Six weeks after more than 350 delegates gathered in Galway for EDGE26, Ireland’s Creative Economy Summit, CREW has published its EDGE26 Summit Report, capturing the conversations, insights and opportunities that emerged from one of Ireland’s largest gatherings focused on the digital creative industries.
Hosted at Dexcom Stadium, the summit welcomed founders, entrepreneurs, researchers, educators, policymakers, investors and industry leaders from across Ireland, Europe and the United States. Speakers included Minister Alan Dillon TD, Paul Young, co-founder and CEO of Cartoon Saloon, and leading voices from industry, academia and government. Together, they explored how innovation, entrepreneurship, talent development and international collaboration can support the continued growth of Ireland’s digital creative industries.
With Atlantic Technological University as lead patron, EDGE26 brought CREW’s Strategy 2025–2029, Where Creativity Means Business, to life by creating a platform where industry, education, research and government could come together around a shared ambition for the future of the sector. The momentum generated through the summit will continue through CREW’s CLIMB (Creative Leaders Innovating for Market & Business Growth ) initiative, supported by Enterprise Ireland through the SMART Regions Programme.
The summit also delivered tangible benefits for Galway, generating more than 150 hotel bed nights and an estimated €125,000 in direct expenditure associated with event delivery and visitor spending, while further strengthening the city’s reputation as a destination for business tourism driving innovation, enterprise and creative industry events.
EDGE26 was never intended to be simply a one-day event. It marked another important step in positioning the West and North West of Ireland as a globally recognised centre for digital creative enterprise.
The EDGE26 Summit Report is now available to download at www.crewdigital.ie, where readers can explore the key themes, insights and opportunities emerging from Ireland’s Creative Economy Summit.
