Markus Helfert
Director of EMPOWER & IVI, Maynooth University
Aidan Mooney
Head of Department, School of Computer Science, Maynooth University
Joseph Coughlan
Head of School of Business, Maynooth University
One of Ireland’s top educational institutions is shaping the future of digital transformation, entrepreneurship and leadership with cross-discipline partnerships, projects and research driving excellence for the next generation.
Dr Aidan Mooney, Head of Department, Computer Science, highlights the work that the department is doing in diverse research fields, including computer vision and robotics, AI, programming, computer science education, digital holography and geocomputation.
Diverse research with hands-on learning
“At Maynooth, we have a large department with a diverse range of research interests, and our students are getting hands-on experience working across these fields, with teaching that is research-driven and industry-aligned,” says Dr Mooney.
“We were one of the first departments to set up a computer science centre — an extra service to support all students, with advanced supports in place to keep students engaged. Outreach is extremely important to us, we help to educate primary and secondary level students, through initiatives like PACT, and we regularly champion Women in STEM initiatives.”
With a range of postgraduate and higher diploma programmes, students with and without a background in computer science can retrain, upskill and progress to master’s degrees. The department also offers the first-of-its kind computational thinking degree, combining computer science, maths and philosophy.
School of Business
According to Prof Joseph Coughlan, Head of Maynooth University School of Business: “Our mission is to develop critical thinkers and create impactful knowledge for our community. Our approach to education is both ‘research-informed’ and ‘practice-engaged’.”
These values are evident in impactful master’s programmes such as our MSc in IT-Enabled Innovation and the ‘Leading Digital Transformation in Organisations’ microcredential, designed to provide the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to build a sustainable and successful organisational digital transformation programme.
Driving digital transformation with data
Markus Helfert, Director of EMPOWER and Innovation Value Institute (IVI), discusses the key programmes aimed at helping both small and large organisations in their digital transformation journey: “The Innovation Value Institute at Maynooth University is a multidisciplinary research institute focused on digital transformation, data and service innovation.”
IVI supports the university’s ambition to empower its research community to imagine and create better futures for all. “We look at data governance, automating data management and creating value out of data,” adds Helfert. “In collaboration with four leading SFI centres, our EMPOWER programme helps to establish best data governance practices on this topic. We bring expertise and understanding from different IVI projects together, creating frameworks and roadmaps that offer solutions.”
Moreover, the institute’s Rethink Redesign programme helps businesses drive digital transformation and is funded through the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher scheme. “We are not only advancing research but transforming how businesses and entrepreneurs innovate in today’s digital landscape,” concludes Helfert.
