Two Tipp Projects Recognised At IE. Digital Town Awards

363

Two Tipperary projects have been recognised for their efforts and commitment to digital innovation across two categories at this year’s .IE Digital Town Awards.

Clonmel’s Smart Skill’s for Farming Communities programme, developed to help farmers use new technologies to make their work easier, save time and money as well as improving the sustainability and profitability of their farm, was crowned the overall .IE Digital Town Award Winner and winner of the Agri-tech category, securing a total prize fund of €16,000 (€10k overall prize fund, €6k Agri-tech prize). 60% of farmers report that there are barriers to digital training and supports. This project addresses that problem by providing very practical digital training in areas such as soil fertility technology; grassland management technology; tech for time and labour saving; and farm management systems and useful Apps.

Rossmore Scratchers, a coding club in Rossmore, won the Community Digital award sponsored by the Western Development Commission. The installation of a Broadband Connection Point (BCP) was a game changer for Rossmore, enabling Rossmore Scratchers to provide a space for digital projects through STEAM* for children and adults alike. It is volunteer-led, has diverse community involvement, a clear understanding of community needs, all of which is managed on a limited budget. A great example of a community being given the digital tools, and taking it from there according to the judges.

The awards were created by .IE in 2021, as part of a broader four-year €1 million investment in the .IE Digital Town Programme encouraging the uptake and use of internet and digital technologies for businesses, citizens and communities. The awards recognise and reward digitally inspired projects run by towns and local community groups. Each year the .IE Digital Town Awards offer a prize fund of €100,000 which is split across several categories.

STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths.