The Mobile Digital Lab (MDL), operating as part of the Minidighub Project in the East Border Region recently took part in a two-day Men’s Health Technology Showcase at Newry Leisure Centre, delivering immersive digital experiences to both public sector professionals and members of the local community.
Organised in partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, and coordinated by Ciaran Burns and Patricia Cloughley, the event highlighted how emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and wearable smart technology can be used to support health, wellbeing, community engagement, and service delivery.
Over the two-day event, approximately 50 participants engaged with a range of innovative digital technologies within the Mobile Digital Lab. Visitors experienced immersive virtual reality demonstrations, explored the capabilities of Meta AI smart glasses and learned how AI-powered tools such as MetaAI can support everyday tasks, learning and communication.
The first day welcomed council officers and representatives from statutory agencies, providing an opportunity to demonstrate how digital technologies can be applied across a range of sectors including economic development, tourism, health and wellbeing and community safety. Through interactive sessions, attendees explored practical examples of how emerging technologies can enhance engagement, improve service delivery and support innovation within organisations.
The second day focused on men attending the wider Men’s Health event, offering hands-on experiences designed to introduce participants to accessible and engaging digital technologies. The sessions encouraged discussion around how technology can support wellbeing, lifelong learning, and social connection while helping to build confidence in using new digital tools.
A highlight of the event was a visit from Chairperson of NMD Council Glynn Hanna, who attended on the second day to meet participants, experience the technology demonstrations and learn more about how the Mobile Digital Lab is helping to bring digital innovation directly into communities across the region.
The Mini Digi Hub team would like to thank Ciaran and Patricia from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for their support in organising and coordinating the event, as well as everyone who attended the showcase. The strong engagement across both days demonstrated the growing interest in digital innovation and its potential to support healthier, more connected and digitally confident communities. We are looking forward to returning to the NMD to support the Bessbrook Minidigihub in the future.
