Hosted by Ulster University in Derry~Londonderry and funded by the Higher Education Authority as part of North South Research Programme, this year's Atlantic Futures Summer School, entitled 'Research for Change and Placemaking', mixed big ideas with academic insight, industry expertise, relevant field trips and essential conversations - to explore how progress is achieved in a city/region.
The 2025 Atlantic Futures Summer School brought together researchers, academics and industry leaders for three days of connection, collaboration and conversation on how our research can lead to positive change in the North and West of our Shared island
Day One - Arrival and Welcome
On arrival, we gathered at the city's historic Guildhall for a warm welcome from the Mayor of Derry & Strabane, Dr Lillian Seenoi Barr, who spoke passionately about the city and the areas of our research that deeply resonated with her, including our work on women's entrepreneurship.
The day continued with a walking tour of the city, led by Mickey Rooney from Martin McCrossan City Tours - whose storytelling brought the city's rich history and identity to life. offering first-time visitors the perfect introduction to the area and setting the tone for place-based reflection throughout the programme.
Day Two - Insights, Challenges, and Aspirations
Day two offered a rich mix of learning, dialogue, and exploration. After a campus tour of Ulster University with Professor Malachy O'Neill, we gathered in the stunning Great Hall of the historic Martha Magee building to begin our conference.
First up, was a fireside chat with our three embedded entrepreneurs - Lisa Mclaughlin, Bernie McTiernan, and Carla Rosenkranz, hosted by Clare McGee from AwakenHub. Their reflections were the perfect way to open the day, allowing all our researchers and visitors the opportunity to hear their stories and see first-hand some of the impact of our work to date.
After this, we launched into a series of three sessions with our researchers.
- Session One, where we revisited the lessons and past outcomes of our Atlantic Futures research so far.
- Session Two focused on the present-day challenges and opportunities in our work, with lively discussion around community needs and policy impact.
- Session Three offered forward-looking reflections on our aspirations for cross-border cooperation and future research directions.
In the afternoon, we hit the road for a multi-stop field trip exploring placemaking in practice. First stop: Foyle Port, where we learned how the port is navigating new economic realities while staying grounded in heritage. Next was City of Derry Airport, where we explored how connectivity and mobility impact development in the region. Our final visit was to The Muff Liquor Company, where brand, heritage, and entrepreneurship sparked rich discussion after an exciting walk through their global expansion, by Brand Manager, Claire Canning.
A productive evening
Our day finished in the great outdoors at Brook Hall Estate, where we first heard introductions from several key speakers, including Professor Malachy O'Neill from Ulster University and Professor Jim Livesy from University of Galway, (our joint PI's and key members of the Atlantic Futures Management Team), Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice Chancellor of Ulster University and Paul Hannigan, Head of College at ATU, Donegal.
Then we heard from three fantastic women entrepreneurs, Jennifer Neff, co-founder of Elemental Software, and Clare McGee and Mary McKenna, co-founders of AwakenHub - with their insights into innovation, leadership, and women in tech firmly resonating with the themes of our work.
Lastly we heard from David Gilliland, who owns and runs the estate, and who explained how his sustainable farming business operated, as well as the historical significance of the land, both to his family - and the entire city.
As the evening drew to a close, everyone retreated to sample some local cuisine, giving the wider group, including representatives from agencies and organisations across the region the opportunity to meet, network and further discuss our work
It was the perfect end to day two, creating a warm, relaxed atmosphere that encouraged new connections and conversations before we took our leave.
Day Three - Theory Meets Practice
Our final day kicked off with the ICLRD Masterclass: 'Planning and Placemaking along the Atlantic Corridor', led by Caroline Creamer, Director of ICLRD. Her session gave us an insightful overview of the evolution and practice of place-making.
We then heard individually from:
- Tom Reid (The Executive Office), on North/South and East/West planning perspectives;
- Seamus Neely (Consultant and former Chief Executive of Donegal County Council), on place-based leadership in the North West
- Eunan Quinn (Senior Planner, Donegal County Council), on spatial strategy for the North West Metropolitan Area;
- Conall McGettigan (Northern and Western Regional Assembly), on connectivity and regional imbalance;
- Michael D'Arcy (Centre For Cross-Border Cooperation), on the role of data in policy and practice.
Before everyone joined together for a panel discussion in a fantastic closing session, facilitated by Caitriona Mullan.
And that's a wrap
As our masterclass ended, we came together for a final time to reflect on all we'd shared and learned over the past few days. We also took the opportunity to announce the winner of our 2025, Research poster competition, where each of our research streams presented their work.
The winning poster came from Chethaka Gamage, a PhD researcher at Atlantic Technological University. His project, "Assessing International Freight Connectivity in Northwestern Ireland: A GIS-Based Spatial and Network Analysis Approach", captured the essence of Research Stream 6, highlighting accessibility challenges for peripheral regions and the importance of inclusive, data-driven transport policy. Well done Chethaka! 
Final thoughts and thanks
First and foremost huge thanks to all our academics, researchers, external partners, strategic advisors and distinguished guests who made time and travelled to take part.
There are too many to mention individually, but these conversations and connections are so important for both our research, and the future of our Shared Island, and so Atlantic Futures, and our key partners in Ulster University, University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University and University of Limerick) are very grateful to be able to have them. With special thanks Ulster University for hosting our conference and taking care of our team.
Final thanks must go to our funders, Higher Education Authority, who via the North South Research Programme, are enabling important work and critical research to happen, not just within Atlantic Futures, but for organisations around the island. We are very grateful to them for their support.
Until next year!