Editorial: Innovation in the digital sphere

As the Hebo-Lift 9 sheerleg crane finally bid adieu to Déise shores at the weekend, journeying back to Ghent in Belgium (ironically an inland city, though connected to the North Sea via a cutting-edge canal system), Waterford can look forward to the opening of the sustainable transport bridge.  

We have a while to wait, with considerable infrastructural works still to be completed on the transport hub and train station.

However, with the spans of the sustainable bridge now in place, thanks to the technological innovation of the Hebo crane, the addition of this fantastic modern structure to our city's riverscape is already becoming a very real prospect, and one we can visualise more easily.

The public infrastructure project is being developed ahead of the private Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) development on the North Quays - the built interface between the two developments must be fully integrated and compatible before the bridge opens to the public.

Waterford City and County Council has said that the fast-tracking of integration works, as part of construction of the SDZ, will facilitate the opening of the bridge to the public in quarter four of 2026.

It will be wonderful to finally have it fully operational and open to the public, hopefully before Christmas next year - what a delightful prospect, festooned in twinkly lights for Winterval 2026.

In the meantime, let's take a moment to reflect on the smaller innovation triumphs that often get overlooked in our city - in particular those in the increasingly important digital sphere.

This week we have a wonderful story on the upcoming auction of a series of vintage vehicles by RJ Keighery Antiques, which market themselves as Antiques Ireland online. A long-time presence on William Street in Waterford city, the brick facade of their building hides a treasure trove beyond.

An antiques business might not be the first to jump to mind when you think about innovation, but the Keighery family understand, probably more than most, that every business must innovate to survive and thrive - they are after all an enduring business that has enjoyed decades of entrepreneurship.

Established in Kilmacthomas in 1949, the Keighery's have built their success thanks to an excellent reputation, locally and nationally, developed from their expertise, experience and integrity. 
It was, therefore, heartening this week to report that they were awarded the Overall Winner's prize in the Waterford Digital Awards, organised in conjunction with Waterford Local Enterprise Office.

Aimed at recognising and rewarding SMEs based in County Waterford that have developed their ecommerce and digital platforms, as part of their product offering, Rody Keighery himself has taken on the technological innovations that people have come to expect of businesses nowadays. It is common to see him gracing our social media feeds, presenting the latest vintage and antique gems - from stunning clocks to the current sale of incredible vintage cars.

The auctioneer's hammer might fall in real time, but it does not have to fall in our presence anymore, and Keighery's have fully embraced every aspect of online bidding. 

Rody Keighery told the Waterford News & Star: "Most people assume we are in Dublin but we’re proud to fly the flag here in Waterford.”

The winners in the individual Digital Awards categories, also all examples of excellence when it comes to innovation, include: 1 Best Digital Transformation – Inspiring Excellence; 2 Best E-Commerce Business – Murphy Larkin Timber Products; 3 Best Use of Social Media – Antiques Ireland; 4 Best Digital Marketing Campaign – Liberty Blue; 5 Best SEO Strategy – Neg8 Carbon.

Well done to all these valuable Waterford enterprises, and to Waterford Local Enterprise Office who champion and platform the development of excellence in Waterford SMEs.