SETU hosted the Ireland Section of the International Society of Automation (ISA) honours and awards ceremony for the first time at its campus in Carlow on 21 January 2026 marking SETU’s first year hosting the annual event.
The ceremony recognises the best in automation, instrumentation, control systems and industrial digitalisation across education and industry in Ireland.
Dr Frances Hardiman, Head (Carlow) Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at SETU, shared, “It is an honour to host the prestigious ISA awards at SETU and to recognise the outstanding achievements of each of the awardees. I have previously attended the awards at other third-level institutions, and it is great to host the ceremony for 2026. We are delighted to showcase the commitment, innovation and knowledge displayed across industry and education in Ireland, as well as celebrating one of our own SETU students.”
Mr Pat Larkin, President of Ekco Security and keynote speaker, said, “The collaboration of higher education institutes with professional industry bodies such as ISA to produce and recognise the highly skilled talent evident in the awards tonight is very welcome. Companies such as EKCO security need this talent to help us service our customers.”
SETU apprenticeship graduate, Ronan Potterton, was awarded the apprenticeship award for notable academic and practical achievements in instrumentation by the ISA. At the ceremony, Ronan Potterton received the ISA award for craft apprenticeship after showcasing his skills in instrumentation and automation as a final-year apprentice with SETU.
When I left school, I completed a carpentry apprenticeship, which quickly helped me realise the direction I wanted for my career. This led me to pursue an Electrical and Instrumentation apprenticeship, a journey that has been incredibly rewarding. Through my apprenticeship, I’ve been very lucky to see all aspects of the trade especially with my current employer Ellab. At Ellab, I gained hands-on experience in instrumentation and calibrations across a wide range of industries from food production to pharmaceuticals. The mix of practical work, and the support of my colleagues has been invaluable, and I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had along the way.
Ronan Potterton Ellab Ireland Ltd
Ronan began his apprenticeship with Tara Mines and completed it with Ellab Ireland Ltd, a company offering calibration services and solutions.
It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of Ellab Ireland, to congratulate Ronan on receiving this ISA award. Ronan has been exemplary throughout his apprenticeship. From troubleshooting to new installations, Ronan has shown himself to be incredibly capable and technically gifted. It has been a genuine pleasure working with him, and this award is thoroughly deserved. I’ve no doubt it’s just the beginning of a very successful career for him. The calibre of apprentices from SETU are exceptional, consistently demonstrating curiosity and a strong work ethic.
Paul Heffernan Director of Calibration Services, Ellab Ireland Ltd
For more information on SETU’s apprenticeships, see here.