HSE Health App wins top digital transformation award as Ireland showcases AI innovation

The HSE Health App has claimed the overall best digital transformation at the Digital Transformation & AI Awards 2025, while John Clancy, founder of Galvia AI, was honoured as digital transformation and AI leader of the year.

The ceremony, hosted by Colm O’Regan at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire on June 19th, celebrated innovation across 42 entries from 31 companies, with 132 attendees witnessing the presentation of 13 trophies in the event’s second year.

The HSE Health App, developed by Microsoft and launched in February 2025, empowers patients by providing comprehensive access to health information through a user-friendly digital platform. The initial release enables users to maintain a digital medication list, store health cards including the European Health Insurance Card and GP Visit Card, access flu and Covid-19 vaccination records, and locate emergency departments and injury units.

Planned upgrades throughout 2025 will expand functionality to include public hospital and screening appointment access, referral and waiting time information, and personalised self-care guidance.

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The distinguished judging panel praised the app’s transformative impact: “This groundbreaking app puts trusted health services directly in the hands of citizens. It represents a major leap forward in how the public engages with healthcare in Ireland. User-focused, secure, and scalable, the app is a standout example of digital innovation in the public sector. This award recognises its impact in transforming healthcare delivery through smart, accessible technology.”

John Clancy, who received the digital transformation and AI leader award, has established himself as a pioneering force in AI innovation across Ireland and the UK. As founder and chief executive of Galvia AI in Galway, he has delivered scalable solutions for global clients including Nestlé, Medtronic and NTT DATA, while serving on the Irish Government’s Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum to shape national AI policy.

The award citation highlighted his role as “a passionate mentor and advocate for ethical AI, supporting start-ups and public institutions in embracing transformative technologies. His work champions accessible, inclusive innovation, driving meaningful change across sectors through the power of artificial intelligence.”

Microsoft-developed health platform and Galway AI leader John Clancy recognised at second annual awards ceremony

Commenting on his recognition, Clancy said: “Awards like this drive progress in the community because it’s recognition of what you’re doing at a global scale to deliver impact for your customers. It means the world to us to be recognised in a new, fast-moving space.”

Reflecting on Ireland’s position in the global AI landscape, the serial entrepreneur emphasised the country’s potential: “As we saw the talent on the night, Ireland has a real opportunity to lead in AI, but our Government needs to match ambition with action. AI is no longer just for the big tech companies. It’s a tool that every organisation can now use to solve real problems, create meaningful value and unlock their full potential.”

Among the other award winners, Maxine Radcliffe, lead researcher on the open-source electronic health record programme at Maynooth University, said the college was thrilled to win an award and delighted to be recognised for what had been a huge collaborative effort.

Joe Shine, chief operating officer at Quantmatix, explained that his firm’s award will be an excellent marketing tool for the company. “This award is a credit to our team and a meaningful validation of our work. It reflects the broader shift in investment management, where AI, machine learning and human insights combine to deliver smarter, more resilient investment returns.

“We need to be visible and attract clients, and we need to be able to show how well we’ve done. Winning this award gives us credibility with international clients that shows how good our AI is,” he said.

Richard Williams, head of digital transformation, described Kinore’s award in the operational impact category as “really good validation of the effort that we put into our application landscape, our tooling, and our analytics platforms. It’s great to be recognised by our peers.”

Mark Twomey, cloud architect in the information technology division at University of Limerick, said the college’s award was recognition for himself and his colleagues for their endeavours in transforming digital practices at the university. He described this recognition as “amazing”.

An Cosán won the award in the innovative transformation category for two of its programmes. “We are promoting that digital inclusion is a basic human right, so it’s a very good way for us to promote that,” said chief executive Heydi Foster.

Winners of the 2025 Digital Transformation Awards

Brian Gorimani, D365 and PowerApps practice team lead, commented that Storm Technology’s award in the customer experience impact category will increase exposure of products and services the company offers.

The Transforming Together programme implemented at Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions with assistance from EY was the award winner in the people and culture category. Sandvik seamless flow program director Paul A Fox commented: “By blending the old with the new, truly living our core values and actively promoting our safety first culture, we have put people at the centre of our digital transformation. It’s great to get this recognition.”

Catalina Farcasanu, group operations manager at Qualitas Property Partners, noted that the awards event facilitated socialising with potential clients and customers. She described it as “a great event for networking”.

Judging coordinator Maria Svejdar described the calibre of awards entries as “exceptional”, reflecting the breadth of innovation and ambition across Ireland’s digital landscape. “What stood out was the clear shift from experimentation to execution,” she added. “AI is no longer a concept but a working part of many organisations’ core operations, signalling the maturing use of AI in Ireland.”

Svejdar explained that the shortlisted projects demonstrated not only technical excellence but also a strong focus on impact, inclusion, and collaboration. “From predictive analytics and intelligent automation to ethical AI and data-driven transformation, these initiatives show how Irish businesses and public bodies are leading the way in real, results-driven innovation,” she said.

“Congratulations to all who entered, and to Business River for providing a valuable platform that celebrates progress and champions the people behind it. Now in its second year, the awards have already established themselves as a benchmark for excellence and will undoubtedly go from strength to strength in the years ahead.”

Awards judges

Maria Svejdar (judging coordinator), head of retail, GS1 Ireland
Noel Carroll, associate professor in business information systems, University of Galway
Warren Kavanagh, chief executive, Aweb Digital
Brendan Keegan, assistant professor in marketing, Maynooth University
Cliona McParland, assistant professor, Dublin City University Business School
Denis O’Brien, director of standards and solutions, GS1 Ireland
Dr Peter Robbins, associate professor, DCU
Pierangelo Rosati, associate professor in digital business and society, University of Galway
Peter Rose, group technical director/founder, TEKenable Ltd
Antonio Vieira Santos, senior business intelligence and innovation evangelist, Atos
Declan Sheehan, chief information officer, National Transport Authority
Mike Yan, chief execuiveand co-founder, Manychat