Mayo Science and Technology Festival — now in its third year — has organised an innovative night of presentations, discussion, and debate on the types of technology that might be in use in 30 years time and how these will affect our lives and those of our children. Entitled Mayo 2040, the night is aimed at entrepreneurs, business people, teachers, parents, and anyone with an interest in what Mayo might be like in 30 years’ time.
Thirty years is considered by scientists as the average period of time between the advent of new and innovative technologies and their widespread uptake and use by the general population. The question is: “How will the technologies that scientists are developing today impact on our lives in 2040?”
Mayo Science and Technology Festival now wants to begin a discussion about the types of technology we may be using in 2040 and how these will affect our lives. For example, advances in medical technology have led to estimations that children born today can expect to live to the age of 100 and that their children might be able to live for much longer again. How might this affect life in Mayo? Advances in renewable energy technologies will have profound implications for Ireland. Can Mayo be to the forefront of these developments?
The event will take place in GMIT, Castlebar, on Thursday November 12, starting at 7pm.
A series of speakers will present their ideas of what the future in Mayo will look like. Highlights include Bill McDaniel, head of the innovative technology unit at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, NUI Galway, who will speak on ‘The Future of Information: The Web and You in 2040’; The National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, NUIG, which is at the cutting edge of developing the medical technologies of tomorrow; ‘what will Mayo actually look like in 2040?’ a discussion by Peter Hynes, director of services, Mayo County Council; ‘Mayo as an energy exporter’ with Ben Wrafter, business consultant; and a discussion on whether Mayo and the west of Ireland could actually become an energy exporter.
The evening will be chaired by Barbara Burns, head of GMIT. A panel discussion will take place after the presentations.
Speaking this week about the upcoming event John Magee of the Mayo Science and Technology Festival said he was very excited about the Mayo 2040 event. “This promises to be a fascinating look into the future. The pace of technological change is incredible and technologies and applications currently being developed will have a tremendous impact on our lives in the coming decades. What are the potential business opportunities that might arise in the future? Let’s start talking about these things.”
Further details on the Mayo Science and Technology Festival are available at www.mayoscience.ie
