Minister Niamh Smyth Visits CeADAR, Ireland’s Centre for AI
- Minister briefed on CeADAR’s plans to accelerate AI adoption among Irish businesses
Niamh Smyth TD, Minister for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation, visited CeADAR, Ireland’s Centre for AI, at its offices in NexusUCD yesterday where she was briefed on the Centre’s expansion plan to accelerate AI adoption across Ireland.
As Ireland’s Centre for AI, CeADAR plays a critical role in supporting enterprises and public sector organisations in Ireland to understand and use data analytics and AI to empower their businesses.
Appointed in January, Minister Smyth TD is the first Minister of State to have been designated with a specific portfolio concerning AI and is in the process of meeting key stakeholders regarding the Government’s drive to increase the adoption and deployment of AI systems across all business and industry sectors.
Minister Smyth TD met with senior figures from UCD and CeADAR including; Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD’s Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact; Dr John Lonsdale, CEO, CeADAR and Dr Ricardo Simon Carbajo, Director of Innovation and Development, CeADAR.
During the visit, Minister Smyth was introduced to CeADAR’s work supporting organisations across Ireland to explore, experiment with, and integrate AI into products and processes and given an overview of the centre’s strategic priorities to accelerate AI adoption across Ireland.
Niamh Smyth TD, Minister for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation, said, “The rapidly evolving international economic landscape underscores the critical role of competitiveness in fostering sustainable growth in our enterprise sectors. The continuous adoption and deployment of new AI technologies is critical to driving the competitiveness of Irish businesses in international markets. Equally important is our ambition to drive more AI adoption among domestically trading and locally trading business, as it will help save business owners time, money and make them more productive and competitive.”
Pictured (l-r) are Dr John Lonsdale, CEO, CeADAR; Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact; Minister for Trade Promotion, AI and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth TD; Laura Plunkett, EDIH Programme Manager, CeADAR; Nathalie Norton, EDIH Marketing Lead, CeADAR and Dr Ricardo Simon Carbajo, Director of Innovation & Development, CeADAR.
Images Credit - Sasko Lazarov, Photocall Ireland
Dr John Lonsdale, CEO, CeADAR said, “It has been a great pleasure to have Minister Niamh Smyth visit us here today to see first-hand the work CeADAR is doing to accelerate the adoption of AI and machine learning by Irish businesses and public sector organisations. With huge changes in the way data can be collected and used, it is more important than ever that Irish businesses understand and grasp the transformative opportunities that AI offers across all business verticals.
“The fact that the Government has, for the first time, given a Minister specific responsibility for AI and digital transformation is very much to be welcomed as we seek to accelerate adoption of these rapidly evolving technologies.”
ENDS
1 May 2025
For further information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie
Editors Notes
CeADAR – Ireland’s Centre for AI – is the national centre supporting organisations across Ireland to explore, experiment with, and integrate AI into products and processes.
Established in 2013 and funded by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, CeADAR bridges the gap between academic research and industry needs, accelerating the journey from concept to market-ready solutions. With a strong focus on business impact, CeADAR empowers companies to boost productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability through innovative, real-world AI applications.
In addition to delivering technology services and collaborative research projects, CeADAR provides expert national and EU-level advisory, supports AI policy development, and plays a vital role in start-up incubation, workforce training, and innovation funding. CeADAR also actively participates in European-funded programmes, contributing to strategic AI advancements across the continent. www.ceadar.ie