Tech Events in Belfast

Hello everyone, been a minute, time for another meetup!

Building AI Data Agents on Microsoft Fabric
Whether you're an analyst, engineer, architect or manager, or just getting started, this session is for anyone who wants to move from reports to AI agents that answer real business questions with trusted data.
We'll work through a real-world use case: a services organisation (financial services in our example, but it applies to any people-based business). We'll use AI Data Agents to help drive sales, improve employee utilisation and track KPIs.

🔧 What we'll cover:
Architecting Microsoft Fabric workspaces for AI use cases

• Control, data and domain workspaces: where the pipelines, the data and the agents live

The data layer and modelling for AI

• Extracting from HubSpot (CRM), project management software and time recording systems
• Kimball modelling: dimensions, facts and user-friendly views

Building the AI Data Agent, and automating the prep

• What an agent needs: a semantic model with clear relationships, measures and descriptions, plus Prep for AI
• Automating that metadata from your control database, so every table and column arrives with business-friendly descriptions the agent can use
• Building, testing and trusting the agent's answers

📅 Wednesday, 11th November 2026 | 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Ormeau Labs, Belfast
🍕 Pizza, drinks & good chat as always
🔗 RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/belfast-microsoft-fabric-power-bi-meetup/

Please like, share, tag your team — and bring your questions! 🙌
#MicrosoftFabric #PowerBI #DataCommunity #FabricMeetup #Belfast #DataEngineering #MetadataDriven #Fabricators

How do you actually get into cybersecurity?
What should you learn first? Do you need a degree or certifications? How do you get experience when even junior roles ask for experience? And once you get that first job, what does working in cybersecurity really look like?

For our next OWASP Belfast meetup, we’re bringing together three people at very different stages of the cybersecurity journey:
• A student currently learning cybersecurity and thinking about their first career steps
• A penetration tester who has already made the move into the industry
• An experienced security engineer with a background across engineering, education and the cybersecurity community

This will not be three presentations or a traditional panel.
Instead, we’ll have an open, interview-style conversation comparing expectations with reality and looking at cybersecurity careers from different points along the journey.

We’ll discuss topics including:
• Where to start when cybersecurity feels overwhelmingly broad
• Degrees, certifications, labs and practical experience
• Getting the first cybersecurity job
• What employers actually look for in junior candidates
• What penetration testing and security engineering really look like day to day
• Choosing a specialism — or not choosing one too early
• AI and how it may change entry-level cybersecurity careers
• Building a career that lasts
• The role of communities such as OWASP and BSides

The student will also get the opportunity to challenge the professionals: does the career advice we often give newcomers actually work in practice?
There will be plenty of time for audience questions and discussion, so whether you are a student, looking to move into cybersecurity, already working in the industry, or simply interested in how cybersecurity careers develop, come along and join the conversation.

Everyone is welcome.

Belfast Design Meetup is a free after-work event for designers to learn, connect, and grow together. Starting at 5:30 PM, we’ll host talks, discussions, and real-world experience sharing in Belfast City Centre at MCS Group's stunning event space.

T A L K S

​① From Apple to Ideas by Damien Pascoe, Head of UX at Virtuoso.
​Damien Pascoe explores creativity and the role of UX designers in the age of artificial intelligence. The talk begins with a simple exercise in which participants take turns drawing apples without repeating one another’s ideas. Through this activity, Damien shows how we move from obvious solutions to unexpected concepts, why generating more ideas helps us find stronger ones, and how building on other people’s contributions expands our thinking. He then connects these principles to UX and product design, examining when to follow familiar patterns and when to push beyond them to create something new.

​Drawing on a brief history of UX and the skills that underpin the discipline, Damien considers what human designers bring to a process in which AI can already generate interfaces and apply established rules. He explores the value of creative intuition, empathy, cultural awareness and lived experience, alongside the ethical risks of simulating human emotion. The talk argues that AI can amplify a designer’s capabilities, while human understanding remains essential to setting direction, knowing when to break the rules, and creating products that resonate with people.

​② Making a Mark: The Decisions Behind Enduring Logos by David Airey, Independent Designer at David Airey Studio.

​David Airey is an independent brand identity designer and author who founded his studio in Northern Ireland in 2005. Known for his books Logo Design Love, Identity Designed and Identity Designed: The Process, he has worked with clients in more than 30 countries, including the BBC, Yellow Pages and the Asian Development Bank.

​Clients often want a logo to explain what their business does. It rarely needs to, and trying to do so can weaken it. Drawing on both old and new projects, David Airey will share what makes a mark effective and lasting: simplicity, distinctiveness, and relevance. He’ll also cover why being ownable matters as much as being memorable, and how he approaches the client side by presenting ideas to keep feedback focused on the brief and spot potential problems early.

​W H E R E
​The venue is the MCS Group office event space, located on the 10th Floor of The Ewart, 3 Bedford St, Belfast BT2 7EP. We’d like to thank MCS Group for hosting the event and providing beers and soft drinks. It’s a space designed for open conversation, fresh ideas, and community learning.

​C H E C K I N
​Please try to arrive between 5:30pm and 6:00pm, as this is our check in window and we’ll be welcoming all guests during this time.
​If you’re running a little late, don’t worry, we’ll do our best to help you get access.

​If you have any issues, please send a message in the Belfast Design Community WhatsApp group and someone will help you. If you’re not yet in the group, visit the Belfast.Design website and click “Become a Member”.

​P A R K I N G
​🅿️ Around The Ewart – 3 Bedford St, Belfast BT2 7EP. It might be a bit challenging to find a spot, but since it’s an after work event, you will likely find one with a bit of patience.
​🅿️ Little Victoria Street Car Park – Downshire Pl, Belfast BT2 7JQ. Conveniently located nearby.
​🅿️ NCP Belfast The Tannery – 1 Francis St, Belfast BT1 1EJ. The most affordable option, about a 12-minute walk from the venue.
​Everyone is welcome, including Developers, Managers, Experience Designers, Product Designers, all types of Designers, Marketers, Researchers, and all UX-related professionals. This event isn’t just for designers; it’s for anyone interested in creating better user experiences and learning from one another.

Belfast Design – Keep learning and meet new people.

​The event takes place on the second Thursday of every month.

​J O I N
​Join the Belfast Design Community at www.belfast.design to access our WhatsApp chat, the largest experience and product design library, and exclusive discounts.

Come down to Farset Labs Hackerspace to our Maker Night in the workshop. Bring your own ideas, or just come to see some awesome 3D Printing or the pretty burning lights from the safety of our Glowforge Pro laser cutter.

You will get a chance to learn and to use machines in our 24/7 workshop.
This event we will be focusing on :

• Laser cutter
• 3D printer

Depending on interest we can focus next month on :

• CNC router
• Resin casting
• Electronics

Everyone, of any skill level, or no skill at all is very welcome to join, enjoy the event and learn along the way.

Bring your own computer/laptop/tablet, you will need to use design software and a browser for some of the machines.

Enjoyed the event and want more?
Why not join Farset Labs Hackerspace for 24/7 access to the workshop, and many other benefits.

https://www.farsetlabs.org.uk

ProductTank Belfast is turning 10! To celebrate, we’re looking back at a decade of product and asking what the next ten years will bring.
Join us for a panel with four people who have shaped product in Northern Ireland and beyond:

• Gavin Kerr, Senior Product Manager, Version 1
• Alison Coote, Product Lead, Kainos
• Graeme Stuart, Product Director, Aflac
• Mark Hammill, Fractional CPO, Direction Matters

They’ll look back at how product management has changed since 2016, from the tools and methods we use to how teams are structured and what’s expected of the role. Then they’ll look ahead at how AI, shifting business models and changing customer expectations might reshape the craft by 2036.

Whether you’ve been coming since the first meetup or you’re brand new to ProductTank, this is a good chance to swap stories, hear different perspectives and meet other product people over the evening.

Share your memories! If you’ve been part of ProductTank Belfast over the last 10 years, whether as a speaker, organiser, sponsor or regular attendee, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with your favourite moments, talks, photos or stories, and we’ll share some on the night.

📅 Date: Thursday 19 November 2026
🕕 Time: 6pm to 8pm
📍 Venue: Version 1, 8 Lanyon Place, Belfast
🎤 Hosted by: Version 1

Come along, bring a colleague, and help us mark 10 years of ProductTank Belfast.

Cloud conference in Belfast, United Kingdom

Bring your knitting, beads, sewing, or any crafty project and join us for a relaxed afternoon of making, sharing, and hanging out!

Swap tips, show off your work, or just chill and get inspired by what others are creating. Whether you’re stitching, gluing, or beading, there’s space for all kinds of crafty fun.
Come craft, chat, and connect.

Tech meetup in Belfast, United Kingdom

A no‑agenda, one‑hour lunch event from 1 to 2 PM with designers in Belfast city centre. It’s about people and meeting new faces.
​Is it your first time joining? Don’t worry, most people will be coming for the first time too.

​Usually, it’s a small, informal gathering with just a few people. We like to keep it that way, as it’s simply a chance to have a coffee, chat, and get to know each other. Everyone is welcome, so don’t be shy about joining us.

​We might talk about anything, including jobs, projects, challenges, and what’s happening in the industry.
​Meet new people, catch up with old friends, connect socially, and broaden your horizons together.
​
W H E R E
​📍 The venue is The Great Room at The Merchant Hotel, located at 16 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ, in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter.

​Belfast Design – Keep learning and meet new people.

​Join the Belfast Design Community at www.belfast.design to access our WhatsApp chat, the largest experience and product design library, and exclusive discounts.

<< Please RSVP if possible on our Luma page >>

​​Heroic incident response gets results until the hero is on holiday, burnt out or working somewhere else. It keeps critical knowledge in a few heads, hides the gaps in runbooks and tooling and teaches everyone else that their job during an incident is to wait.

​Join OOPS to explore what heroic incident response really is, why organisations keep rewarding it, and what it takes to build teams where resolving an incident doesn't depend on one person.

​Expect real stories, discussion of the trade-offs and practical tips you can take to your org.

​Whether you're the hero, the person who relies on them or the manager, this one's for you.

​Please RSVP before we reach capacity!

​5:30–6pm: Arrivals
​6:15–6:30pm: Welcome & introduction
​6:30–7pm: Panel session
​7–7:15pm: Audience Q&A
​7:30pm: Close and head to Crown Liquor Saloon for some drinks 🍻

Belfast Gophers – November Meetup

Come hang out with other Go folks in Belfast. Three talks, food, and chat.

🎤 Destiny Amba – JSON v1 to v2 in Go 1.27 (demo)
Go 1.27 adds encoding/json/v2, a big rewrite of how Go handles JSON. Destiny will take real v1 code and move it to v2 live. You’ll see what changes, what gets stricter, and what might break when you upgrade.

🎤 Andy Graham - Come find out

🎤 Alan Bradley – Come find out

Agenda
18:00 – Doors, food and chat
18:30 – Destiny Amba
18:40 – Andy Graham
18:50 - Alan Bradley
19:20 – Q&A and wrap up

Join us for an evening of insights, innovation and networking as IoTBelfast returns to Ulster University’s Belfast campus for our next meetup in November: IoT Belfast 36: IoT for MedTech, in partnership with the UU IEEE Student Branch and IEEE SMC Society (UK & Ireland Chapter).

This meetup will explore how the Internet of Things is transforming healthcare, from developing connected medical devices to making the AI and systems behind them more secure and trustworthy.

We’ll hear about the real-world challenges of taking a medical IoT product from prototype towards clinical use, including sensors, connectivity, cybersecurity and regulation. We'll also explore edge computing, digital twins and trustworthy AI, looking at how connected healthcare systems decide which device data to trust and how AI-powered devices can be attacked and defended.

Live MedTech Demos - Come Along Early!

Whether you’re a developer, engineer, researcher, technology professional, student or simply interested in IoT, MedTech, cybersecurity or AI, join us for practical insights from people working in the field, live MedTech demos, pizza and the chance to connect with Belfast’s IoT community!

About the Speakers & Topics
David Branagh | Raidmed
Bio: David Branagh is Founder and CEO of Raidmed, a Northern Ireland medtech company developing connected thermal monitoring technology to help prevent diabetic foot ulcers. A Chartered Engineer with an MEng and MBA, David has over 15 years’ experience in connected medical device development, engineering leadership and regulatory approvals, including at CHIC and Intelesens.

Talk: From IoT Prototype to Medical Device: The Challenges Beyond the Demo
Description: Building an IoT prototype that works is one thing. Developing a connected medical device suitable for clinical use is quite another. Drawing on Raidmed’s experience developing their at-home diabetic foot monitoring solution, David explores the practical engineering challenges, unexpected complications and trade-offs involving sensors, connectivity, usability, cybersecurity, clinical evidence and regulation on the journey from prototype towards clinical use.

Dr Aftab Ali | Ulster University
Bio: Dr Aftab Ali is a Lecturer in the School of Computing at Ulster University and a Fellow of Advance HE. His research focuses on cybersecurity, trustworthy AI, IoT, and digital twins. He collaborates with industry, supervises postgraduate research, and serves as Postgraduate Tutor and MSc Project Coordinator.

Talk: Securing Medical IoT at the Edge
Description: Connected medical devices, from glucose monitors to pacemakers, increasingly rely on edge hubs and digital twins. But a genuine device can still send data you shouldn’t believe. This talk shows how hardware identity, behavioural trust scoring and trust-weighted federated learning help edge systems decide which devices to trust, drawing on recent Ulster University research and real-world MedTech incidents.

Dr Rashid Kamal | Ulster University
Bio: Dr Rashid Kamal is a Lecturer in Computing at Ulster University. His Secure AI research looks at how AI systems in IoT and healthcare can be attacked, and how to protect them. He is Programme Committee Chair of MCETS 2026, a two-time Best Paper winner, and a NeurIPS reviewer.

Talk: When Smart Devices Can Be Fooled: Adversarial Attacks on IoT AI
Description: AI now runs inside cameras, wearables and smart sensors. But these models can be tricked. A small change in a signal, or a slight delay in timing, can make a device give the wrong answer. This talk shows real examples of such attacks on IoT and health devices, and explains simple ways to detect and defend against them.

Agenda:
6:30 pm - Doors open, live MedTech demos, pizza & informal networking!
7:00 pm - Welcome and introductions from Martin Naughton/Galvia Digital and Ulster University

7:10 pm - Talks begin

David Branagh - From IoT Prototype to Medical Device: The Challenges Beyond the Demo (15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of Q&A)

Dr Aftab Ali - Securing Medical IoT at the Edge (15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of Q&A)

Dr Rashid Kamal - When Smart Devices Can Be Fooled: Adversarial Attacks on IoT AI (15 minutes followed by 5 minutes of Q&A)

8:10 pm (Approximately) - Networking
9:15 pm - Event close & optional pints at the Sunflower Bar 🍻

Event Details
Venue: Conor Lecture Theatre, Room BA-01-009, Ulster University, Belfast Campus (Birley Building)
Date: Thursday, 26 November 2026
Time: 6:30 pm-9:15 pm
Host: Ulster University, in collaboration with the UU IEEE Student Branch and IEEE SMC Society (UK & Ireland Chapter).

The event will be held in the Birley Building (across from the main UU campus entrance). Upon arrival, attendees should make their way to the Conor Lecture Theatre, Room BA-01-009. We'll share any additional instructions with attendees before the event.

• Pizza will be provided.
• This event is facilitated by Martin Naughton and Galvia Digital. If you have any questions about the event, or if you’re interested in speaking at or hosting a future meetup, please get in touch.

Want to host or speak at an upcoming IoTBelfast event? Register your interest today!