Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander & Queen Máxima of the Netherlands visited Dogpatch Labs to learn how Ireland’s leading startup hub is providing a platform to showcase the latest smart building technologies being deployed in Ireland, and the future of retail innovation.

Dogpatch Labs is Ireland’s leading startup hub, home to over 80 startups and 400 members. Its mission is to accelerate the startup ecosystem across Ireland by providing a space to grow, share knowledge, and form connections. “True innovation comes from divergent thinking. Dogpatch Labs is an environment where people from different backgrounds are shaping the future. The King and Queen’s visit to Dogpatch Labs is a significant validation of efforts to develop a more inclusive technology ecosystem for the future”, said Patrick Walsh, Managing Director of Dogpatch Labs.

Their Majesties participated in a CoderDojo ‘Dojo’, the global movement of volunteer-led programming clubs for young people who are headquartered in Dogpatch Labs. The code that they developed has been embedded in an Internet of Things (IoT) enabled humidity and motion sensor that was created by WIA, an Irish IoT Hardware startup.

Dogpatch Labs is uniquely positioned in the iconic CHQ Building at the heart of Dublin’s Smart Docklands district. Their Majesties learned about how the area has become a test-bed to rapidly deploy, test, monitor and scale new Smart Cities and IoT technologies. Their Majesties were shown how Dogpatch Labs is enabling major European cities, Amsterdam, Dublin and Rome, to test the UEFA 2020 Stadiums technology through the CHQ Building as an indoor testbed environment. Recent deployments include 5G indoor testing, IoT sensors, heat mapping, Lidar 3D scanning and hosting numerous smart city events.

Their Majesties learned how Dogpatch Labs has partnered with Unilever to activate an interactive retail store that will showcase and pilot the most cutting-edge retail innovations, driven by startups. Their Majesties also had an opportunity to meet with a Dutch-Irish Entrepreneur, Tim Arits, the CCO & Co-Founder of InTouch, an AI solution that allows retailers to gain data and insights to better serve their customers.

Ciaran Gilsenan, Smart Cities and Retail lead with Dogpatch Labs, said, “As we evolve as a startup hub and a platform for innovation, we have chosen to focus our efforts on fostering key industries where we see high growth prospects. There is a large opportunity in the Smart Cities and IoT space. Our location in the CHQ building, in the centre of the Smart Docklands testbed, provides our startups and others globally with access to a unique building and environment in which to rapidly deploy, test, monitor and scale new Smart Cities and IoT technologies.”

The King and Queen participated in a Diversity Roundtable on Immigration & Entrepreneurship where they learned from a diverse group of leaders about how an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem can enable immigrants to both reach their full potential and accelerate innovation. This topic reflected in particular The Queen’s interest in financial inclusion, female entrepreneurship, and empowering immigrants in particular