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

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

Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the overall best digital transformation to HSE team
Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the overall best digital transformation to HSE team

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.

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
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

Awards winners

Overall best digital transformation

Winner: HSE Health App

Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the overall best digital transformation to HSE team
Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the overall best digital transformation to HSE team

Best digital transformation – public sector

Winner: University of Limerick – Information Technology Division

Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - public sector to Mark Twomey and Treasa Cunneen, University of Limerick
Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - public sector to Mark Twomey and Treasa Cunneen, University of Limerick

Best digital transformation – financial & professional services

Winner: Quantmatix – Smarter Investing, Stronger Returns

Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - financial & professional services to Joe Shine, Quantmatix
Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - financial & professional services to Joe Shine, Quantmatix

Best digital transformation – healthcare & life sciences

Winner: Maynooth University – Open-Source Electronic Health Record

Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - healthcare & life sciences to Maxine Radcliffe, Maynooth University
Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - healthcare & life sciences to Maxine Radcliffe, Maynooth University

Best digital transformation – construction & facilities management

Winner: Qualitas Property Partners

Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - construction & facilities management to Catalina Farcasanu, Qualitas Property Partners
Maria Svejdar, award judging coordinator, presents the best digital transformation - construction & facilities management to Catalina Farcasanu, Qualitas Property Partners

Best digital transformation implementation collaboration

Winner: HSE Health App

Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best digital transformation implementation collaboration to the HSE team
Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best digital transformation implementation collaboration to the HSE team

Best use of AI award

Winner: Salesforce – Revolutionising Partner Support with AI

Pierangelo Rosati,  awards judge, presents the best use of AI award to Jessica Minghinelli and Mayron Rosa, Salesforce
Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best use of AI award to Jessica Minghinelli and Mayron Rosa, Salesforce

Best operational impact award

Winner: Kinore – Better Onboarding

Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best operational impact award to Richard Williams, Kinore
Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best operational impact award to Richard Williams, Kinore

Best people & culture impact award

Winner: Sandvik AB Group & EY – Transforming Together

Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best people & culture impact award to Paul Fox and Colin Reilly, Sandvik AB Group and EY
Pierangelo Rosati, awards judge, presents the best people & culture impact award to Paul Fox and Colin Reilly, Sandvik AB Group and EY

Best customer experience impact

Winner: Storm Technology – Windsor Modernising Vehicle Appraisal

Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the best customer experience impact to Karl Flannery and Brian Quinn, Storm Technology
Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the best customer experience impact to Karl Flannery and Brian Quinn, Storm Technology

AI innovation of the year award

Winner: Irish Life – CARA (Claims AI Reasoning Assistant)

Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the AI innovation of the year award to Martin Donovan, Irish Life
Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the AI innovation of the year award to Martin Donovan, Irish Life

Most innovative transformation

Winner: An Cosán – Digital Stepping Stones and Get Yourself Online

Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the most innovative transformation to Heydi Foster, An Cosán
Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the most innovative transformation to Heydi Foster, An Cosán

Digital transformation & AI leader

Recipient: John Clancy

Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the digital transformation & AI leader to John Clancy, Galvia
Cliona McParland, awards judge, presents the digital transformation & AI leader to John Clancy, Galvia