Building the bridge to the future: join us in Dublin for Airmic’s Island of Ireland Conference 2025

Ireland’s position as a rising powerhouse in HealthTech, FinTech and AI is more than just a success story – it is a sign of how rapidly new risks and opportunities are emerging.

With over 4,500 startups raising €7 billion in investment in the past five years, and more than 300 hubs across the island focused on everything from marine science to advanced manufacturing, Ireland is emerging as a hotbed of innovation.

What to expect

Delegates can expect a thought-provoking programme of plenary sessions, technical workshops and panel debates. The agenda explores the geopolitical landscape of Europe, shifting international trade dynamics and the latest thinking on supply chain volatility.

The Academy and Roundtables provide a chance to dig deeper – from the evolving insurance reform agenda in Ireland to the risks of PFAS, sustainable building materials and lithium-ion batteries. Plenary panels will put captives, emerging risks and cyber resilience under the spotlight.

The conference takes place in Dublin’s Intercontinental Hotel and over 200 delegates are expected. It is free for Airmic members, including those eligible for a free six-month trial membership. Standard tickets cost €395 (£350).

More than a conference

Now in its fourth year, the conference has established itself as a cornerstone in the Airmic calendar. It has grown into a dynamic platform for discussion, bringing together voices from business, government, academia and the insurance market.

The forum was born out of member demand, reflecting a recognition that risk challenges do not respect borders—and that the island of Ireland, with its distinctive economic and regulatory environment, deserves a dedicated space in the conversation.

Speaker spotlight:

Charles Hecker: Risk forecasting serves little purpose amid geopolitical uncertainty

Attempting to predict or forecast geopolitical outcomes in today’s volatile international landscape is counterproductive, according to world-renowned journalist, author and academic, Charles Hecker.

Speaking to Airmic, Hecker – one of the keynote speakers at Airmic’s Island of Ireland conference – said that the world is going through a period of unprecedented disruption in which the rules of global trade and business are being rewritten by the Trump administration and the ongoing fallout from the war in Ukraine.

With international norms upended and frequent twists and turns in policy, he said that risk managers should “move away from forecasting” because “these days, the only thing that geopolitics has been giving us is unlikely scenarios and things we didn’t expect to happen.”

“Instead of forecasting, try working on scenarios. This is a way of creating different visions and different versions of the future...using those scenarios to stress test your business under different potential outcomes is a lot better for businesses than putting their eggs in the basket of a scenario that probably won’t come true.”

Charles Hecker will be a keynote speaker at Airmic’s Island of Ireland conference in November.