Martin Hayes is full professor of Digital Technologies and academic lead for the UL@Work Human Capital Initiative project at the University of Limerick, (UL). Prior to this appointment, Martin served as Head of the Electronic & Computer Engineering Department (ECE) at UL.

Martin is a funded investigator with Confirm, the SFI funded institute for Smart Manufacturing Research in Ireland. His funded projects focus on the intelligent application of machine learning and automatic control to optimise resource allocation in Industry X.0 use cases and also Education environments.

His research applies System Dynamics, Conversational AI, Natural Language Processing, (NLP), Deep Learning and Visual Cognition principles to foster improved operator practice and to better model the manufacturing processes that are resistant to automation.

He also leads the Higher Education Authority of Ireland funded REAP project spoke in innovative assessment that investigates the use of Machine Learning in Blended Education. Previously, he acted as a Research Director for Intelligent Power Management and Control within the Circuits and Systems Research Centre.

Martin holds a BE and ME from the University of Limerick and a PhD from Dublin City University. He is the UL representative on the Irish Signals and Systems subcommittee of the Royal Irish Academy and is a Steering committee member and previous Editor for the Irish Signals and Systems Conference. His research has been sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Microsoft, IRCSET (The Irish Research Council for Science and Technology) and Failte Ireland.

Martin was part of the Design team for the Skillnet funded national MSc in Artificial Intelligence, Ireland’s first, national ‘Industry led’ AI Masters programme. This programme has pioneered the use of distance and blended learning to address Ireland’s technical and skills requirements in this space.

Martin has led the programme of collaboration between UL and the Henan Polytechnic University (HPU) in Jiaozuo, China. In addition to managing and delivering Programmes on the ground in China, increasing taught postgraduate activity and instigating joint research programmes, he has also co-ordinated successful Faculty exchange programmes in Computer Science & Engineering between UL, HPU and a number of other Chinese higher education institutions.

In his (limited) spare time Martin serves as President of the University’s Association Football Club and is also a UEFA licensed football coach.