South West Tech Excellence & Innovation Celebrated at Leaders Awards

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, was alive with energy and celebration on Friday 28 November as the winners of the prestigious 2025 Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards were revealed. The event honoured exceptional achievements across the tech sector in Ireland’s South West region, highlighting the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders driving growth and technological advancement.

This year’s winners showcased the strength and dynamism of the regional tech community, spanning pioneering start-ups through to established global enterprises. The ceremony brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and academic figures to celebrate the accomplishments of this vibrant and fast-evolving sector.

Speaking at the event, Matthew Camilleri, Chairperson of Tech Industry Alliance, said: “Tonight, we recognise the vision, ambition, and excellence that continue to propel the tech sector in the South West. With the introduction of the AI Award and the Best Small Indigenous Irish Company Award, we are spotlighting two areas that will shape the future of our economy and our communities.”

The Tech Person of the Year award was presented to Paul Kelleher, Vice President of Engineering at QT Technologies Ireland Limited (Qualcomm Ireland). With over 30 years’ experience in the electronics industry, Paul joined Qualcomm in 2015 as the first Global SoC Engineer at its Cork site and has since played a central role in building and leading an engineering team that has grown to more than 750 specialists, contributing to the company’s global SoC portfolio. He will assume the role of Vice President at AmCham Ireland in January 2026 and is actively involved in the Cork Docklands development initiative, reflecting his commitment to regional growth and innovation.

2025 Tech Industry Alliance Leaders Awards Winners:

Tech Person of the Year Award: Paul Kelleher
Chairperson Award: Enterprise Ireland & IDA Ireland
Multinational of the Year Award: Carbery Group
AI Award: Cloudera
Best Learning Workplace Award: Dairymaster
Tech Scale-Up of the Year Award: ViClarity
Smart Technology Innovation Award: Wiz Digital
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award: STEM Passport for Inclusion
Tech Start-Up of the Year Award:Roamr
Excellence in Education Award: Firies National School
Small Indigenous Company of the Year Award: IQUTECH

The Tech Industry Alliance extends its sincere thanks to all sponsors, partners, and attendees who contributed to making this year’s awards a resounding success. Special appreciation goes to the judging panels and to everyone who joined in celebrating the achievements of the regional tech community.

Tech Person of the Year Award: Paul Kelleher

Award Sponsor: PepsiCo Ireland

Chairperson Award: Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland

Multinational Company of the Year Award: Carbery Group

Award Sponsor: Barden

Carbery Group
Carbery Group is an international leader in food, flavour, and nutritional ingredients, owned by four Irish dairy co-operatives. With operations in over 50 countries, Carbery combines innovation and sustainability to deliver global impact.

AI Award: Cloudera

Award Sponsor: Quest

Cloudera
Cloudera is the only data and AI platform that brings AI to data anywhere: across clouds, data centres, and the edge. Powering insight for the world’s largest organisations, Cloudera fuels innovation, security, and operational excellence at scale.

Best Learning Workplace Award: Dairymaster

Award Sponsor: Tech Industry Alliance Skillnet

Dairymaster
Dairymaster is a world leader in dairy equipment innovation, combining research and collaboration to deliver cutting-edge technologies that transform dairy farming worldwide.

Scale Up of the Year Award: ViClarity

Award Sponsor: KPMG Ireland

ViClarity
ViClarity is a global RegTech leader helping organisations automate risk, compliance, and audit processes. With clients in 15+ countries, ViClarity delivers real-time insights that power stronger governance and efficiency.

Smart Technology Innovation Award: Wiz Digital

Award Sponsor: Cork Smart Gateway, Cork City Council, Cork County Council

Wiz Digital
Wiz Digital Services is an Irish-owned technology firm making data, cloud, and AI work for ambitious businesses. Backed by global partners like IBM, Wiz delivers modern, secure, and scalable solutions that drive measurable results.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award: STEM Passport for Inclusion

Award Sponsor: Deloitte

STEM Passport for Inclusion
This initiative led by Professor Katriona O’Sullivan at Maynooth University, empowers girls to pursue STEM education and careers. Supported by Research Ireland, the Department of Education, Microsoft, Munster Technological University, the RDI Hub, and Fexco, it combines a Level 6 qualification with mentoring and industry experience.

Tech Start Up of the Year Award: Roamr

Award Sponsor: Enterprise Ireland

Roamr
Roamr reimagines corporate travel by rewarding employees who stay with friends. Saving companies 30% on accommodation costs, Roamr’s platform combines savings, sustainability, and community in one seamless solution.

Excellence in Education Award: Firies National School

Award Sponsor: Trend Micro

Firies National School
Firies National School embraces modern teaching methods and technology-led learning to build confidence, curiosity, and collaboration among students preparing them for a rapidly changing world.

Small Indigenous Company of the Year: IQUTECH

IQUTECH

IQUTECH leads Ireland’s returns management sector, helping businesses adopt circular models through repair, refurbishment, and remanufacturing, extending product lifecycles while reducing waste.

Event Sponsors: