Kick off EDGE26 with registration and networking in the Start-Up and Immersive Exhibition Zone; experience start-up demos, and interactive showcases – where founders, investors, and innovators connect.
Understanding the global shift and Ireland’s opportunity to turn creativity into economic impact.
Why Ireland’s Creative Economy Matters Now.
Official welcome to EDGE26: Ireland’s Creative Economy Summit from:
CREW CEO Niamh Costello
Mayor Mike Cubbard, Galway City
Keynote Address
The Global Creative Shift: How Creative Industries, IP, and Innovation are Reshaping Economies Worldwide
Exploring how creative strength translates into sustainable, scalable business growth.
Key findings from CREW & UrbanLab whitepaper:
From Momentum to Scale Creative Industries in the West and North-West of Ireland: A Decade of Progress and the Path to 2036
Insight Talk
Building capability in creative industries; why clustering is key to competitiveness.
Panel Discussion
When building an IP Economy, what must align? A panel discussion on policy, capital & ecosystem alignment for scaling.
Recharge and reconnect: Meet Patrons, and exhibitors in our Start-Up and Immersive Exhibition Zones
Insights, Sectors and Scale. Showcasing how creativity is driving enterprise, innovation and growth.
Insight Talk
An exploration of how creative businesses create & capture value.
Panel Discussion
Inside Ireland’s IP-generating sectors: Real companies, IP, exports, and growth
Lightning Talks:
Hear insights across the digital creative industries from animation, games, and immersive tech to design, film & TV.
Standing Lunch & Networking. Recharge and reconnect across the Start-up Zone, Immersive Exhibition Zone and CREW Café.
Building the talent, capability, and global connections that enable creative businesses to scale.
Fireside Chat
From Creator to CEO: Building Creative Entrepreneurs Who Scale Globally.
Dr. Orla Flynn in Conversation with Paul Young, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Cartoon Saloon.
Panel Discussion
Creative Intelligence: Talent, R&D & AI – Building Ireland’s Creative Tech Pipeline
Fireside Chat
Success from Chicago: 2112 & Story7 – Building Creative Entrepreneurs to Scale Globally.
Mary Rodgers in conversation with Daniel Crane, Creative Entrepreneur (Story7) Ecosystem Builder (2112 Chicago) & International Touring Musician
Closing EDGE26 with an outward-looking perspective and a forward-facing vision for Ireland’s creative economy.
Panel Discussion
A forward-looking discussion on the opportunities ahead, and the actions that can support Ireland’s creative economy to grow and compete over the next decade.
Closing Remarks from Alan Dillon, TD, Minister of State for Employment, Small Businesses and Retail & Circular Economy
Vision Talk
From Ambition to Action: Final Reflections and Next Steps
