This prestigious recognition underscores DkIT’s students' innovative spirit and commitment to sustainability in the electric vehicle (EV) charging sector.

This is not the first time the Institute’s MBS programme has been in the spotlight. In December 2022, GoPlugable won the International Strascheg Award, an international competition open to innovative business ideas led by student teams or early-stage start-ups. Furthermore, the Institute’s MBS programme was recently honoured at the Irish Education Awards 2023, winning the Best International Collaboration Award. This marks the fourth award for this course since 2018, showcasing the programme's continued success and impact.

The Student Entrepreneur Awards, which was recently hosted by Enterprise Ireland, is a renowned competition that inspires third-level students to cultivate innovative business ideas with genuine commercial potential. GoPlugable was among the top 10 finalists this year, distinguishing itself among many impressive entries. GoPlugable's journey began at DkIT with a simple yet transformative idea: to make EV charging more accessible and community driven. The students envisioned a platform where homeowners could share their EV chargers with other EV users, creating a community-powered network.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, lauded the quality of entries, stating:

"Today's awards celebrate the thriving entrepreneurial spirit in the third-level sector in Ireland and I want to acknowledge the role that the sponsors play in showcasing this ambition and talent of our young entrepreneurs. I look forward to following the success of this year's entrepreneurs in the coming months and years."

This recognition at the Student Entrepreneur Awards is a significant milestone for DkIT and their MBS programme. It validates the students' efforts and motivates the Institute to continue fostering an environment that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship.

 DkIT would also like to congratulate the other winners of the night, the sustainable sportswear company, FinalBend, won the Student Entrepreneur of the Year award. Ablatepure won the Cruickshank High Achieving Merit Award, and MicroDoc, an end-to-end software solutions provider, won the Grant Thornton High Achieving Merit Award.

You can follow GoPlugable's journey on their website - https://goplugable.com