DCU MBA student Denis O'Connor has taken the prestigious title of 'Innovative Engineer of the Year' at this year's Engineers Ireland Innovation Awards.

Kerry-based engineer O'Connor, who has recently completed the first year of the DCU Local Government MBA, scooped the award for successfully combining computing technology with environmental management.

Mr O'Connor invented a programme that collects up-to-the-minute information about water quality from rivers, lakes and beaches. His design is currently in use by Kerry, Cork and Wexford county councils.

"Current methods of water analysis look at each water system separately. But my system analyses water sources together so you can see how they affect each other", he explained.

"The programme can be integrated into local council websites to offer water quality information in a language the man on the street can understand."

"Also, the information is in real time so local councils can identify problems straight away and fix them quickly."

Dr Chris Horn, president of Engineers Ireland, congratulated the winners as "models of engineering innovation that will help Ireland compete in the global market again."

Mr O'Connor's win is the second major success in recent weeks for students of the DCU MBA. Earlier this month the DCU team beat off competition from the brightest of Ireland's MBA talent to take top prize in the MBA Association Inter-Business School MBA Strategy Challenge.