IPBN Business Success Nominees in Sustainability and More

Pitching in to Make a Difference

As the IPBN's annual St. Patrick's Day Sustainability Conference on March 17 at the CCIP in Lisbon approaches, we would like to highlight some of the nominees for the IPBN's third-annual Business Award in the sector who have been making incredible strides over the last year in spite of all unforeseen challenges placed in their path by the pandemic. From supporting the planet to supporting emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems, IPBN member companies have been doing their part. We are proud to share their success stories with the network!

The Engineer Daniel Ring described IPBN member company Lawler Sustainability for whom he serves as Managing Director as a business that offers advice and project delivery to public and private sector clients to help map their pathways and introduce technological upgrades to accelerate their decarbonization. The company is involved in EU research to help commercialize technological advancements and new business models that are needed to encourage decarbonization. Lawler completes portfolio assessment and provides the optimum technical solution bespoke to each site, taking the performance risk through financing upgrade work and repaying the investment from energy savings while offering ongoing technical and energy management support for the duration of the contract. Daniel went on to say, "Our driving force is to create and scale a market proposition to help stimulate and accelerate the rate of energy upgrade and renewable technology integration both in the commercial and residential building sectors." The success of the company over the last year is clear, as Danial says, "We won the UK's Chartered Institute of Building Services (CIBSE) Consultancy of the Year Award for the second year running, and secured two more Energy Performance Contracts with two new Local Authorities in Dublin - Fingal & Dunlaoire - Rathdown. We’ve now secured all of the first four of these contract types to come to the market in Ireland from Local Authorities. Additionally, Lawler secured two large Energy Performance Contracts with two of Ireland's most prestigious Resort Hotels - The K Club ( formed Ryder Cup Host) and Kelly's Resort Hotel and won a further EU Research Competition giving significant EU funding to our R&D Team to progress business models and technology solutions where energy reduction opportunities often lie locked in landlord/ tenant relationships." 

Christie Kandiwa, the General Marketing Strategist of IPBN member company and sponsor of the upcoming IPBN Sustainability Conference in Lisbon, KRA Renewables, introduced the company that was born in 2018 from a "deep belief in and commitment to driving sustainability in the built environment." KRA Renewables works closely with its sister company KRA Visionary to provide energy solutions and a complete range of building surveying and project management services throughout Ireland, designing carefully constructed models to ensure client aims are met. Christie said, "We offer services to support Built Environment, Community, and Utility Energy projects assisting them with energy auditing, feasibility studies, electric vehicle rollouts, BER Assessments, Monitoring & verifications, and techno-economic modeling, and we have partnered with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, making it one of the 370 businesses supporting the restoration of complex biodiversity." The company is also SEAI recognized project coordinator for the Communities Energy Grant scheme and the Irish Green Building Council member. In terms of their achievements over the last year, they grew their team from three to eight and co-authored a guidance document commissioned by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, along with the Irish Green Building Council and other expert companies to inform best practices for the energy renovation of traditional buildings across Ireland. Christie went on to say that, "On the Inishbofin Energy Transition Plan, KRA Renewables are undertaking a broad and deep study on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources across the entire island of Inishbofin, County Galway."

On the more fiscal side of things, member of the IPBN fiscal board and Senior Partner of IPBN member company TaxLibris, Pedro Teixeira, presented his company to the IPBN Business Award attendees as a boutique Accounting and Financial Service with a wide scope of services, all with a focus on Corporate and International entities. Texeira began his presentation by touting the accounting services company's recent achievements: Tax Libris was able to fully implement a digital workflow with their clients, providers, and internal personnel during the pandemic which not only eased the minds of the clientele to be able to carry on business as usual but reduced the company's waste substantially. Digital transformation was a must and Texeira says he is proud that it has been fully accomplished. Now, the company is stronger and better prepared for future developments in the business sector while new business models are now possible due to this recent achievement.

Lastly, the CEO of the nominated IPBN member company RedLight Software, Miguel Antunes described RedLight as a software development services company that puts transparency at the core of everything. He said, "We help businesses with their digital transformation processes along with supporting big companies to modernize their technology offerings." Most of RedLight's projects are within the healthcare industry and are used every day to provide care to more than 100,000 patients worldwide. Furthermore, as fostering innovation and regional ecosystem growth are their main driving forces, they are active in the promotion and advancement of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in their hometown of Coimbra. Miguel said, "We also organize community-wide events that range from technology dissemination to business networking and development, that have had a significant impact and reach... [We have also been] very active in giving back to our society through...involvement in local social programs that engage underprivileged pre-university students and focus on ethnic minorities, gender equality, and children with disabilities. The company has grown its team by 50%, making 2021 the year with the highest income in RedLight's history with a 56% growth in business volume from 2020. This launched the company into operating as an early-stage investor for companies looking to develop a proof of concept or minimum valuable products. "Being able to achieve success while still making a positive impact in small communities around us is one feat that makes us very proud to be who we are," Antunes said.

You can already register here to the 3rd edition of our Sustainability conference to take place, as every year, during St. Patrick's day in Lisbon,Thursday, March 17.