News

Geoscience Ireland (GI) Member GDG 500 Offshore Wind Jobs

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Geoscience Ireland (GI) member Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDG), a leading Irish-based, global offshore wind energy consultancy firm, yesterday announced  plans to recruit up to 500 professionals over the next five years to support the establishment of an Engineering Hub focused on analysis and innovation to serve growing demand for its services, both domestically and internationally.

Founded in 2011 by Paul Doherty, a veteran of the Irish offshore wind sector, the company
with offices in Dublin, Cork and Belfast, was acquired by UK-based Venterra Group in 2021. The new roles announced on 31st May will focus on engineering analysis, numerical modelling, and offshore design. Leveraging its solid international industry networks, GDG aims to reinforce its position as Ireland’s leading offshore wind energy consultancy, while expanding its customer base in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Welcoming the news Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney TD  said: “ These new engineering roles are hugely welcome and create numerous exciting opportunities for skilled engineers of all levels. This project supports the Governments plans in aiming to have Ireland carbon neutral by 2050. We are committed to increasing the proportion of electricity generated from renewable energy sources from 30% to up to 80% by 2030. Wind energy provides an emissions free, clean and renewable energy source and initiatives like this that create employment and advancing our decarbonisation goals are fully supported.”

Speaking at a  Press Conference in Engineers Ireland yesterday, Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland said: “This  expansion will add important capability to Ireland’s offshore wind supply chain  and positions Ireland as the GDG’s global engineering services hub to serve its growing customer base internationally.”

Commenting on the development, GI Director Sean Finlay said;

” Geoscience  provides the  the foundation for the development of Offshore Wind Energy (OWE). GDG is a leading designer and advisor for the sector and under the leadership of Paul Doherty, has built a significant presence in the OWE  markets in Ireland and internationally. Paul serves on the Advisory Board of GI ; he and GDG make an important contribution to GI and to the engineering profession.”

Geoscience Ireland (GI) Welcomes New Members to Advisory Board

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Geoscience Ireland (GI) is pleased to  welcome two new members to its Advisory Board.

Jim Fox  is a Senior Development Advisor with Enterprise Ireland’s High Tech Construction and Housing  Division. He was previously  with the Local Enterprise Office in Cavan, having worked as Leasing Executive with ICC Bank and BOSI and with IDA as a Project Executive. A Business graduate from TCD,  he holds post graduate diplomas from IMI, IOB and ACCA.  Jim replaces Dermot Reidy of Enterprise Ireland who retired earlier this month.

Trevor O’ Regan is a director of Economic Development Consultants Ireland, having previously worked with PM Group  as an Associate Director. Currently based in Hanoi, Trevor has worked as Team Leader and advisor on technical assistance projects being implemented by the EU, USAID, the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). A  graduate of UCC, he holds a Masters of Business Studies from UL.

Commenting on the appointments, GI Director Dermot Duff said;

“Jim Fox’s presence on our Advisory Board confirms Enterprise Ireland as  a key enabler for the GI network. I thank Dermot Reidy of EI who retired recently for his significant support and guidance from the earliest days of GI.

Trevor O Reagan’s  experience with Multilateral Development Bank projects in many jurisdictions will provide important insights for GI members active in that sector and to those seeking new market opportunities .”

 

Geoscience Ireland (GI) Welcomes Calls for Increased Support for PhD Researchers

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A national review of State supports for thousands of PhD researchers is expected to recommend increasing their pay to €25,000 in an attempt to retain research talent, according to today’s “Irish Times”.

About 6,000 doctoral researchers across higher education institutions are in receipt of stipends and most are paid at a standard rate of some €18,500 annually.

The low rates of pay have sparked protests over recent months and warnings from students that inflation and cost-of-living issues have created a “crisis” which threatens the sustainability of higher education research.

Geoscience Ireland (GI) strongly supports calls for this increase which is reported   to be a key conclusion of a  forthcoming Review commissioned by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD. The collaboration between third level applied research centers and industry is an essential  component for the continued success of Ireland’s economic policy. .

Engineers Ireland | Chartered Environmentalist

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Engineers Ireland has become the first organisation outside the UK to be licensed by the Society of the Environment to award this  important professional title. Engineers Ireland will use the Chartered Environmentalist title to drive environmental practices in engineering and recognise Chartered Engineers who are leading the way to a more sustainable world.

Sean Finlay of Geoscience Ireland  commented;

“Geoscience Ireland welcomes this initiative, recognising that environmental engineering and protection are  at the center  of  sustainable development. Engineers, Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists have important roles to play in furthering public understanding of science and technology and need to collaborate more closely in this regard. ” 

 

 

Geoscience Ireland (GI) members win ACEI Awards 2023

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Geoscience Ireland (GI) members feature again at this years  Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) Awards.

In the Civil Engineering Categories , ARUP won the Large Project Award for the North Runway at Dublin Airport , while JB Barry won the Medium Project Award for the Lee Road WWTP. Nicholas O’ Dwyer won the Sustainability Natural Environment Award for Clifden WWTP.

ARUP  also won awards for Structural Engineering (Bolands Quay) and Project Management (IDA Advanced Manufacturing Centre), while JB Barry won a Mechanical & Electrical Award for the Main Lift Pump Station at Pigeon Hse Rd.

Geoscience Ireland (GI) joins European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC)

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Founded in 1998 to promote the European Geothermal industry , EGEC , based in Brussles, supports research, shapes policy, provides market intelligence and enables collaboration between members. Over 120 members from 28 countries include developers, suppliers, national associations, geological surveys, public authorities and research agencies.

Geoscience Ireland (GI) has partnered  with EGEC in the delivery of a recently completed EU project Geo Energy Europe. GI’s main task , led by Joe Mongan, was assisting the delivery of Market Study Visits to Chile, Canada, Kenya and Costa Rica, along with  providing market intelligence and business metrics. Other participants were Pole Avenia, CAPES, Celle Drilling, Jesder, Geodeep, Cosvig and Geoplat. Geological Survey Ireland  was the project coordinator.

Geoscience Ireland (GI) is now pleased to join EGEC as a member. Geothermal energy remains largely underdeveloped  but governments and policy makers are increasingly recognising and encouraging its potential. EGEC continues to play a pivotal  role in promoting and developing this source of renewable energy and GI is delighted to support these objectives.

Geoscience Ireland (GI) at PDAC 2023

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Geoscience Ireland (GI) was pleased to attend PDAC 2023 in Toronto from 6th to 8th March, sharing space in the Ireland Pavilion with the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geoscience (iCRAG) and Enterprise Ireland. GI also contributed to the EU Pavilion. PDAC, the world’s largest gathering of minerals professionals, reported that almost 24,000 delegates  and 1,100 exhibitors attended the Convention, marking a return to pre pandemic levels.

GI members exhibiting at PDAC 2023 included Aurum Exploration, Priority Drilling, SLR Consulting, Golder-WSP and Mincon plc. Mineral development companies with Irish links attending were Conroy, Minco, Ormonde Mining , Group 11 and Equity Exploration. Geological Survey Ireland and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland shared an Ireland Booth, accompanied with NI’s Department for the Economy and Ireland’s Geoscience Policy Division, marking a welcome return to an all-Ireland appraoch.

UN Procurement Seminar

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Geoscience  Ireland (GI) attended a two day Seminar at UN City in Copenhagen on 7 and 8 March. The event was coordinated by Enterprise Ireland. Netherlands Enterprise Agency and UK Government and involved over 100 companies (20 from Ireland) in learning how nine main UN agencies procure goods and services across a wide range of sectors. Minister Dara Callery TD was the keynote speaker along with the UK and Netherlands Ambassadors to Denmark, Emma Hopkins OBE and Nienke Trooster. Ireland’ s Ambassador Elizabeth McCullough kindly hosted a reception for delegates on the evening of 6th March.

The UN spent c $30Bn in 2021 on procurement, providing transport and logistics for Peace Keeping, Food and Children’s Aid and responding to climate and natural disaster emergencies. Examples include UNOPS, which  spends $2Bn per annum, of which $62M in 2021 was  for UK companies, $27M for the Netherlands and $11M for Ireland. Engineering and Construction services are procured by several other agencies apart from UNOPS ($323M)   e.g. UNHCR, UNDP (£300M)  and UNIDO. Projects are usually assessed on quality  (60-80%)  and cost. Tendering criteria were explained by a range of UN officials who also hosted over 400  one to one meetings.

GI Director Sean Finlay contributed to a Panel discussion on Getting Started with the UN, referencing  a successful project by GI member Nicholas O Dwyer Consulting Engineers for UNOPS in East Timor. Commenting on the event, he said

” UN Procurement represents really significant opportunities for GI members in water, infrastructure and energy projects, and indeed for Irish companies in IT, education, agribusiness as well. The UN Copenhagen Seminar , superbly co-managed  by Paul Maguire and the  Nordics team from Enterprise Ireland  provided an excellent guide for companies on how to win UN business.”

 

Gearoid O Riain joins Geoscience Ireland (GI) Panel of Experts

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Geoscience Ireland (GI) is pleased to announce that Gearóid Ó Riain has joined its Panel of Independent Experts. Gearóid co-founded Compass Informatics (a GI member company) in 1997 which was acquired by Tracsis PLC in 2019.

A graduate in Geography from UCD with a Masters in GIS from TCD, Gearoid also has qualifications in Project Management, International Selling, LeanSixSigma Black Belt, Prince2Agile, and is currently studying for Chartered Company Directorship. He co-founded Compass Informatics which continues to spearhead developments in location technologies and analytics, including GIS and Earth Observation. He has also been involved in other startup companies in the analytics and IT area. He remains a Strategic Director of Compass.

Gearoid is a skilled company founder, organisational leader & strategic advisor. He has provided company leadership through start up, acquisition, and Plc stages. His combination of commercial experience, business development & technical knowledge enables him to  understand multiple industries & organisation challenges.  gearoid@talavinvest.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/gearoidoriain/.

 

Strong Performance by Geoscience Ireland (GI) Members in 2022

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A Survey of Turnover and Employment of Geoscience Ireland (GI) member companies for 2022 demonstrates their continued success in creating high value, export-oriented technology-based jobs.

GI’s members enjoyed a cumulative turnover of €1.17 Bn, an increase of 13% compared to 2021, while the number employed in 2022 was 4,481, an increase of 365 new jobs, up 9% compared to 2021. 

85% of GI’s 35 members are SMEs.   65%  of them are based outside Dublin.

Commenting on the data, GI director Dermot Duff said ; 

“ In 2022, GI members continued the strong recovery started in 2021, with job gains every single day, and with an increase of 13% in turnover.

 Geoscience involves the delivery of projects in raw materials, energy, water and infrastructure and is a key element in sustainable development and in sourcing critical materials.

GI is a successful business cluster supported by Enterprise Ireland and  is an important contributor to the continued success of its members.”

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