Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Engineers Journal Ireland

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Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Keep pace with the engineering industry in Ireland and abroad with Engineers Journal, the voice of the engineering community in Ireland and beyond. Each episode brings you thought-provoking one-on-one discussions with industry leaders who share stories on favourite projects and greatest challenges, what the future may hold for the industry and advice on how to progress your career.

OCT 7

How to 3D Scan Dublin City | Debra Laefer NYU

Engineering innovation has created incredible technology and found new ways to use current technology to overcome engineering challenges. LiDAR is an example of one of these revolutionary tools and today we hear from an art historian turned civil engineer who is using it to scan our cities. We hear about their creation of the world's densest urban aerial laser scanning dataset, which was conducted using a large slice of the center of Dublin City, and the challenges they’ve overcome in transforming how we understand, plan, and protect our cities. Our guest is a pioneering force in urban data science and has authored over 160 peer reviewed publications, been awarded four patents and worked as a professor in UCD Dublin. She is Professor at New York University's Center for Urban science and Progress, Dr. Debra Laefer. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Using LIDAR technology to create highly detailed 3D scans of citiesDeveloping methods to efficiently store, process, and analyze LIDAR data How 3D scans are revolutionizing urban flood modeling and emergency responseApplying the LIDAR data and 3D models to real-world engineering challengesExploring the use of 3D printing technology in conjunction with LIDAR data GUEST DETAILSWith degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (MS, Ph.D.), NYU (MEng), and Columbia University (BS, BA), Prof. Debra Laefer has a wide-ranging background spanning from geotechnical and structural engineering to art history and historic preservation. In her decade and a half as a faculty member in both the US and Europe, Prof. Laefer has served as the principal investigator for grants from a wide range of sponsors including the National Science Foundation, the US Federal Highway Administration, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Science Foundation Ireland, and the European Research Council (including a €1.5 million single investigator award from the flagship ERC program for which she is the only civil engineer to have been funded in Ireland in the program’s 11 year history). Prof. Laefer has authored over 160 peer-reviewed publications, been awarded 4 patents, and has supervised 15 doctoral and 20 Masters theses. Among many honors from IEEE, ISPRS, and other professional societies, the most notable is perhaps the 2016 commissioning and hanging of her portrait by the Royal Irish Academy as one of eight researchers selected for the Women on Walls project to celebrate Irish women in science and engineering. https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-f-laefer-09510a11/ MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES We didn't devise a sensor, we didn't even improve the sensor, but we took a fundamentally engineering approach to it. We took this more systematic approach of; let's reverse engineer the process, figure out what we want to get and figure out how to use the sensor to obtain that data. - Dr. Debra Laefer This technique has been used in fields as far from civil engineering as breast cancer research. So that not only has it been transferred to other LIDAR applications, but people have used it for other remote sensing and medical imaging datasets. - Dr. Debra Laefer It's good to make mistakes, and it's good to have senior engineers check them. - Dr. Debra Laefer As crazy as your idea may seem, a lot of the time the best ideas are initially too far ahead of the curve, so don't give up on them. - Dr. Debra Laefer KEYWORDS #buildings #data #dublin #engineers #civilengineering #lidar #computationalmodel

39 min
SEP 2

Reaching for the Stars | Sinead O’Sullivan NASA

Engineering is a diverse and exciting career that fosters immense creative thinking, but just how far can it take you? Today we hear from an engineer who turned their wildest dreams into reality and took them all the way to NASA. We hear how an opportunity to attend Space Camp inspired their ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude and how engineering has supported further creative pursuits in different disciplines. Our guest is a trailblazer in the aerospace engineering industry, but also in promoting the idea that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. She is Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology, Sinéad O’Sullivan. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Early experiences that foster a ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude The impact of surrounding yourself with inspiring peopleMission design and AI at NASAParallels between engineering and other creative pursuitsThe role of AI and automation in the future of engineering GUEST DETAILS Sinéad O'Sullivan is an Aerospace Engineer. She formerly led strategy at Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness with Professor Michael Porter and is currently a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology. Formerly a Research Fellow at MIT’s College of Computing and MIT Sloan as well as a Human Spaceflight mission designer for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her work focuses on the intersection of technology, innovation, geopolitics, and national security. She sits on the board of the European Space Policy Institute, is a frequent contributor to the Financial Times, and is Board Member of IMMA - the Irish Museum of Modern Art. She was also recently nominated as a fellow of Engineers Ireland. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadcosullivan MORE INFORMATION Come meet the Engineers Ireland Team at the National Ploughing Championships on September 17th to 19th and have a blast at our Space Station. We will have three incredible experiences at the Engineers Ireland 'Space Store', ran by former NASA Engineer Steve Ringler - who will be down at the Ploughing Championships with our team. You can immerse yourself in the cosmos with virtual reality adventures using state-of-the-art headsets, try on a replica spacesuit, or get a hands-on experience with real space rocks, including pieces of the moon. Join us at Block 2, Row 11, Stand 169 for an unforgettable journey through space and engineering. Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Sineads book “Good Ideas and Power Moves” is due to be published September 2025. Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES I got to spend time with the engineers at NASA, and it just put this very kind of human, normal person face on this career that seemed totally inaccessible. - Sinéad O’Sullivan There are a ton of really smart engineers that are solving these problems at any given time. But the problem really, I think, lies with the bureaucracy of how we fund science, how we create policy around that. - Sinéad O’Sullivan I feel like to be creative, you have to let that child part grow up with you, like if you really want to be good at doing these types of jobs, don't let people tell you they're dumb ideas. - Sinéad O’Sullivan To be a great engineer, you need to be around great engineers. - Sinéad O’Sullivan My entire career has been curiosity driven for the simple reason that if I'm really interested in it, I'm going to work hard enough at it to be successful in it. - Sinéad O’Sullivan Engineering is really about learning a way of thinking, and it's one that allows you to understand nuance, complexity, and difficult challenges that you can apply to literally any other career. - Sinéad O’Sullivan KEYWORDS #engi

43 min
AUG 4

Making Power Go The Distance | Eamon Stack Range Therapy

One of the biggest challenges of the climate crisis is power. How do we harness it, store it, use it and most importantly, make it more sustainable. Engineers have been creating fantastic solutions in power, but storing it is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome. Today we hear from an Irish engineer who is actively responding with some very clever solutions. Our guest has worked with decarbonization at EU level and is leading his own social enterprise that creates energy storage solutions for homes, farms and small businesses. He is co-founder and Director of Range Therapy Eamon Stack. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT A new way of thinking about power supply and storage Second life batteries and how they can be utilised Using battery stored power in buildings, businesses, farms and home Creating a circular recycling programme for batteries in Europe Storing wind and solar power in batteries for cost effective power GUEST DETAILSEamon Stack is an award-winning serial social entrepreneur. He co-founded Range Therapy in 2020, responding to the climate change crisis by focusing on reducing energy emissions, one of the big three human causes. Range Therapy offers second-life EV battery packs to upgrade older EVs and to offer substantial energy storage solutions at an affordable price for homes, farms and small businesses. Eamon’s background is in software engineering, with 35 years development experience in the nonprofit sector. He was founder and former CEO at ENCLUDE for 18 years. This charity is focused on building the ICT capacity of the Irish Charity Sector. https://ie.linkedin.com/in/eamon-stack-25a3242 https://rangetherapy.org/ MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES After high powered use of a battery in a car for 15 or 20 years, they have another 20 years of life available to them as energy storage. - Eamon Stack That's what's wonderful about the transition from an energy system where we just burn and waste fossil fuels to one that is perfectly circular and completely sustainable. This is really very good news for everybody in the system. - Eamon Stack The Environmental Protection Agency might view a second life battery out of a car as a hazardous waste. That's a problem we need to deal with, this is a national asset. - Eamon Stack It's a whole new world, and it's an exciting new world where there's a potential. The Holy Grail here is storage, we make tons of power, where can we store it at a price that makes sense. - Eamon Stack KEYWORDS #batteries #energy #cars #electric #engineers #grid #power #recycling #sustainability

36 min
JUL 1

Water for the Future | Karl Zimmerer MD Glanua

The water sector needs the help of engineers to develop plans and innovative solutions for the maintenance of one of our most essential commodities. Today we hear of all the challenges facing the sector, from inefficient leaky infrastructure to an urgent focus on sustainability thanks to the rapidly changing climate. Our guest has been a leader in this area for 25 years since founding his company in Loughrea, and has had success not just here in Ireland but across Europe and to the USA. He is Group Managing Director of Glanua, Karl Zimmerer. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Working with water as a valuable resource and commodity ● The history of Glanua and the group MD’s career path ● Innovation to meet customer needs and regulatory standards ● Balancing supply, sanitation and sustainability in improving treatment plants ● Where to improve water knowledge as an interested engineer GUEST DETAILS Karl Zimmerer is Group Managing Director of Glanua. Karl has over 25 years experience in the design, construction and operation and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure throughout Ireland, with over 15 years in a Senior Management position. Karl’s professional qualifications include an Honours Degree in Structural Engineering and a Master Degree in Project Management. Karl is a founding member of Glanagua LTD and has successfully developed the business into one of the leading companies in the water sector in Ireland, providing a full range of services throughout the industry. https://ie.linkedin.com/in/karl-zimmerer-4b73a319 MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES It is a very expensive resource that is absolutely essential to life. - Karl Zimmerer It is something that requires a significant level of investment to ensure that that is provided at a certain standard and a lot of governments aren't allocating enough for that. - Karl Zimmerer Innovation is something that we feel very, very passionate about, because innovation can be how you dig the hole, how you construct the tank, it can be about the technology, the pump system, the mortar that drives the pump, water efficiency, setpoint and understanding what the needs are for your customers. - Karl Zimmerer There's absolutely no stupid questions. Don't come to me with questions, come to me with solutions, and just ask me to do I think the solutions are right - Karl Zimmerer KEYWORDS #water #Ireland #engineering #challenge #wastewater #treatmentplant #sustainability

30 min
JUN 3

When Art & Engineering Collide | Eoin Casserly VOLUTA

Engineers are naturally creative, from problem solving to designing and planning. But when you combine that with visual creativity, it leads to unique and beautiful things. Today we meet an Irish engineer who is using his engineering skills and artistic flair to design some of the most impressive structures across the world, including a very well known New York tourist attraction. Our expert guest has worked in over 20 countries across the globe and is passionate about the architectural response to the climate crisis. He is Principal and Founder of VOLUTA, Eoin Casserly. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Engineering as a passport to the world ● Working through design limitations with efficiency ● Complex design with user experience in mind ● The architectural response to the climate crisis ● Chartered Engineer of the Year award and its benefits GUEST DETAILS Eoin Casserly is principal and founder of VOLUTA, a specialist structural engineering consultancy operating internationally, based in Sligo. Previously, he held structural engineering positions in Paris, New York, and Stuttgart. He has designed advanced structures such as gridshells, cable nets, facades, stadia, and artworks in more than 20 countries, working through six languages. Project highlights include the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, the world’s first cable net with curved glass, the largest-spanning glazed roof in South America, and gridshells for the largest botanic garden in the world. His current research combines pre-industrial materials with innovative construction and analysis techniques. Eoin won the Engineers Ireland Chartered Engineer of the Year Award in 2023. MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.

30 min
MAY 6

Decarbonisation Challenge | Declan Wynne MD Skanstec

Engineers are on the frontline of influencing our future and play a key role in the race against climate change. As we embrace the digital transition, one Irish company is leading the way in decarbonisation. Today we hear how the firm has achieved rapid success in just three years of business, how they develop passionate and innovative teams and the incredible creative opportunities available to Irish engineers across Europe. Our expert guest believes in the power of combining engineering and business and is passionate about Ireland’s ability to be world leaders in this space. He is Founder and Managing Director of Skanstec, Declan Wynne. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Filling the market gap for decarbonisation innovationTransitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy in Ireland’s grid The challenges causing a race against time for engineersHow Ireland can be a world leader in energy and digital CPD and opportunities for Irish engineers across Europe The role of data centres in decarbonisation GUEST DETAILS As Founder and Managing Director, Declan Wynne leads the Skanstec Executive Management Team and sits on the company’s board. Declan has a strong Engineering background with dynamic business acumen and a human approach. Declan has over 20 years’ experience in the Engineering sector and has a passion for Engineering and sustainability. The transition to a climate neutral society, coupled with the convergence of Digital Energy and Connectivity, inspired Declan’s vision for Skanstec to be a leading specialist Engineering company in the Energy and Telecommunication Sector with a focus on Decarbonisation and the Digital Transition. Declan holds a Degree in Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), including Level 9 Post Grads in Project Management and Coaching. www.skanstec.com MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES I've always had a passion for engineering and particularly a passion for business, and I think both work very much hand in hand, particularly in an Irish context. I think Irish engineers are quite good at being innovative and have a way about doing business that seems to be quite successful in many parts of the globe. - Declan Wynne Engineering becomes more and more important in terms of what we're trying to achieve at a national level and at a global level in terms of decarbonisation, and the digital transition that we're experiencing. - Declan Wynne The world is changing, and we've got to act, we've got to adapt. - Declan Wynne Irish engineering businesses are dominating across Europe. It's a huge opportunity for engineers. - Declan Wynne The data centres are absolutely fundamental to decarbonisation. We can't decarbonize without data centers. Ireland's challenge at present is power. It's not data centers in my own view, and that's something that we're proud to be involved in. - Declan Wynne KEYWORDS #engineering #decarbonisation #opportunity #datacentres #business #sustainability

31 min
APR 2

From Engineer to Entrepreneur | Tara Dalton CEO Altratech

Irish engineers are incredibly creative thinkers and innovators, but it's a big leap going from innovator to entrepreneur, and taking an idea you might have to market. Today we hear from a prominent engineer with a fascinating career history, which took her from aeronautical engineering into the biomedical space. We'll be finding out how she looks at problems, overcomes obstacles, where she sees innovation and opportunity, and getting some great advice for any engineers who are thinking of launching their own business. Our guest is CEO of Altratech and the Assistant Director of the Stokes Research Institute at University of Limerick, Dr. Tara Dalton. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Transitioning through different disciplines of engineering The benefits of working within interdisciplinary teamsLearning to ‘skate where the puck is’ Being aware of trends and spotting gaps in the market Striving for progress over perfection and asking for help GUEST DETAILSDr Tara Dalton, CEO of Altratech and Assistant Director of the Stokes Research Institute in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Limerick. Dr Dalton is a fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineers. She is one of the founders of Stokes Bio – a spin-out company that was sold to Life Technologies that developed high throughput microfluidic instruments for PCR. Her research interest is in the development of microfluidic devices for biological assays. She has graduated 20 PhD Students, published over 100 refereed papers and has over 50 granted patent and patent applications. https://altratech.com/ https://ul.ie/research/dr-tara-dalton MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES In my mind, in engineering, you don't want to be at the cutting edge of absolute new science. You want to be just behind it, so you can help people with that science. - Tara Dalton When you work with interdisciplinary team, and I work with medics, physicists, chemists or even with other entrepreneurs, it's just amazing, because I find that everybody wants to help you be better. Nobody, at least in my experience, gatekeeps their knowledge. - Tara Dalton Skate where the puck is, right. It didn't matter that I had this great product, but to get venture capital funding, that was never going to happen, because it wasn't in that ecosystem at the time. So that was one really big learning lesson. - Tara Dalton Ask for help. Everybody, ask for help. Go talk to people, go talk to Enterprise Ireland, go talk to lawyers, go talk to VCs. Don't go saying I want, want, want, just say, What should I do? How could you help me? You'd be surprised how many people will give you their time. - Tara Dalton KEYWORDS #engineering #problemsolving #entrepreneurship #biomedical #aeronauticalengineering #science

36 min
MAR 4

Record Breaking Wind Power | Noel Cunniffe CEO Wind Energy Ireland

2023 was a ‘record breaker’ for wind power in Ireland, but have we got the resources to reach the government's goals for a renewable future? Today we learn about some of the engineering problems behind Ireland’s long-term strategy for increasing wind power, the challenges caused by policy, regulation and mother nature, along with a huge career drive to get more people, including engineers, working in the wind sector. Our guest is extremely passionate about Ireland’s renewable energy potential. Also a chartered engineer, he uses his many years of experience fighting tirelessly to help us make the most of our natural resources and meet our sustainability targets for 2030. He is CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, Noel Cunniffe. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT How Ireland is leading the way and breaking records in wind energy generation Innovative engineering work happening in Ireland’s renewable energy sector Policy, planning permission, community engagement and other challenges facing the wind sectorOffshore wind and why it’s Ireland’s energy future The Work In Wind recruitment drive and why engineers are needed GUEST DETAILSNoel Cunniffe is the CEO of Wind Energy Ireland which is Ireland’s largest renewable energy association and works with a wide range of stakeholders to build understanding and awareness of the benefits of wind and renewable energy. Prior to becoming CEO, Noel led Wind Energy Ireland’s Policy department in driving policy development across all aspects of the onshore and offshore renewable industry in Ireland. Previously, Noel was the Renewable Integration Lead in EirGrid, the Transmission System Operator of Ireland, and worked across several departments including electricity grid planning and operation, and the design of the electricity market of Ireland. He is a Chartered Engineer with Engineer’s Ireland. https://www.linkedin.com/in/noel-cunniffe-b34a1429 MORE INFORMATION Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland. QUOTES A lot of people in the country don't know we're actually a world leader when it comes to the amount of our electricity that comes from wind. - Noel Cunniffe Last year in total over 1/3 of Ireland's electricity came from wind. As you can imagine, it's very weather dependent. In December, over 50% of Ireland's electricity during the course of December came from wind. One in two times when you were boiling a kettle, turning on your TV, using your internet, it was thanks to wind energy. - Noel Cunniffe I get asked a lot. What happens when the wind doesn't blow. Where does our backup come from? And in the short term, the answer is going to be gas generation. That's the least polluting fossil fuel that we have. We should not be using oil, we should not be using coal, unless it's an absolute emergency. - Noel Cunniffe I know this is probably very bonkers to think about, but if we didn't have wind energy over the past two years our electricity bills would have been much, much, much higher than they already were. - Noel Cunniffe Wind energy helped to push the most expensive oil and gas off the electricity grid. - Noel Cunniffe We're really at the point now, where we as a country need to get in, jump in and invest in the grid again. That means building overhead lines, underground cables, new substations, it is the heartbeat of a thriving economy, and decarbonisation and ensuring that our lights stay on. - Noel Cunniffe KEYWORDS #wind #electricitygrid #offshorewind #windfarm #energy #electricity #renewableenergy #turbines

38 min

Keep pace with the engineering industry in Ireland and abroad with Engineers Journal, the voice of the engineering community in Ireland and beyond. Each episode brings you thought-provoking one-on-one discussions with industry leaders who share stories on favourite projects and greatest challenges, what the future may hold for the industry and advice on how to progress your career.

Creator

Engineers Journal Ireland
Years Active

2022 - 2024
Episodes

34
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2024 Engineers Journal Ireland
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Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED