Smart Docklands announces four winners of €50,000 Call for Pilots

Smart Docklands has announced the winners of its second Call for Pilots, who will each receive €12,500 for their project. Four projects spanning radar-based biodiversity monitoring, augmented reality heritage trails, inclusive wayfinding for neurodiverse visitors and tangible tools for community participation in urban planning have been selected out of 53 applications. The four pilot winners are: WingSense, Trinity College Dublin – Biodiversity/Urban Greening: Low-power mmWave radar sensors detect insect and pollinator activity continuously, day or night and in all weather conditions, without capturing images or audio. Machine learning transforms this data into actionable, privacy-safe biodiversity insights for cities. ScannAR, Solasine – Digital Tools/Tech Access: A web-based AR experience delivered via QR codes — no app needed. Scanning unlocks 3D experiences with audio narration and local storytelling, fully accessible to blind, visually impaired, deaf, and hard-of-hearing users. ARROW, The Convention Centre Dublin – Accessibility/Inclusive Design: An inclusive wayfinding layer co-designed with neurodiverse users, combining 'what to expect' guides, typical and real time sensory environment indicators into one coherent, place-based service. Raytown Roundtable, Codema – Dublin’s Energy Agency – Accessibility/Inclusive Design & Digital Tools/Tech Access: A touch-based interactive table piloted at the Raytown Energy Dock in Ringsend/Irishtown, giving residents a hands-on way to explore their neighbourhood and shape local decisions — no digital skills needed. Smart Docklands is a collaboration between academia, industry and local government in Dublin to advocate for and pilot community centred technology innovations. The programme that supports the adoption of new and emerging technologies in cities is delivered in partnership between Dublin City Council and the CONNECT Research Ireland Centre for Future Networks headquartered at Trinity College Dublin. "Dublin's Docklands area has long been a hub of innovation and creativity, placing the city in a strong position to enhance public services through technology-enabled solutions," said Cllr Ray McAdam, the Lord Mayor of Dublin. "The Smart Docklands Pilot Programme helps to ensure that innovation is community-led, focused on real needs, and delivering measurable impact. "The four selected pilot projects demonstrate Dublin's ambitions to be more inclusive and forward-thinking, and will make our city work better for everyone. I'm proud to see it happening right here in the Docklands." Nicola Graham, Smart Cities programme manager for Dublin City Council, said: “Pilots like these are how we deliver meaningful change within the council. "They let us trial new approaches in real-world settings, learn fast, and build the evidence needed to scale what works. The strong number of applications this year reflects a clear commitment to developing solutions to the challenges identified by the Docklands community.” Professor Dan Kilper, director of the CONNECT Centre at Trinity College Dublin, added: “These pilots are not just proof-of-concept experiments — they are live research environments that generate insights no laboratory can replicate. "Bridging that gap between academic innovation and lived experience is precisely what the CONNECT Centre exists to do, and Smart Docklands gives us the ideal platform to make it happen.” (l-r) Dr Maryam Norouzi, Principal Investigator, WingSense, Trinity College Dublin; Professor Dan Kilper, Director of the CONNECT Research Ireland Centre; Nicola Graham, Smart City Programme Manager, Dublin City Council; Dr Karolina Anielska, Programme Manager, Smart Docklands. Dr Karolina Anielska, Smart Docklands programme manager, said: “I am incredibly proud of what this second round represents. When we launched the first Call for Pilots, we set out to put the community at the heart of smart city innovation — and the response has been overwhelming. "To see that grow into 53 applications and four outstanding winners spanning biodiversity, accessibility, and digital inclusion is a moment to truly celebrate. This is exactly what Smart Docklands was built to do.” Photo: (l-r) Dr Karolina Anielska, Programme Manager, Smart Docklands; Nicola Graham, Smart City Programme Manager, Dublin City Council; Conan Wynne, Creative Director, Solasine. (Pic: Supplied)

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