TU Dublin Celebrates HEA-funded Convene Project
TU Dublin is celebrating five transformative years of the HEA-funded Convene Project, which has reshaped university-enterprise collaboration in Ireland. Led by TU Dublin, in partnership with the UCD Innovation Academy, Convene pioneered and brokered unprecedented cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral partnerships.
The Enterprise Academy was central to realising Convene's vision at TU Dublin, a dedicated unit brokering cross-disciplinary partnerships for accredited talent development between enterprise, faculties, and professional services. With the HEA-funded term of Convene coming to an end, the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy’s core functions and learnings will be restructured and mainstreamed within TU Dublin to ensure continuity and long-term impact.
Partnerships: A Pillar of TU Dublin’s Mission
At TU Dublin, partnerships with enterprise and industry are central to our mission. Over the past five years, Convene has exemplified this commitment, enabling deep collaboration across sectors and disciplines to address emerging skills needs and foster innovation. We have incorporated emerging technological, educational and entrepreneurial innovations into our programmes for learners at all stages of the talent development pipeline, from undergraduates to workforce learners.
These efforts have resulted in:
- New accredited programmes in priority areas such as AI, sustainability, and sports technology.
- Co-designed learning experiences with industry leaders. including Intel Ireland, BT Sourced, SGS, Screen Ireland and several Skillnet Networks.
- Challenge-based learning models that brought enterprise into the classroom and students into real-world problem-solving environments.
- Award-winning innovations in teaching, delivery, and learner engagement.
Examples of Successful Collaborations
In conjunction with our five Faculties, the Enterprise Academy has delivered a wide range of impactful programmes in collaboration with industry, government, and sectoral bodies.
Some highlights include:
- Postgraduate Diploma and MSc in Sports Analytics, Technology & Innovation with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet and the SportsTech Ireland industry cluster.
- Customised programme in 3D Modelling and Design and Applied Interactive 3D Games Technologies for Intel.
- Certificate in Creating Successful Products with Workday, IDA Ireland and Digital Skillnet
- Certificate in Applied Procurement Management for BT Sourced.
- Multi-annual Certificate in Leadership for Version 1.
- Multi-annual Certificate in Strategic Talent Development Planning in conjunction with Skillnet Ireland and the IDA.
- Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Device Regulation with SGS.
- Certificate in Food Entrepreneurship with SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Office.
- Certificate in Career Development (Women ReBOOT) for Women returning to work with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet.
- MSc in Sustainable Cloud Computing with Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet
- Offshore Wind Energy Micro-credential with Skillnet Offshore Wind Academy.
- Programme development under the EirGrid MOU, embedded within the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment.
- A suite of programmes and pathways into and through the screen industry in collaboration with Screen Ireland and TU Dublin’s School of Media including the BA in Screen Industry Practice, Certificate in Portfolio Preparation for the Screen Industry and Passport to Production.
- Multi-annual accredited upskilling programmes for Leaving Certificate Computer Science teachers for the Department of Education.
- Convene has awarded 20 Fellowships at TU Dublin resulting in the development of a range of offerings including stackable Postgraduate Programmes in Brewing and Distilling and Inclusive third level Education for people with an intellectual disability.
- Incorporation of challenge-based pedagogy across TU Dublin and UCD brings together enterprise and students from different disciplines to work on live challenges.
These collaborations reflect the Enterprise Academy’s and TU Dublin’s long-term commitment to co-creating agile, industry-relevant learning pathways that respond to real-world needs.
Mainstreaming Innovation for the Future
As the HEA Human Capital Initiative funding cycle concludes, TU Dublin is committed to embedding the project’s successful approaches into institutional structures. This includes:
- Continuing to support its existing enterprise-responsive programmes.
- Sustaining cross-disciplinary collaboration across faculties and professional services.
- Leveraging the legacy of the Enterprise Academy, including the mainstreaming of the research, systems and processes it piloted, to strengthen TU Dublin’s enterprise engagement ecosystem.
We extend our thanks to our Convene partners at UCD Innovation Academy, our TU Dublin and enterprise collaborators, and learners for their invaluable engagement and support throughout the Convene initiative. Your commitment to co-creating innovative, responsive, and future-focused educational solutions has been instrumental in shaping a new model of university-enterprise collaboration.
We are especially grateful to the Higher Education Authority and the Human Capital Initiative team for their vision and support, and we acknowledge the guidance and encouragement of Dr. Vivienne Patterson, Dr. Kieran McNally, and Sorcha Carthy, whose contributions helped bring Convene to life and drive its impact across the ecosystem.