The Next Innovation

In this episode of The Next Innovation, host Jennifer Strong takes us behind the scenes of the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. In the lead-up to the sporting event, Enterprise Ireland hosts a series of gatherings that bring together Irish tech and business leaders, US economic development officials, and university representatives from the participating teams' colleges. Anna-Marie Turley, Head of FinTech at Enterprise Ireland, shares how this year's events enable fintech entrepreneurs to connect with other business leaders. Martin Murray, CEO of Furthr, shares how young companies can network and learn from industry leaders. And for Colm McGarvery, co-founder of medtech startup Selio, these business events help smaller startups gain insight and connections from university leaders. The episode also features Brian O'Shaughnessey, Chief Commercial Officer of Uniphar, an international healthcare service business. O'Shaughnessey shared that AI was a pivotal topic during the events, how the technology is changing the medtech landscape, and how Ireland is a key player in the company's growth in North Carolina.

Since this year's football classic was played by the University of North Carolina and Texas Christian University, several university representatives traveled to Dublin to support and expand international efforts. Barbara Stephenson, former U.S. Ambassador and Vice Provost for Global Affairs of UNC, and Jason Salfran, Chief Investment Officer of TCU, discuss how collaboration with Irish leaders helps American universities with research and development efforts. Robert Allen, CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, explains how the Aer Lingus Classic offers a platform for state representatives to speak with Irish leaders whose businesses are shaping state economies and to explore future opportunities.

Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Executive Producer is Christine Baratta, Senior Producer is Sharon Beriro.

In this episode of The Next Innovation, host Jennifer Strong previews the Aer Lingus Football Classic, an annual NCAA "Week Zero" American college football game hosted in Dublin, Ireland. This year, the game will take place in late August and the participating teams will be the Texas Christian University’s TCU Horned Frogs and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's Tar Heels. As a preview to the festivities, Jennifer speaks with various leaders to better understand how this game is a cultural and economic symbol of the Ireland-U.S. partnership, revealing how the game is more than just an international sporting event.

Padraic O'Kane, co-founder of Ireland College Football Classic, plays a pivotal role in the annual event. He breaks down the process in the lead-up to the game and the significance of Martin Naughton, esteemed Irish businessman, in shaping the event's legacy. Christopher Chung, CEO of North Carolina's Economic Development Partnership, and Adriana Cruz, Executive Director of the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office, share how the game is representative of the growing business relationship between Ireland and the U.S., offering insight into how Irish companies are growing on U.S. soil. Tommy Sowers, Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development at the University of North Carolina, shares how technological innovation is such a fundamental element of the university's success, and Mark Boeck, Senior Executive Director of Corporate Engagement at Iowa State University - a participating school at last year's event - shares what the energy and spirit was like during the game in Dublin.

Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Executive producer, Christine Baratta. Senior producer, Sharon Beriro.

In this episode of The Next Innovation, host Jennifer Strong breaks down how quantum computing and its latest developments could shape the future of technology. She speaks with Nobel Laureate John Martinis to better understand quantum mechanics, a key pillar of the technology, and Jason Lynch, CEO of Equal1, to examine how its latest spin qubit computer, the Bell-1, is helping companies explore how quantum could improve efficiency and provide smarter decision-making. Gabriele Meoni, Innovation Officer of the European Space Agency, shares how quantum computers could provide better data analytics for Earth mapping and his experience of working with Equal1's quantum computer. Plus, Isabella Ward, staff writer at Wired, shares what the latest trend of quantum computing says about technology after AI.

Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Executive producer, Christine Baratta. Senior producer, Sharon Beriro.

In this episode of The Next Innovation, host Jennifer Strong examines how data centers power technologies, including AI. She speaks to Niall McFadden, CEO of CEL Critical Power, an Irish mission critical power supplier who recently debuted a manufacturing facility in Northern Virginia. They're helping power new and developing data centers in the region, nicknamed "data center alley." In partnership with the Department of Defense through the SkillBridge Program, current and transitioning service members are ensuring CEL's capabilities are growing and reliable. Tommy Pan Fang, economist of Rice University, and Laila Kearney, US power correspondent at Reuters, break down what makes Northern Virginia such fertile ground for data centers. Jennifer also speaks with Igor Bargatin, associate professor and leading researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, about how orbital data centers could soon be an alternative to terrestrial data centers and what that could mean for tech companies and the future of AI.

Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Executive Producer is Christine Baratta, Senior Producer is Sharon Beriro.

In this episode of The Next Innovation, host Jennifer Strong gives us an inside look at how AI is transforming the insurance industry. As part of the annual InsTech Transformation Summit in Dublin, Ireland, leading insurance and tech startups convened to explore how AI, data, and operating model changes are reshaping the key pillars of the industry, such as underwriting, claims, service, and growth. Jennifer sat down with three company leaders to better understand what's driving these fundamental changes. She spoke with Aidan O'Neill, founder and CEO of DOCOsoft, a core claims management system, Aidan Brogan, Chief Commercial Officer of CodeEast, a software company driving better data analytics, and Niall Crowley, CEO of Inaza, a software company providing the operating AI layer for insurance companies. Each share how their company can help insurance companies provide faster, more reliable claims and, in turn, provide more accurate pricing and protective measures.

Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Executive Producer is Christine Baratta. Senior Producer is Sharon Beriro.