{"id":15889,"date":"2025-11-24T10:16:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/?p=15889"},"modified":"2025-11-24T10:16:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:16:31","slug":"new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png 1045w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Skillnet Innovation Exchange, Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation, has launched Digital for Sustainability \u2014 an industry-led initiative designed to help Irish businesses meet the growing demand from large customers and procurement teams for reliable sustainability data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As sustainability reporting becomes a critical factor in winning contracts and maintaining competitiveness, Digital for Sustainability leverages Skillnet Innovation Exchange\u2019s proven challenge framework to connect organisations with innovative digital solutions \u2014 including automation and analytics tools \u2014 that make sustainability reporting faster, more reliable and more cost-effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The launch follows the publication of a new report from Skillnet Innovation Exchange showing that the initiative has generated over \u20ac5 million in SME deal flow since its launch three years ago. The national platform supports both large and small businesses by connecting corporates facing innovation challenges with SMEs that can deliver fast-track solutions. To date, 70 innovation challenges have been published and 30 deals completed, with that figure expected to grow significantly by year-end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Digital for Sustainability has already achieved its first success, with Intersport Elverys publishing a challenge to source a sustainability dashboard to manage energy, water, and waste data. Innovation Exchange member Energy Elephant pitched for and won the contract. More recently, Ballymaloe Foods published a sustainability challenge on the platform, with the process expected to conclude in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent deals facilitated by the marketplace for innovation include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 The Nestbox Egg Company &amp; Nualach Automation \u2014 the largest deal to date, valued at \u20ac800,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 Cycling Ireland &amp; Fit2Trade \u2014 a partnership signed within ten days of the initial pitch<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 Cork County Council &amp; Driver Focus \u2014 a product solution meeting internal compliance requirements<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These join a growing list of successful partnerships that demonstrate the Exchange\u2019s ability to turn innovation challenges into commercial opportunities, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 Intersport Elverys &amp; Energy Elephant \u2014 first Digital for Sustainability deal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 Astellas &amp; Pro-Reliability Solutions \u2014 a unique partnership delivering compliance services<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 Horsesport Ireland &amp; Miagen \u2014 a Digital for Sport collaboration<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Innovation Exchange is now open to help businesses of all sizes turn their sustainability data management challenges into a competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00b7 For business with a sustainability data challenge: Email oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie to explore the benefits of joining Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation. \u00b7 For solution providers: Join the marketplace at www.theinnovationexchange.ie<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ENDS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For media queries contact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oonagh Fox, Skillnet Innovation Exchange<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tel: 087 8554406 Email: oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About Skillnet Innovation Exchange<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Skillnet Innovation Exchange is an Irish innovation platform that brings together large corporations undergoing digital transformation with scaling SMEs that offer innovative solutions. Launched in 2022 in partnership with Furthr, the programme bridges the gap between the demand for new technologies and the supply of agile, homegrown tech capabilities. Corporates, present real-world transformation challenges. In turn, scaling Irish SMEs\u2014referred to as \u201csolution providers\u201d\u2014pitch solutions, fostering practical and impactful collaborations. The programme operates nationally, supported by regional hubs such as Republic of Work in Cork, The Mill in Drogheda, GreenTechHQ in Wexford, Platform94 in Galway, RDI in Kerry and the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen. This ensures SMEs from across Ireland have the chance to engage with corporates and scale their businesses. Since its launch, in excess of 70 innovation challenges have been issued, resulting in successful commercial partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By facilitating direct engagement between corporate leaders and tech innovators, The Innovation<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skillnet Innovation Exchange, Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation, has launched Digital for Sustainability \u2014 an industry-led initiative designed to help Irish businesses meet the growing demand from large customers and procurement teams for reliable sustainability data. As sustainability reporting becomes a critical factor in winning contracts and maintaining competitiveness, Digital for Sustainability leverages Skillnet Innovation Exchange\u2019s proven challenge framework to connect organisations with innovative digital solutions \u2014 including automation and analytics tools \u2014 that make sustainability reporting faster, more reliable and more cost-effective. The launch follows the publication of a new report from Skillnet Innovation Exchange showing that the initiative has generated over \u20ac5 million in SME deal flow since its launch three years ago. The national platform supports both large and small businesses by connecting corporates facing innovation challenges with SMEs that can deliver fast-track solutions. To date, 70 innovation challenges have been published and 30 deals completed, with that figure expected to grow significantly by year-end. Digital for Sustainability has already achieved its first success, with Intersport Elverys publishing a challenge to source a sustainability dashboard to manage energy, water, and waste data. Innovation Exchange member Energy Elephant pitched for and won the contract. More recently, Ballymaloe Foods published a sustainability challenge on the platform, with the process expected to conclude in the coming weeks. Recent deals facilitated by the marketplace for innovation include: \u00b7 The Nestbox Egg Company &amp; Nualach Automation \u2014 the largest deal to date, valued at \u20ac800,000 \u00b7 Cycling Ireland &amp; Fit2Trade \u2014 a partnership signed within ten days of the initial pitch \u00b7 Cork County Council &amp; Driver Focus \u2014 a product solution meeting internal compliance requirements These join a growing list of successful partnerships that demonstrate the Exchange\u2019s ability to turn innovation challenges into commercial opportunities, including: \u00b7 Intersport Elverys &amp; Energy Elephant \u2014 first Digital for Sustainability deal \u00b7 Astellas &amp; Pro-Reliability Solutions \u2014 a unique partnership delivering compliance services \u00b7 Horsesport Ireland &amp; Miagen \u2014 a Digital for Sport collaboration The Innovation Exchange is now open to help businesses of all sizes turn their sustainability data management challenges into a competitive advantage. \u00b7 For business with a sustainability data challenge: Email oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie to explore the benefits of joining Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation. \u00b7 For solution providers: Join the marketplace at www.theinnovationexchange.ie ENDS For media queries contact: Oonagh Fox, Skillnet Innovation Exchange Tel: 087 8554406 Email: oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie About Skillnet Innovation Exchange Skillnet Innovation Exchange is an Irish innovation platform that brings together large corporations undergoing digital transformation with scaling SMEs that offer innovative solutions. Launched in 2022 in partnership with Furthr, the programme bridges the gap between the demand for new technologies and the supply of agile, homegrown tech capabilities. Corporates, present real-world transformation challenges. In turn, scaling Irish SMEs\u2014referred to as \u201csolution providers\u201d\u2014pitch solutions, fostering practical and impactful collaborations. The programme operates nationally, supported by regional hubs such as Republic of Work in Cork, The Mill in Drogheda, GreenTechHQ in Wexford, Platform94 in Galway, RDI in Kerry and the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen. This ensures SMEs from across Ireland have the chance to engage with corporates and scale their businesses. Since its launch, in excess of 70 innovation challenges have been issued, resulting in successful commercial partnerships. By facilitating direct engagement between corporate leaders and tech innovators, The Innovation<\/p>","protected":false},"author":984,"featured_media":15891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[55],"class_list":["post-15889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-year-2025","category-1","description-off"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability - The Innovation Exchange<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability - The Innovation Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Skillnet Innovation Exchange, Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation, has launched Digital for Sustainability \u2014 an industry-led initiative designed to help Irish businesses meet the growing demand from large customers and procurement teams for reliable sustainability data. As sustainability reporting becomes a critical factor in winning contracts and maintaining competitiveness, Digital for Sustainability leverages Skillnet Innovation Exchange\u2019s proven challenge framework to connect organisations with innovative digital solutions \u2014 including automation and analytics tools \u2014 that make sustainability reporting faster, more reliable and more cost-effective. The launch follows the publication of a new report from Skillnet Innovation Exchange showing that the initiative has generated over \u20ac5 million in SME deal flow since its launch three years ago. The national platform supports both large and small businesses by connecting corporates facing innovation challenges with SMEs that can deliver fast-track solutions. To date, 70 innovation challenges have been published and 30 deals completed, with that figure expected to grow significantly by year-end. Digital for Sustainability has already achieved its first success, with Intersport Elverys publishing a challenge to source a sustainability dashboard to manage energy, water, and waste data. Innovation Exchange member Energy Elephant pitched for and won the contract. More recently, Ballymaloe Foods published a sustainability challenge on the platform, with the process expected to conclude in the coming weeks. Recent deals facilitated by the marketplace for innovation include: \u00b7 The Nestbox Egg Company &amp; Nualach Automation \u2014 the largest deal to date, valued at \u20ac800,000 \u00b7 Cycling Ireland &amp; Fit2Trade \u2014 a partnership signed within ten days of the initial pitch \u00b7 Cork County Council &amp; Driver Focus \u2014 a product solution meeting internal compliance requirements These join a growing list of successful partnerships that demonstrate the Exchange\u2019s ability to turn innovation challenges into commercial opportunities, including: \u00b7 Intersport Elverys &amp; Energy Elephant \u2014 first Digital for Sustainability deal \u00b7 Astellas &amp; Pro-Reliability Solutions \u2014 a unique partnership delivering compliance services \u00b7 Horsesport Ireland &amp; Miagen \u2014 a Digital for Sport collaboration The Innovation Exchange is now open to help businesses of all sizes turn their sustainability data management challenges into a competitive advantage. \u00b7 For business with a sustainability data challenge: Email oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie to explore the benefits of joining Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation. \u00b7 For solution providers: Join the marketplace at www.theinnovationexchange.ie ENDS For media queries contact: Oonagh Fox, Skillnet Innovation Exchange Tel: 087 8554406 Email: oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie About Skillnet Innovation Exchange Skillnet Innovation Exchange is an Irish innovation platform that brings together large corporations undergoing digital transformation with scaling SMEs that offer innovative solutions. Launched in 2022 in partnership with Furthr, the programme bridges the gap between the demand for new technologies and the supply of agile, homegrown tech capabilities. Corporates, present real-world transformation challenges. In turn, scaling Irish SMEs\u2014referred to as \u201csolution providers\u201d\u2014pitch solutions, fostering practical and impactful collaborations. The programme operates nationally, supported by regional hubs such as Republic of Work in Cork, The Mill in Drogheda, GreenTechHQ in Wexford, Platform94 in Galway, RDI in Kerry and the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen. This ensures SMEs from across Ireland have the chance to engage with corporates and scale their businesses. Since its launch, in excess of 70 innovation challenges have been issued, resulting in successful commercial partnerships. By facilitating direct engagement between corporate leaders and tech innovators, The Innovation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Innovation Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-24T09:16:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1045\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"588\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anne\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anne\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anne\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/defa33c5c76395238a45f5f0fcf6041c\"},\"headline\":\"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-24T09:16:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":546,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"2025\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"ga\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/\",\"name\":\"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability - The Innovation Exchange\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-24T09:16:31+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"ga\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ga\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png\",\"width\":1045,\"height\":588},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Innovation Exchange\",\"description\":\"Just another WordPress site\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"ga\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Innovation Exchange\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ga\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/SIE-RGB-LOGO_FOR-USE-ON-LIGHT-BACKGROUND_JAN-2024-1.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/SIE-RGB-LOGO_FOR-USE-ON-LIGHT-BACKGROUND_JAN-2024-1.svg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":830,\"caption\":\"The Innovation Exchange\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/defa33c5c76395238a45f5f0fcf6041c\",\"name\":\"Anne\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ga\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b61752be7f58ff97ee90c5b71077ef36a561cd352afc4043c33d4e2d7902f751?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b61752be7f58ff97ee90c5b71077ef36a561cd352afc4043c33d4e2d7902f751?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b61752be7f58ff97ee90c5b71077ef36a561cd352afc4043c33d4e2d7902f751?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Anne\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theinnovationexchange.ie\\\/ga\\\/author\\\/anneinnovationexchange-ie\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability - The Innovation Exchange","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability - The Innovation Exchange","og_description":"Skillnet Innovation Exchange, Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation, has launched Digital for Sustainability \u2014 an industry-led initiative designed to help Irish businesses meet the growing demand from large customers and procurement teams for reliable sustainability data. As sustainability reporting becomes a critical factor in winning contracts and maintaining competitiveness, Digital for Sustainability leverages Skillnet Innovation Exchange\u2019s proven challenge framework to connect organisations with innovative digital solutions \u2014 including automation and analytics tools \u2014 that make sustainability reporting faster, more reliable and more cost-effective. The launch follows the publication of a new report from Skillnet Innovation Exchange showing that the initiative has generated over \u20ac5 million in SME deal flow since its launch three years ago. The national platform supports both large and small businesses by connecting corporates facing innovation challenges with SMEs that can deliver fast-track solutions. To date, 70 innovation challenges have been published and 30 deals completed, with that figure expected to grow significantly by year-end. Digital for Sustainability has already achieved its first success, with Intersport Elverys publishing a challenge to source a sustainability dashboard to manage energy, water, and waste data. Innovation Exchange member Energy Elephant pitched for and won the contract. More recently, Ballymaloe Foods published a sustainability challenge on the platform, with the process expected to conclude in the coming weeks. Recent deals facilitated by the marketplace for innovation include: \u00b7 The Nestbox Egg Company &amp; Nualach Automation \u2014 the largest deal to date, valued at \u20ac800,000 \u00b7 Cycling Ireland &amp; Fit2Trade \u2014 a partnership signed within ten days of the initial pitch \u00b7 Cork County Council &amp; Driver Focus \u2014 a product solution meeting internal compliance requirements These join a growing list of successful partnerships that demonstrate the Exchange\u2019s ability to turn innovation challenges into commercial opportunities, including: \u00b7 Intersport Elverys &amp; Energy Elephant \u2014 first Digital for Sustainability deal \u00b7 Astellas &amp; Pro-Reliability Solutions \u2014 a unique partnership delivering compliance services \u00b7 Horsesport Ireland &amp; Miagen \u2014 a Digital for Sport collaboration The Innovation Exchange is now open to help businesses of all sizes turn their sustainability data management challenges into a competitive advantage. \u00b7 For business with a sustainability data challenge: Email oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie to explore the benefits of joining Ireland\u2019s marketplace for innovation. \u00b7 For solution providers: Join the marketplace at www.theinnovationexchange.ie ENDS For media queries contact: Oonagh Fox, Skillnet Innovation Exchange Tel: 087 8554406 Email: oonagh@theinnovationexchange.ie About Skillnet Innovation Exchange Skillnet Innovation Exchange is an Irish innovation platform that brings together large corporations undergoing digital transformation with scaling SMEs that offer innovative solutions. Launched in 2022 in partnership with Furthr, the programme bridges the gap between the demand for new technologies and the supply of agile, homegrown tech capabilities. Corporates, present real-world transformation challenges. In turn, scaling Irish SMEs\u2014referred to as \u201csolution providers\u201d\u2014pitch solutions, fostering practical and impactful collaborations. The programme operates nationally, supported by regional hubs such as Republic of Work in Cork, The Mill in Drogheda, GreenTechHQ in Wexford, Platform94 in Galway, RDI in Kerry and the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen. This ensures SMEs from across Ireland have the chance to engage with corporates and scale their businesses. Since its launch, in excess of 70 innovation challenges have been issued, resulting in successful commercial partnerships. By facilitating direct engagement between corporate leaders and tech innovators, The Innovation","og_url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/","og_site_name":"The Innovation Exchange","article_published_time":"2025-11-24T09:16:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1045,"height":588,"url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Anne","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anne","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/"},"author":{"name":"Anne","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#\/schema\/person\/defa33c5c76395238a45f5f0fcf6041c"},"headline":"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability","datePublished":"2025-11-24T09:16:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/"},"wordCount":546,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png","keywords":["2025"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"ga"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/","url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/","name":"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability - The Innovation Exchange","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png","datePublished":"2025-11-24T09:16:31+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"ga","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ga","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Header-with-Icon-and-logo-1.png","width":1045,"height":588},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/new-initiative-gives-irish-business-a-competitive-edge-on-sustainability\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New Initiative Gives Irish Business a Competitive Edge on Sustainability"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/","name":"The Innovation Exchange","description":"Just another WordPress site","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"ga"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#organization","name":"The Innovation Exchange","url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ga","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/SIE-RGB-LOGO_FOR-USE-ON-LIGHT-BACKGROUND_JAN-2024-1.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/SIE-RGB-LOGO_FOR-USE-ON-LIGHT-BACKGROUND_JAN-2024-1.svg","width":1920,"height":830,"caption":"The Innovation Exchange"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/#\/schema\/person\/defa33c5c76395238a45f5f0fcf6041c","name":"Anne","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ga","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b61752be7f58ff97ee90c5b71077ef36a561cd352afc4043c33d4e2d7902f751?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b61752be7f58ff97ee90c5b71077ef36a561cd352afc4043c33d4e2d7902f751?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b61752be7f58ff97ee90c5b71077ef36a561cd352afc4043c33d4e2d7902f751?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Anne"},"url":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/author\/anneinnovationexchange-ie\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/984"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15889"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15892,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15889\/revisions\/15892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinnovationexchange.ie\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}