Current Partners

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  Abbott

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with Abbott for Science Week 2009. Abbott employees in Ireland regularly share their experiences in science and engineering by welcoming students into plants and visiting local schools for interactive presentations. During Science Week 2009, Abbott will launch two new programmes across four locations in Ireland. Abbott Family Science brings children, parents, teachers and scientists together for an exciting, hands-on experience focused on basic science skills and building confidence as science learners. In Abbott Operation Discovery, secondary students engage with Abbott scientists in hands-on activities that introduce students to tools and procedures that Abbott employees use everyday in their work.
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  Camara

  Camara is an Irish Charity, which refurbishes used computers in Ireland, and equips schools in Africa with computer labs, open source software and IT training. In 2008, Camara hosted transition year tours in its workshop in the Digital Hub, Thomas St Dublin.
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  CPL

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with CPL again for Science Week 2009. CPL Science and Engineering provides staffing solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, clinical trials and food sector www.cpl.ie . CPL is proud to be involved in promoting science awareness through its involvement with The Alchemist Café Dublin. The café provides a forum for discussion of important scientific issues that is more informal than a public lecture - www.alchemistcafedublin.com
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  Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

  The work of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Laboratories underpins the safety of food products produced in Ireland and the health status of animals and plants in the country. The large scope of testing procedures used at the laboratories, which range from routine culture for bacteria and viruses through molecular techniques to sophisticated chemical analyses, emphasises the broad range of scientific principles used daily at the laboratories. There are over 350 staff, of various scientific backgrounds, located at the new “central” facility at Backweston, Co Kildare and eight other sites throughout the country. Discussions with students will cover how the laboratories use science in practical ways on a daily basis and will emphasise the value of studying science based subjects
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  Hewlett Packard

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with Hewlett Packard for Science Week 2009. In Science Week 2008, HP supplied 2 laptops and 1 digital camera for the Science Snaps competition, as well as printing the final photos entered and acting as judges on the panel. HP is also involved in the ICT steps program where engineers go out to schools to promote science & engineering - www.steps.ie
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  IBM

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with IBM for Science Week. Since 2005 IBM employees have hosted TryScience workshops with local primary school students and teachers, using hands-on science and technology experiments which are accessible and fun. These materials, which are accessible through www.tryscience.org , are available for employees and teachers to use with any school throughout the year.
  
  
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  Intel

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with Intel for Science Week. In 2008, Intel Ireland held Transition Year Tours which included a brief introduction to Intel, a hands-on robotics activity, a Q & A session (with prizes) and a window tour of the fabrication facilities. Also included was a session entitled ‘People at Intel’ which gave students an insight into the type of people that work on site and the jobs and roles students could possibly play in Intel in the future.
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  MacLachlan and Donaldson

  Discover Science and Engineering are delighted to partner with MacLachlan and Donaldson for Science Week. MacLachlan and Donaldson is a firm of European Patent Attorneys and Trade Mark Attorneys who offer a range of services relating to protecting clients’ intellectual property by patents, Designs, Trademarks and Copyright. All patent attorneys have a background in Science or Engineering as well as qualifying in patent law. MacLachlan and Donaldson wishes to encourage enquiring minds so as to promote creativity and innovation. For this year's Science Week, MacLachlan and Donaldson will run a workshop entitled “Kitchen Chemistry comes to the classroom”. This will be run in a local school in Kildare.
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  Merck

  In 2008, Merck Sharp & Dohme (Ireland) Ltd facilitated tours of their bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Tipperary during Science Week. These were targeted at Senior Second Level Students studying Chemistry or who wished to pursue a career in engineering/chemistry related fields. The tours were free but pre book necessary and open to schools in the locality.
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  Microsoft

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with Microsoft Ireland for Science Week. Microsoft Ireland has a broad number of programmes underway to raise awareness among students of the benefits of technology for work, play and study. During Science Week 2009, Microsoft Ireland will host another DigiYouthZ day-camp at their European Development Centre in Dublin. This programme is designed to address outdated stereotypes and show Irish students the incredible variety of career opportunities available. DigiYouthZ gives students a full day of interactive fun and hands-on experience of the very latest technology from computer gaming to online services and movie production. They have the opportunity to use these technologies and also hear from people working in a wide variety of roles at Microsoft.
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  Sustainable Energy Ireland

  Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) is delighted to partner with Discover Science & Engineering for Science Week. SEI, Ireland’s national energy agency, supports and assists the development of sustainable energy in Ireland. SEI’s schools programme for primary and secondary level pupils aims to educate students and young people who are the energy end users and decision makers of the future. By teaching them about the benefits of sustainable energy and the importance of their individual actions, the students can develop energy efficient habits for life, and can also influence how energy is used in the home. SEI ran energy challenge workshops for primary students in Dublin, Sligo and limerick during Science Week in 2008. These workshops included science experiments on the topic of energy and an energy challenge game, as well as an interactive talk on climate change. For further information visit www.sei.ie/schools
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  Teagasc

  Teagasc supports Discover Science and Engineering’s goal of “promoting the relevance of science, engineering and technology in our everyday lives and to demonstrate just how important it is to the future development of Irish society and the economy” by holding a number of events at centres around the country. Teagasc research centres at Ashtown, Athenry, Grange and Moorepark and Kildalton College will hold open days for local schools, with attendance of hundreds of students. Teagasc Oak Park Crops Research Centre will host BSc students from Carlow IT. Researchers from Ashtown will also give a public lecture at a local library. The theme of this year’s annual Walsh Fellowships seminar (November 11 at the RDS) is the scheme’s contribution to innovation in the agri-food sector. This reflects Teagasc’s mission of supporting “…science-based innovation in the agri-food sector”. It provides a unique opportunity for the fellows, Teagasc, and third level partners to showcase the knowledge outputs and potential impacts of the scheme within this nationally important sector. The agri-food sector accounts for over half of Ireland’s indigenous exports and represents one-tenth of the Irish economy. The agri-food and wider bio-economy contribute an estimated 30% of total national net exports and in 2008 accounted for 179,200 jobs, or 8.5% of total employment. Accordingly, the agri-food sector is, and will continue to be, a key strategic sector in Ireland, quite disproportionate in significance to its direct contribution to national GDP. Ms Damini Kumar of NUI Maynooth and Ireland’s ambassador for the “European Year of Creativity and Innovation” is guest speaker.
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  Wyeth

  Discover Science & Engineering are delighted to partner with Wyeth for Science Week. Wyeth is one of the largest pharmaceutical employers in Ireland. Wyeth believes Science should be visual, informative and above all exciting; the company places great emphasis on sharing its enthusiasm for science with primary and secondary students. This is achieved through a series of exciting and interactive road shows and regular class visits to their facilities.