Events

We organise online, hybrid, and in-person events to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including academics, industry professionals, and policymakers. These events foster collaboration, facilitate knowledge exchange, and drive discussions on key challenges and innovations in computing, AI, and sustainability.

1st Workshop on Circular Economy in the Construction Sector in Ireland

This workshop aims to unite stakeholders from diverse sectors—academia, architecture, construction, policymaking, among other—to explore the barriers and enablers in transitioning from a linear economy to a truly circular economy in Ireland

  • Date: 9th of June 2025
  • Time: 9:45am to 4:00pm
  • Cost: Free
  • Where: John Paul II Library, Maynooth University

To register contact rebuild@mu.ie

The agenda for the workshop can be found here.

Email rebuild@mu.ie for enquiries.

Speakers / Presenters / Panellists



Speaker 1
Dr. Mark Kelly
Dr. Mark Kelly is Head of the ATU Centre for Sustainability and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Building and Civil Engineering. He leads the ATU Build360 research group, which focuses on the circular economy and the built environment. Mark is currently on secondment with the Higher Education Authority as a national policy advisor on Education for Sustainable Development.


Speaker 2
Philippa King
Philippa King is the Regional Waste Coordinator for the Southern Waste Region, overseeing the development and implementation of the National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy. With extensive experience in waste policy and resource management, she represents the Southern Region on national committees and working groups. Philippa has led initiatives on material reuse, including the Opera Square Project in Limerick, which demonstrated best practices in circular construction. She has over two decades of expertise in waste management, sustainability policy, and strategic environmental assessment.


Speaker 3
Dr. Liam Heaphy
Dr. Liam Heaphy is a researcher at the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC), where he contributes to the EPA’s Five Year Assessment Report on climate change, focusing on adaptation and impacts for Ireland’s future climate. He is also the Principal Investigator of the TREBUChEt project and a partner on the FLARES-PPLUS project. With a PhD in Architecture from the University of Manchester and a background in philosophy and sociology of science from Universidad de Salamanca, his research explores climate adaptation, urban planning, and data-driven decision-making. Before joining ICHEC, he held a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCD, where he studied rural housing trends and planning. His work has also examined smart cities, digital urbanism, and public engagement in climate science.


Speaker 4
Dr. Jack McCarthy
Dr. Jack McCarthy is Head of Research at the Rediscovery Centre, where he leads translational research projects on the circular economy. He is currently heading an EPA-funded study on Ireland’s Circular Material Use Rate and coordinating the national Paint Reuse Network. With a background in human geography, Jack completed his PhD at University College Dublin through the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme, focusing on farmer engagement with agri-environmental schemes. His work emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the transition to a circular economy is both technically sound and socially just.


Speaker 5
Dr. Claudia Roessing
Dr. Claudia Roessing has completed her PhD at Maynooth University, where she investigated the variations of data lifecycles based on data requirements in the Smart City scenario. She has years of experience in the software development industry with a background in Business Analysis and Consulting and Computer Science. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the VISION project, which is financed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and focuses on reducing the use of virgin materials in the Irish building sector.


Speaker 5
Donal O'Donohue
Donal O'Donohue is a Director at Coady Architects, where he has been a key member of the team since 2003. Appointed Director in 2016, Donal brings a wealth of expertise across a broad range of sectors, with a particular focus on healthcare, workplace, and residential projects. A talented designer and highly skilled project manager, he has led numerous multi-disciplinary teams on complex, multi-site developments. Donal has a strong track record in the strategic use of modern methods of construction and is committed to delivering high-quality, sustainable architecture. He is a Registered Architect (MRIAI), a Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) BER Assessor since 2008, and holds Grade 3 Accreditation in Architectural Conservation.








NeuroEvolution at Work (NEWK) - Workshop

The Director of AICOS is co-organising workshop for The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO) 2025 with collegues from Italy and New Zealand.

The workshop will focus on the latest advances in neuroevolution and its applications in various domains, including robotics, games, and optimisation.