily made up of B2C businesses and web publications. Prizes for entrants have included festival tickets, fine wines, hotel breaks, beauty products and fashion items, with one Belfast restaurant generating more than 2,000 entries alone.

q My ChallengesDuring your journey as a start-up, the importance of every

little thing is magnified. People, time, finance and technology are crucial and the competitive landscape moves quickly so new opportunities and challenges continually present

themselves. You can be very exposed and a general challenge for everyone is juggling all the demands and dealing with continual change.

As a non-technical solo founder, the biggest single challenge so far was finding the right technical partner. My advice would be to spend significant time in this area and consider your decisions carefully.

Tech Start Up with Eyes on the Prize

q My FutureI’m very confident in the quality of our technology and

infrastructure, which is both stable and scalable. The next steps are to further define what the customer requires, enhance the current offering and develop further innovation within our business model. A freemium subscription or PAYG model was the initial intention, but there are other interesting opportunities we are currently exploring.

Visit www.comprized.com for more information and to find out more about Invest Northern Ireland’s Propel Programme visit www.investni.com/propel

The Invest Northern Ireland Propel Programme will celebrate the talent and achievements of the 2013/14 participants at its annual Awards ceremony this month and the 2015/16 Propel programme has commenced for another intake of Northern Ireland start-ups.

Alison Reid, Invest NI & Carley Morrow

10 SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 201510 SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2015

What to Consider when Choosingyour Cloud Provider?

Moving your business operations to the cloud can cut costs, allow you to work

from anywhere and streamline your workflow. The benefits of Cloud are huge but how do you choose the right provider for your business?

There are so many different offers, and so many options now, but being based in Northern Ireland you have to think about a few things that will and can very easily affect you and your business going forward.

A word of warning…A Northern Irish business was moving

from a ROI located provider to a UK based provider, a fall out between the parties occurred and the ROI Cloud provider decided not to release the data they held - a nightmare situation for any company!

The company who owned the data, was a UK registered business, but the legal contracts were ROI based, with no clear exit clause. Unfortunately the company now faced the prospect of a lengthy legal battle.

Luckily the NI Company had backed-up all their data with Cloud Simplified, and we could very rapidly deploy their services the same day out of one of our 2 data centres (Belfast & London).

Based in Northern Ireland? Here are 5 facts you need to know and ask any potential Cloud supplier:

1. Where are your Cloud servers ‘Actually based’? Are they in a UK Data centre and are you a UK limited business?

2. Do they ‘White label’ cloud services? This means do they ‘rent’ services from another company and ‘resell’ their service. (example: Microsoft’s Cloud Servers are based in Dublin & Amsterdam)

3. Is there a clause in the contract clearly showing how they will hand over all your data if there is a contract break, and in an ‘agreed time frame’?

4. Do they ‘wholly own’ all the equipment your data will reside on, is it leased, or is there bank finance on it? This is a key issue, if they default on any loans, the financial institution have the legal right to remove and cease all the equipment regardless of any contract you have with your Cloud provider

5. Do a finance check; I can’t state how important this is! If they don’t have cash in the bank and an excellent credit score,

avoid them like a plague. Gartner stats at least 1 in 4 Cloud providers will go bust in 2015, a sobering thought if you are with one of them.

Overall, think of your Cloud provider as a partner. If you are looking for simple backup data, you are not restricted so much as you still have the main core files.

However, with such a great deal of choice available not to mention highly competitive pricing, why risk it? Your legal jurisdiction is the UK, so keep your data in it.

Published By: Eoin O’Reilly. www.thecloudsimplified.com (A wholly owned division of the Xperience Group) we specialise in helping our clients evaluate their existing systems, business requirements, and whether the cloud is a good “fit” for their business. Based on our findings, we work with our clients to provide locally wholly owned cloud platforms or on premise solutions.

Follow: @CloudSimplified


Software developer Debbie Craig has used her personal experience to develop a tablet based platform which has the potential to change the lives of children with Autism.

We caught up with Debbie to hear about her company Limejar and her new software solution, Boop.

q BackgroundAutism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects

how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them. Six years ago my son Nicholas was diagnosed with Autism, at the time I had just started my Computer Science university degree at Queens University, Belfast.

Over the next few years I worked hard to understand Autism while trying to ensure Nicholas had the best start in life. We both grew in the understanding of Autism together and alongside this firsthand experience of the condition I increased in my skills as a software developer. In my final year I had a revelation, it was my eureka moment.

q LimejarLimejar started life as a scheduling tool for us to stay in

control of Nicholas’ day. As time went on, I saw more and more potential and I added interventions, handy features like mood charts and interactive educational games. Limejar is our parent brand that provides software solutions like Boop.

Boop began when I combined the experience of daily life with Nicholas and Autism and my newly developed skills in software development. It is a technology based solution to living and coping with Autism. I realized Boop will not only work for my son but also for others like him. This was also a great opportunity for me to carve a path for my career in an area that I was not only familiar with but one where I would be truly committed to making a difference.

Since graduating the last year has been full of excitement! In just 12 months I have developed a fully working beta version of this new technology, raised 70k grant funding and just finished the Propel Programme, an intense accelerator of workshops and mentorship aimed at companies with huge global potential. The Propel Programme has been a fantastic experience, built my confidence and been the crucial step on the ladder that I needed. I honestly feel like I am ready to take on the world.

Limejar: Developing Software for Children with Autism

q CurrentlyA lot of things are going on at the moment. Alongside

working on our brand image and developing the online world, we are currently running a successful pilot study using the funding received from the Invest NI Proof of Concept grant through TechStartNI.

The pilot is taking place in two special educational needs schools within Northern Ireland and includes a number of children, each with different needs, their parents and their teachers. This will provide us with key insights and provide a strong foundation that will feed back into the software development process.

The pilot study is the next big step and building on the findings and response will ensure Boop is the best it can be for the key audiences.

Our aim is to position Boop as leading software in learning and living with Autism, securing its place as ‘first to market’ and as a recognized and trusted brand within the Autism Community worldwide.

q Future The future of Limejar is also looking extremely good with

many NI schools having already shown interest in coming on board with our vision and innovative products. We have had interest from places as far as the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

Our focus right now is on getting the Boop product ready for a full commercial launch early in 2015. Follow at @_limejar

Debbie’s son Nicholas

The Northern Ireland Science Festival is the first large-scale festival celebrating the wonders of science, technology, engineering and maths in

the region and is due to take place from February 19th to March 1st 2015. With figures from across local and international science, technology, engineering, business and educational communities participating, SYNC NI caught up with organisers and speakers to find out more...

One of the many big names associated with the Northern Ireland Science Festival (NISF) this year is astronomer Mark Thompson. An author and broadcaster who presents Stargazing LIVE on the BBC, his research interests include deep space, the study of exploding stars and of galaxies containing black holes in their cores.

Given the contribution of local figures such as Jocelyn Bell Burnell, John Stuart Bell and Lord Kelvin, Mark feels Northern Ireland has a proud history of innovation and has voiced his hope that the festival will help to create a culture of science that can inspire the next generation of local scientists.

“Given the small size of Northern Ireland, some fundamental science has emerged from the region. Lots of organisations, such as like the Armagh Planetarium, are doing tremendous work outreaching and working with the public to promote understanding and passion in the subject area which is a wonderful thing,” he said.

Primarily funded by the Department of Employment and Learning, Belfast City Council, Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University and the British Council alongside event sponsorship from a whole host of organisations, the festival is designed to not only be lots of fun, but also highlight Northern Ireland’s scientific heritage and its contribution to both the economy and society. For Mark, there are so many opportunities arising from science-based careers that younger people ought to consider the area when planning for the future.

“The important thing is for children to understand is that there are numerous routes into the science arena. There are a huge a range of jobs available – from mathematics to engineering – so younger people should look around the periphery and look at all the ways to get involved in science. My advice is to keep all options as open as you can, explore as many choices as you can, be passionate and follow your interests.”

During the festival more than 100 events will occur across Northern Ireland including venues such as the BBC, W5, Titanic Belfast, the Black Box, the Nerve Centre and the Ulster Museum. Key organisations hosting events include Queens University, Ulster University, the BBC, W5, the NI Science Park, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Armagh Planetarium and the Open University.


Northern Ireland Science Festival 11 Days, 100 events, Infinite Ideas

Astronomer Mark Thompson


During the day, the festival will see workshops, talks and interactive activities for young people, parents and schools, while in the evening the festival will come alive with an eclectic mix of scientific debates, talks, theatre, comedy, music and film for adults.

NISF Director Chris McCreery said that the aim of the festival is to celebrate this region’s rich scientific pedigree and to engage the next generation of scientists and technology professionals. “Film, television and popular culture have showcased scientific careers to a wider audience. This festival will hopefully show that the real thing is even more exciting and inspiring than what people see on screen or read in novels.”

“And as well as being an exciting, worthwhile career, those working in STEM industries are driving real economic growth.”

For example, analysis from Deloitte in 2012 found that businesses critically dependent on physics-based industries contribute 8.8% of Northern Ireland’s economic output – more than £1.5bn – and employ nearly 27,000 people. The local knowledge economy has recently been cited as one of the two fastest growing per region in the UK, but our innovative output is nothing new.

Despite being small geographically, Northern Ireland is famous for producing skilled scientists creating a major impact in their fields around the world. One of the speakers will be Castlederg native Simon Watt, a biologist, writer, stand-up comic, science communicator and TV presenter. He runs ‘Ready Steady Science’ a firm committed to making information interesting and by taking science-based performances into schools, museums, theatres and festivals. He is president of the “Ugly Animal Preservation Society” which is a comedy night with a conservation twist, which will take place as part of the festival.

As a writer he has written dozens of articles for national newspapers and websites including The Times, The Sunday Times and the Huffington Post but is perhaps best known as a presenter on the BAFTA-winning documentary series Inside Nature’s Giants and the Channel 4 special The Elephant: Life After Death. Simon said that while a childhood in rural Co Tyrone and growing up in a family of teachers imbued him with a love of natural science, he added that some of Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances had helped drive forward innovation in unexpected ways. “I am proud and pleased to see Northern Ireland’s first science festival - it’s about time -

Dr Stephen Farry and NI Science Festival organiser, Chris McCreery

SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 201514

and I am even more pleased to be taking part in it.”

Simon said he merged his love of science with an interest in comedy and drama to help promote science and the natural world to a wider audience.

“It’s not about being trivial or making fun of things, it’s about being passionate and making science interesting. Science isn’t something we find in dusty classrooms, it’s in our everyday lives and it is fascinating.”

“I want to bring science alive and to show people of all ages that knowledge is beautiful.”

Another speaker will be a familiar face to anyone who watched the robot probe Philae land on a comet as part of the Rosetta space mission recently.

Ecstatic Professor Monica Grady of the Open University made headlines around the world as she jumped for joy, cried tears of happiness and hugged a BBC reporter as the decade-long project to land a European spacecraft on the Churyumov-Gerasimenko 67P comet reached its dramatic conclusion.

Professor Grady worked on an instrument called Ptolemy, which will be used to analyse the composition of samples in the craft’s on-board laboratory. A Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University, her research interests are in the fields of meteorites, Martian landscapes and the possibilities of life elsewhere in the cosmos. Even asteroid (4731) was named “Monicagrady” in her honour.

Chris McCreery concluded: “With world famous speakers such as these, we believe the Northern Ireland Science Festival will be a legacy event which will be built upon in the future. As well as helping and encouraging more children to consider STEM careers, this festival can create greater public awareness of the importance and relevance of science in everyday life in Northern Ireland and how we can take our homegrown innovation and talent across the world.”

What is a Science Festival?A science festival showcases science and technology with

the same freshness and flair that would be expected from an arts or music festival. The core content is of science and technology, but the style comes from the world of the arts.

The modern concept of a science festival comes from the city of Edinburgh in 1989 when it was stimulated to rebrand itself as a city of science, building on the success of a series of big urban developments. Science festivals have evolved all over Europe, from Slovenia to Sweden, from Portugal to Poland, from Israel to Iceland - and more are on the way.

The UniversitiesNorthern Ireland is one of the fastest growing knowledge-

based economies in the UK. Levels of research and development, the number of innovative start-ups and patent registrations are increasing rapidly, according to the latest Knowledge Economy Index.

The knowledge economy here has grown by more than 33% in the last five years with performance driven in particular by research and development, investment and innovation. A lot of this progress has been driven by Queen’s University Belfast, the Ulster University and the Open University.

These institutions have helped marry important research with commercial opportunities and have bridged the ‘valley of dath’ between a concept and a remedy or product through scores of successful and profitable spin-out companies, which are helping to solve problems and save lives all over the world, using research carried out right here in Northern Ireland and putting the region on the map.

Web; www.nisciencefestival.com Twitter: @niscifest

W5, the award-winning science and discovery centre, currently holds the government’s STEMNET contract for Northern Ireland. W5 is working to attract, recruit and train professionals with STEM skills to volunteer as STEM Ambassadors to suppor t every Post Primary school in Northern Ireland, to push STEM, and highlight the range of STEM careers available right here in Northern Ireland. The organisation is working to link STEM Ambassadors with local schools so they can act as role models and help inspire and engage young people about the value of STEM in their daily lives. W5 also aims to help those employers in the industry get to know and engage with schools in their local community.

The STEM Ambassadors programme aims to

provide STEM Enrichment and Engagement oppor tunities for young people through a range of talks, careers events, and hands-on Science,

Technology, Engineering and Maths events. On many occasions, it provides students with an oppor tunity to speak directly to representatives from local STEM employers who could offer practical assistance with subject choices, exploring training and Fur ther Education options and alternative career paths.

Currently W5 is working with over 200

Northern Ireland companies who are actively suppor ting the STEM Ambassadors programme at W5. But they need more suppor t to help ensure that our young people develop the skills and knowledge for the future.

If you would like to get involved and sign up

to offer your suppor t for this invaluable initiative, or get your company involved with inspiring young minds to the excitement of a career in STEM, please contact Julia Carson at [email protected] or telephone028 9046 7722

W5 Needs You!


Intellectual Property is increasingly being recognised as a valuable asset of many businesses. A&L Goodbody’s

IP & Technology Team is widely regarded as having market-leading expertise and experience, and is now one of the largest dedicated teams of IP specialist lawyers in Northern Ireland. It also has offices in Dublin, London, New York, Palo Alto, and most recently San Francisco, the heart of the IP and technology sectors. Ivan Waide, IP & Technology Partner at A&L Goodbody, gives some practical tips on commercialising IP.

IP rights are typically very valuable assets that can distinguish a business from its competition, making its products and services unique and attractive to customers. There are many different types of IP, including registrable rights (such as trademarks, patents and designs) and unregistered rights (such as copyright, unregistered trademarks and know-how).

Identifying and Protecting your IPMany businesses find it helpful having

an IP strategy, focused on identifying the IP being developed and used in their business, and understanding its value and any fetters on its ownership. Businesses should also consider how to protect this IP, whether by raising awareness amongst staff, ensuring confidentiality, registering it or taking enforcement action against infringers. Once a business has identified its IP and is taking active steps to protect it, it is in a much better position to maximise its value through commercialisation.

IP can be commercialised by, for example, the licensing of the IP to a third party or related entity on a royalty-bearing basis, assigning ownership of the IP to another entity for a lump sum (possibly with licence-back arrangements), or using the IP as a valuable asset to secure financing.

Top Tips for Commercialising your IP

Licensing your IPLicensing is one way of generating

revenue streams whilst retaining ownership. Under a licensing agreement, the owner/licensor of the IP grants permissions to a third party licensee to use and exploit the IP on agreed terms and conditions, typically including the scope of rights licensed, the proposed “field of use” for exploitation, any exclusivity or geographical restrictions applying, as well as other key provisions such as the financial terms and termination rights.

Any business considering licensing-out its IP should consider carefully the commercial terms of any such licence. A non-exclusive licence will allow the licensor to grant multiple licences of the same IP to different licensees, whilst an exclusive licence would preclude the licensor granting the same rights to any third party during the term of that licence.

If a licensor does decide to grant an exclusive licence over some of its IP, then there are other levers it can employ to maximise value, for example by limiting exclusivity to a particular geographical territory and/or field of use, thus retaining the ability to commercialise the same IP in other

Jonny Madill, Emma Wallace and Ivan Waide of A&L Goodbody

territories and/or other fields of use with other licensees.

The UK Patent BoxIt is also important for IP owners to

be aware of tax incentives available for the development and commercialisation of IP. For example, the UK Patent Box, a preferential corporation tax regime for profits arising from qualifying revenue derived from patents, seeks to make the UK a more attractive location to hold and commercialise patented technology.

ConclusionsAlthough there are potential pitfalls

arising in the context of commercialising intellectual property assets, there are also significant opportunities.

Any business looking to commercialise its IP assets should have a clear understanding of what its IP portfolio comprises, be prepared to protect it and enforce its rights against infringers, and ensure any commercialisation deal contains appropriate contractual protections.

Ivan WaideIP & Technology Team, A&L [email protected]

C SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2015 17

Rob McConnell is responsible for SQS operations in Northern Ireland. His contribution to IT in Northern Ireland was recognised last year when he was awarded

IT Professional of the Year by the Belfast branch of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

q What is your company’s elevator pitch/USP? SQS enable our clients to deliver software Better, Faster and

Cheaper. With 4500 staff globally and over 7000 successfully delivered projects to blue chip clients, we are the world’s leading provider of independent software quality assurance services.

q How did you get started in the industry?I started out as a Network Support Engineer. My first real

job after University was with PwC. I got the opportunity to work with many aspects of IT including software, hardware and networks and most importantly of all I got to work closely with hundreds of great professionals who depended on me to solve their problems. I guess that was the seed for me to spend the next 20 years in IT services. I quickly moved into PwC’s consulting division and things really took off for me from there.

q What is a typical “day in the life” for you?Typically, I roll out of bed at 7am (unless I have a red eye

flight out of NI, then it is more like 4am). I live on the Antrim Coast with my family so have roughly one hour in traffic each morning. My day is always extremely versatile: as SQS services a local and international customer base, I get an opportunity to speak to a diverse set of people each day from many locations around the world. My role is quite sales focused, however there is a leadership and management aspect that requires me to be quite strategic and creative, which at heart, is what I love doing. I am lucky to work with a great team and a fine bunch of human beings each day, I know that not everywhere is as great a place to work like SQS!

q What trends in the industry really excite you?I think from a cool perspective, Predictive Analytics and

Wearable Tech are probably at the top of my excitement chart right now. There are of course lots of great things happening in our sector, from smart living to e-health. I think that Northern Ireland needs to set out our stall at this stage to decide what globally competitive races to run in. The consequences of not taking the bull by the horns now will

have highly negative, far lasting and profound effects for the region and sector.

q What are the biggest challenges facing your company?

The main challenge has to be attraction and retention of top talent. Demand is outstripping supply and has been for a number of years now which is set to continue. The pool of people in the local sector is finite and there is no silver bullet to solving this quandary. Lots of great things are being done to address this through a highly collaborative approach between government and the industry but fundamentally, this is still a pain point for many companies, including SQS.

q What is the best thing about being based in Northern Ireland?

First and foremost, size and proximity. You don’t have to go far to do business in NI. In other parts of the UK, I have colleagues who travel 2000 miles a week to see clients. I would also use the old cliché that we have ‘top talent’ here in NI, obviously not as much as we would like but what we do have frequently shines up and above other regions.

q If you had to give one piece of business advice, what would it be?

Always think big and great things will happen; and always go the extra mile because there are so many people that won’t!

Website: http://www.sqs.com/uk

Career Insight: Rob McConnell from SQS


Tascomi are passionate about helping young people in schools and universities across Northern Ireland to realise

the prospects associated with a career in IT. Every year we provide opportunities for Software Development students to join Tascomi for a one-year placement, to give them a first-hand experience of working within the IT Sector.

Six Months into his placement year at Tascomi, Alan Montgomery from Queen’s University Belfast was asked how he has benefitted from the experience so far;

“I’ve found my placement with Tascomi to be one of the best opportunities I have been given, not only for my future career, but also for my education. The experience of working in a real software development team and putting into practice the theory I have learned from university has proved to be invaluable. I’m constantly learning new skills and gaining knowledge every day which will benefit my career in the future and help me in the last year of my degree.”

In 2015 we are expanding the number of student placement opportunities that we offer to include roles within both our Marketing and Project Management teams.

Tascomi’s Business Development Manager Niall Adams explains; “We’re hoping that by offering a more diverse selection of roles for students, that it will emphasise the

Tascomi Prioritise IT Educationvariety of opportunities available within the IT sector. For Tascomi, creativity and business acumen are as vital to our success as technical expertise and that’s something we are keen to highlight to young people who are taking steps towards deciding their future careers.”

This year we worked alongside Lisburn’s Wallace High School, providing material for their after-school Coder Dojo – a computer coding club for students. This allowed Tascomi Software Developer Phil Hutchinson to take charge of a 4 week ‘Drone Academy’, which entailed introducing Wallace students to the concept of running programs and scripts on an aerial drone.

QUB Placement Student Alan Montgomery

Wallace High School’s new Parrot AR Drone

Tascomi donated the drone to Wallace High School in a continuing effort to highlight the importance of using unique methods of engaging students in IT. In 2014 Tascomi were delighted to announce a new initiative with a local primary school, Pond Park PS, Lisburn. We are very aware of the vital importance for children to become familiar with how software programmes are built, at an early stage of their educational journey.

Tascomi’s Managing Director Richard Martin commented:“We are confident that the knowledge that our developers

share will help sow the seeds of inspiration in the nine year olds at Pond Park and hopefully ignite keen interests that can be rewarded with jobs in their local economy in years to come.”

Geoffrey Cherry, Principal of Pond Park Primary School said;“It’s fantastic to welcome Tascomi to Pond Park – we are

great champions of mentoring in this school and to have our children receive such expert direction from the IT industry is a brilliant opportunity for them. IT and particularly coding are now, without any doubt, a key component of our children’s education, and essential to equip them to take their place in our changing economy.”

Website: www.tascomi.comTwitter: @Tascomi

C SYNCNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2015 19

The education system has, over the centuries, taken a

formal and structured approach to teaching and learning. Classes are arranged to accommodate timetables and resources while addressing student needs. There is, however, a growing trend towards a different approach to teaching and learning more suited to the student.

A tailored approach to teaching caters for the individual and allows for and complements their strengths and style of learning, regardless of background, skills or experience. It allows people to learn at their own pace and comfort level and use computer and computer-based gaming programmes to improve specific learning characteristics.

The challenge, of course, is to capture the best of the traditional approach to teaching while embracing new technology and the insight it provides to improve student engagement and performance.

Students learn in many different ways and at different speeds depending on their aptitude, types of intelligence, degree of motivation, experience of education, and degree of comfort with direct instruction.

Some students prefer a formal approach and need a high level of supervision coupled with hands-on instruction; others like to explore issues on their own in a flexible way that enables independent and self-directed learning.

Understanding the different ways and speeds at which students learn is essential, as it provides a platform from which to develop more effective approaches to learning. Some students

Learning how to Learn

prefer to find answers to pre-set questions on their own, others learn better from worked examples, others prefer to solve problems in groups, while others benefit from a mix of everything.

In an attempt to improve teaching and learning, computer programmes and gaming strategies of all types are increasingly used to teach students.Similarly, new and different computer aids and approaches are available to help teachers get the most from a blend of traditional teaching and new modes of learning.

The Internet, similarly, provides web-based programmes that include basic instructional information, multimedia presentations, video tutorials and even learning through the use of animation.

Many Internet and computer-based programmes provide feedback to students and identify their strengths and weaknesses, as a way to encourage and accelerate learning.

Research into how we learn is providing insight into how the brain works and will inform and fine-tune ways to improve individual learning styles.

Further developments in teaching and learning will happen, as technology progresses and enables people from different disciplines to collaborate on new approaches that provide better understanding.

So, the traditional approach of education to teaching and learning is undergoing significant change, as cross-disciplinary research and technology combine to provide greater insights into how we learn.

Blog entry by Omagh Enterprise.http://www.omaghenterprise.co.uk/@OmaghEnterprise

Chief Executive of Omagh Enterprise, Dr Nick O’Shiel


Tesco is leading the digital revolution in shopping as one of the first supermarkets in the

UK to introduce paperless discount coupons. And the great news? Northern Ireland is the first region in the UK to be able to download the next generation app.

Caoimhe Mannion, Tesco NI Marketing Manager said: “Unique to Tesco Northern Ireland, and launched only a few weeks ago, NI customers can now download a Clubcard app. This enables Clubcard members to load their Clubcard coupons onto their mobile, and then scan the coupons on the mobile phone at our checkouts, saving them the hassle of keeping track of paper coupons”.

Tesco customers can tick items off a list as they move round the aisles and tap on which money-saving offers they want to use thanks to the new app. They can email or text the list to another family member or friend to ensure they’ve got everything they need as well. The updated app is now available to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Reflecting the chain’s dominance in the multi-channel sector, 100% of Northern Ireland’s households can now be serviced by its Tesco.com home shopping service. In addition, the company’s click & collect service enables customers to order general merchandise online and collect it at a Tesco store at a time which suits them, saving the need to remain indoors waiting for a delivery.

As a retail giant, clearly social media is a key component of Tesco’s Digital strategy. In line with the company’s Taste NI Campaign, aimed at supporting

Tesco harnesses the power of ‘social’ in its quest for digital advantage

local food and producers, the regional Tesco NI Facebook page is significantly branded as ‘Taste Northern Ireland’ - ultimately reinforcing the importance of standing up for home-grown produce.

“Tesco is now spending almost £600million per annum on local food and drink, on more than 1,200 product lines, supporting 90 suppliers, and we find that this medium provides a great platform to keep local people up to date about what is going on with local food, producers and Tesco NI. We’re delighted with the level of participation by our local suppliers, plus with the high level of engagement we have with our social media followers”.

Refreshingly, Tesco, together with its Belfast-based creative and marketing agency RLA, consistently utilises the powers of “social”. Its Facebook page is a catalyst for valuable consumer interaction where customers can avail of weekly deals, learn more on upcoming product ranges and services and provide critical feedback on what they need and expect from their Tesco experience.

The accessibility of the ‘Taste Northern Ireland’ Facebook page allows customers to step into the cultural dimensions of Tesco. An example of how best to execute social media in the daily marketing activities of a multi-national!

“We’re delighted with the success of this social platform to date, and hope in 2015, to continue on the strong growth and engagement figures we’re experiencing” said Caoimhe.

“Mobile technology – phones and tablets – are transforming all consumer industries and particularly retail. Our future success relies on our anticipating and adapting those consumer trends so that we can continually improve the products and services we offer our customers”.

Twitter: @Tesco@Tesco_NIreland

Robin Terrell, Tesco Blog


Event Spotlight Stargazer at the Planetarium// 28th February 2015, Armagh Planetarium

From the popular BBC programme Stargazing LIVE, Mark Thompson presents Stargazer at the Armagh

Planetarium. The Universe is shrouded in mystery yet through the centuries, mankind has slowly unravelled many of its dark secrets.

Stargazer Mark Thompson reveals the hidden nature of the Universe, brought to life with mind-blowing demonstrations.

Best known for co-presenting the BBC’s Stargazing LIVE, Mark Thompson is sought after for taking complex scientific concepts and bringing them to life in an engaging and entertaining way.

1 HackMakeTheBankBY Ulster BankWHEN 13th-15th February 2015WHERE The MAC, BelfastTWITTER @UlsterBank WEB www.hackmakethebank.com

2 Belfast GameCraft 2015BY Global GameCraftWHEN 9th May 2015WHERE University of Ulster School of Art and DesignTWITTER @GlobalGameCraftWEB www. gamecraft.it

3 DANI Award LaunchBY Digital Advertising NI WHEN 5th June 2015WHERE Harlem CafeTWITTER @DANIAwardWEB www.thedaniawards.co.uk

If you would like to feature an event in Sync NI magazine or online at www.syncni.com - email the Sync NI team at info@syncni to find out more.

Upcoming Events

He is a frequent broadcaster, appearing on The One Show, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, and many news networks. His book ‘A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos’ was a hit and, having lectured at the Royal Institution and National Astronomy Meeting, Mark is no stranger to entertaining and informing big audiences of both professional astronomers and the general public.

This event is part of NI Science Festival which is taking place from 19th February - 1st March 2015

For tickets and further information visit: www.nisciencefestival.comTWITTER: @niscifest

Big Data Week Conference 2015 // 23rd April 2015, Belfast

Big Data Week will provide an insight into technology trends and attract Big Data experts to

Northern Ireland.

There will be many Big Data Related activities held throughout Belfast culminating in the main conference event in the Titanic Building on 23rd April. The conference is coordinated by Belfast-based Analytics Engines and will have numerous guest speakers from Skyscanner, Royal Mail, LinkedIn, JustGiving & more.

For tickets and further info visit www.bdwbelfast.comTWITTER: @bigdataweek


WWe didn’t have to think too long about the theme for the first Sync NI magazine of

2015 - Education, Education, Education! Throughout the past year we have been constantly reminded that our future economic prosperity is dependent on education. 2014 was the year that STEM became a national priority! We collectively realised that in order to drive growth and respond to the demands of a technology-based economy, we would need to secure the next generation of STEM-skilled workers.

It is encouraging to see government, educational bodies and the IT Industry working in collaboration to develop future tech talent. In the foreword to this magazine, Minister Farry highlighted the improved opportunities and alternative routes into STEM careers. Although these career options are vital, it is even more important to encourage and nurture a genuine passion about STEM subjects in children. Earlier in this magazine you will have read our interview with Raspberry Pi Founder, Eben Upton. He said “We want kids to know that computing is relevant, fun and can help them accomplish what they want to do”. Eben hits the nail on the head – it is the practical involvement in technology and science that will drive children to consider

STEM subjects as a future career.

A sense of fun and curiosity is central to the inaugural NI Science Festival, which is taking place throughout Northern Ireland in February/March. The festival is all about celebrating the wonders of the STEM subjects and Northern Irish contribution to our scientific heritage. Its central aim is to encourage more children to consider STEM careers, creating greater public awareness of the importance and relevance of science in everyday life in Northern Ireland.

The festival has a jam-packed schedule of events, ranging from an attempt to break the record for ‘The World’s Largest Science Lesson’ to astronomy lessons at Armagh Planetarium with TV personality Mark Thompson.

The depth of collaboration in regards to education is reflected in the variety of organisations lending their name to the festival line-up –Queens University, University of Ulster, the BBC, W5, Northern Ireland Science Park, to name just a few.

It has been a brilliant year for the Science & Technology sector in Northern Ireland. Who could forget the historic

Logging Off...

Philae landing which was assisted by Queen’s University research! Here’s to continuing this success in 2015.

Thank you for reading and check out www.syncni.com for a daily roundup of the latest happenings in the Northern Irish Tech & Business community.

The Sync NI Team

“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow.”

Edward Teller

sync ni magazine - winter 2014/15

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