The Connected Health & Wellbeing Cluster officially launched its South Chapter yesterday at the South East Technological University Arena in Waterford, bringing together representatives from academia, industry, healthcare and the wider innovation ecosystem.

The event explored a central challenge for the sector: how connected health, digital care and engineering-driven solutions can move from innovation into real-world application. Following an overview of the national Connected Health & Wellbeing Cluster delivered by Breanndán Casey, Education & Outreach Manager CHW Cluster DkIT, the theme was brought to life through a panel discussion chaired by Clare Harney, Principal Advisor at Santegic, who guided a practical and forward-looking conversation on collaboration, translation and impact.

Panel contributors included Thomas Coleman, CEO of Zendra Health, Dr Tanya Mulcahy, Director at Health Innovation Hub Ireland, and Dr Niall O’Reilly, Manager of Pharma and Molecular Biotechnology Research at South East Technological University. Each speaker shared perspectives from across industry, innovation and research, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges involved in embedding connected health solutions within health systems.

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the importance of regional collaboration. Speakers emphasised the role that regional clusters can play in connecting research, enterprise and healthcare delivery, while creating clear pathways for innovation to be tested, validated and scaled in real-world settings.

The event also included an interactive workshop led by Larry Breen, CEO Santegic,  which invited participants to shape the vision and priorities for the South Chapter, ensuring the cluster is informed by regional needs and strengths from the outset.

The launch event also demonstrated strong momentum for connected health across the South East, with a shared ambition to align regional strengths with national connected health priorities. Attendees engaged in open discussion around future focus areas for the South Chapter, including knowledge sharing, cross-sector working groups and sustained engagement between stakeholders.

The Connected Health & Wellbeing Cluster – South Chapter aims to provide a platform for ongoing collaboration, shared learning and practical action that supports the adoption of connected health solutions and delivers measurable impact for health systems and communities.

To learn more about the Connected Health & Wellbeing Cluster or to get involved in future events and activities, visit Membership – Connected Health and Wellbeing