We were thrilled to deliver an exciting day-long event last week – Shaping Tomorrow: Driving Business Innovation with Immersive Tech & AI. This was delivered by CREW and Eirmersive, with the Western Development Commission and supported by Data2Sustain.
Early in the day, someone remarked that “there is a misconception that giving more information invites more questions, but in reality, giving more information creates more trust.” That idea set the tone for the sessions that followed, particularly as we explored technologies that can feel complex or unfamiliar.
The agenda focused on practical, real-world applications of immersive tech and AI. Galway’s Gavin Duffy, Founder & CEO of RealSim shared digital twinning examples that demonstrated measurable improvements in planning, safety, and training. CREW member and alumni, Marilyn Fleming, founder of Talegate Media, discussed how diversifying her content formats will enable her business to reach new audiences, and Guillaume Auvray (XR Ireland) highlighted how immersive tools are being used effectively in humanitarian and non-profit contexts.
In the afternoon, Jessie Clara and Ainslie Peters from CREW led an applied innovation workshop that examined how immersive technologies can support storytelling, knowledge capture, and expert training. The hands-on demonstrations, including AR children’s books, immersive pitch-coaching tools, and simulated learning environments, helped ground these ideas in concrete examples.
Events like this are a vital part of CREW’s strategy as they bring together SMEs, educators, and public-sector teams to compare challenges, share insights, and understand emerging technologies in a more practical way. It was a productive day and a useful reminder of how much potential there is when people from different sectors engage with emerging tools together, and when we can learn first-hand from the innovators that are pushing boundaries in the digital creative space.
A hearty thank you to Camille Donegan and the Eirmersive team for sharing their expertise, and to the WDC and Data2Sustain for enabling initiatives like this to grow in our region.
Photo credits: Avi Ratnayaki