Some of the west’s most advanced and successful industries – including a number which are working at the frontiers of modern medicine – are taking part in a major exhibition this week.
The industries aim to increase the uptake of science, engineering, and mathematics among first and second level students, and they will be taking part in the Galway Science and Technology Festival Annual Exhibition which will be staged in Leisureland and the Galway Bay Hotel on Sunday. Tickets have already been issued to 20,000 youngsters in schools throughout Galway.
The exhibition will include some 60 stands and exhibits, while the Armagh Planetarium Stardome, a portable planetarium, will also be present.
The idea behind the Science and Technology Festival is to increase the number of youngsters studying science, engineering, and maths to ensure Ireland can hold its place among the world leaders in high-tech industry and research.
Festival committee chairperson Tom Hyland says: “Our goal is to inform, entertain and encourage tomorrow’s scientists and engineers in their choice of career path and by so doing, ensure the success of the region and the country for years to come.”
The festival’s major industrial sponsor is Medtronic which employs more than 2,000 in Galway, developing and building products primarily to treat diseases of the heart. Worldwide, Medtronic employs almost 40,000 people working in areas of heart disease, diabetes, spinal problems, and Parkinsons disease.
Medtronic and Boston Scientific will be among those at the exhibition, in addition to Beckman Coulter; SAP; NUI, Galway; Galway Mayo Technological Institute; and the Marine Institute.
SAP is the sponsor of another major event in the festival – the first Lego League, the final of which takes place in the Galway Bay Hotel on Saturday at 10am. Twenty school teams are taking part in the Lego League, which is a test of students’ programming and computer skills, teamwork, and their knowledge of global warming.
