Councils highlight unique linkages promoted by Boston trade mission

Donegal County Council says the joint North West Trade Mission to Boston next month will see very different industry backgrounds from Donegal and Derry hoping to further expand their businesses.
Two such dissimilar companies which the council says actually have a lot in common are NeuroCONCISE from Derry and Sharon McDaid, Silver Birch Gallery & Studio from Carndonagh in Co. Donegal.
NeuroCONCISE is a neurotechnology research & innovation company, based at Ulster University’s Magee Campus in Derry, while Sharon McDaid from Silver Birch Gallery & Studio undertakes large scale commissions for public and corporate buildings, as well as commissions from private collectors.
They are now looking at a collaboration to create technologies that enable people with restricted movement to benefit from the therapeutic benefits of art.
NeuroCONCISE CEO Damien Coyle founded the company last yearto build wearable neurotechnology, that is underpinned by award winning research and development that he conducted over 15 years at Ulster University where he is also a professor.
Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council say they have arranged meetings and business networking events for all the companies taking part in the Boston mission.
This is the second trade mission to Boston organised by the two councils, with other participating organisations including Udaras na nGaeltachta, Ulster University, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the North West Regional College.
Pic – Professor Damien Coyle, NeuroCONCISE Ltd. and Sharon McDaid, Silver Birch Gallery & Studios.
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Council statement in full –
Contemporary Irish Artist and Cutting Edge Neurotechnology firm from Donegal & Derry on trade mission to Boston
This coming November entrepreneurs with very different industry backgrounds from Donegal and Derry will descend on Boston on an overseas trade mission in the hope of further expanding their businesses into US markets.
Two such dissimilar companies but that ultimately have a lot in common, are NeuroCONCISE from Derry and Sharon McDaid, Silver Birch Gallery & Studio from Carndonagh in Co. Donegal. NeuroCONCISE is a cutting edge neurotechnology research & innovation company, based at the Magee Campus in Ulster University in Derry. NeuroCONCISE provide high quality assistive neurotechnology related services and products such as movement-free diagnostics, communication and control processes which address the rehabilitation needs of millions of patients, who are severely physically impaired due to disease or brain injury.
Renowned, award winning, global contemporary Irish Artist, Sharon McDaid from Silver Birch Gallery & Studio, based in Carndonagh will also travel to Boston with the delegation. Sharon McDaid’s award winning contemporary Irish art has become part of many private and public collections at home and abroad. Sharon undertakes large scale commissions for public and corporate buildings, as well as privately commissioned pieces for art lovers and celebrities across the globe.
Sharon works in a variety of creative media and is inspired by the surroundings of her native and naturally stunning Inishowen, along Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way. She has had a passion for the study and practice of art therapy and her art forms part of many collections in hospitals, medical and rehabilitation clinics providing therapy to patients.
Sharon McDaid and Professor Damien Coyle’s research and future visions have already identified links. Combining Sharon McDaid’s Art Therapy techniques and creativity with NeuroCONCISE’s cutting edge neurotechnology products and assistive technology, they believe that they can can collaborate to creative expression and art expression technologies that enable people with restricted movement to benefit from the therapeutic benefits of art.
It is widely known that art therapy and assistive technologies have helped with post traumatic stress disorders and patients who have suffered brain injuries and physical injuries causing disability.  Patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders have experienced stress reduction and wellness through art therapies.
Sharon McDaid is really excited to be travelling to Boston with this delegation from the North West of Ireland, not only with the hope of developing her own contacts in the creative and artistic sector in Boston and throughout the US, but to network with a wider network of entrepreneurs.
Professor Damien Coyle is CEO of NeuroCONCISE Ltd, the company he founded in 2016 to build wearable neurotechnology that is underpinned by award winning research and development that he conducted over 15 years at Ulster University. NeuroCONCISE’s technology non-invasively measures and translates brainwaves into control signals using advanced algorithms to enable people to interact with technology and communicate without moving and has applications in rehabilitation, diagnostics, augmentative and assistive communication devices and entertainment.
Damien is also Professor of Neurotechnology at Ulster University, where he is currently Director of the Intelligent Systems Research Centre and Research Director in the School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems. Damien has published over 100 research papers in areas such as computational intelligence/AI, bio-signal processing, computational neuroscience, neuroimaging and brain-computer interface (BCI) applications and has won a number of prestigious international awards for his research.
NeuroCONCISE has established partnerships with clinics providing assistive technology and have partners with distribution networks across a number of countries but is very keen to make links with key stakeholders in the USA. The main focus of his mission is to demonstrate NeuroCONCISE’s  technology and its uses and explore the avenues to establish routes to market/sales channels in the US. 
This is the second trade mission organised by Donegal County Council and Derry City & Strabane District Council along with other participating organisations including, Udaras na nGaeltachta, Ulster University, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the North West Regional College from North West Ireland to travel to Boston.
Both Councils have arranged meetings and business networking events focusing on foreign direct investment, lead generation and export relationship development – an opportunity which is welcomed by all companies that are travelling.