In June 2019, the INSPIRE conference was held in Bolton St. What originally had started as a cross School endeavour was opened up to the respective engineering schools in the Tallaght and Blanchardstown campuses. The event was attended and opened by the new TU Dublin Prof. David Fitzpatrick. There were over 75 presented papers and it was attended by over 100 delegates.
In June 2018 the School of Manufacturing and Design Engineering hosted the IMC35 conference with the theme “Engineering Skills and Talent for the Future”.
The IMC is a long-established organisation representing the academics and researchers involved in the domain of advanced manufacturing research. Established in the 1980s with a remit to build community, inspire and encourage institutional participation of all third-level researchers in manufacturing research, it allows researchers, including at the early career stages, to showcase their work.
Key Speakers
Barry Kennedy
CEO Irish Manufacturing Research
The case for investing in R+D in the Manufacturing Industry.
Richard Keegan
Enterprise Ireland
The Five Rings of Lean Business Excellence
Denis Dowling
I-Form Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Research
The Impact of Additive Manufacturing on advanced manufacturing
Fergal O’Brien
Director of Policy IBEC
The importance of the manufacturing sector in Ireland’s economy of substance: trends and prospects
Shane Loughlin
SL Controls
Implementing IT in your Manufacturing Organisation.
Philip Gillic
Dromone Engineering
A Lean Journey
The 15th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education Conference was organised by the School of Manufacturing & Design Engineering in participation with the Design Education Special Interest Group (DESIG) of the Design Society and the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).
The conference brought together representatives from education, design practice, industry and government agencies that have an interest in developing new approaches and directions in design education.
The conference provided a forum for participants to discuss current educational issues and to identify new approaches, address new challenges and new directions for design education.
This was reflected in the conference theme, ‘Growing our Future”. The conference aim was intended to reflect the increasing emphasis on design education as a driver for economic growth and in particular the importance of design in addressing such issues as sustainability, creativity and innovation. This was reflected within the submissions that provided varied interpretations of the phrase ‘Growing our Future’ in line with the stated conference topics.
The conference theme was Design Education - Growing our Future and aimed to;
- Provide a broad forum for designers of all disciplines and vocations.
- Explore how design education may best promote and encourage Sustainable Growth.
- Seek innovative solutions to a better world through "best practices" in engineering design.
- Encourage innovation through industrial collaboration.
- Embed the methodology of design in our curricula.
- Discuss how design education may best be used to influence economic recovery and growth.
- Broadening and expanding the student experience through international student exchange.
- Discuss the role designers may play in influencing our economic and political futures.
These aims were addressed through the following conference topics
- Design education in practice
- Design methodology in education
- Best practice in design education
- Technology transfer through design
- Design education and industry
- Design education and business
- Creativity in design education
- International student collaboration
- Teaching design methodologies
- Research networks for design educators
- Innovation in design education curricula
- Postgraduate design education
- Technology in design education
- Design education and design cultures
- Learning spaces