EY Ireland has announced a single Studio+ team of more than 350 specialists spanning strategy, design, technology, data, AI, marketing, sales and service. The unit matters to the sector because it is intended to help organisations move AI projects from pilot stage into day-to-day use.

The Dublin-based team is connected to a global network of 7,000 Studio+ professionals and was formally launched on 4 November 2026 at EY’s offices in Wilton Park, Dublin 2, as stated in EY’s newsroom release. Cillian Leonowicz, partner and Customer & Growth Solution Suite lead at EY Ireland, heads the launch and describes the Irish team as the first time EY has combined these capabilities in one place in Ireland, as reported by The Currency.

According to AdWorld, the team will focus on customer experience, product and service innovation, and the transformation of marketing, sales and service functions, including redesigning customer journeys, testing new business models and using data and AI to tailor interactions.

Projects range from growth strategy and product design to technology delivery and customer service operations, for businesses under pressure to bring new products to market faster while showing measurable returns on technology spending.

Cillian Leonowicz said: “Many organisations are experimenting with AI, but too many pilots never make it into everyday use or deliver quantifiable benefits for customers and the teams that support them.” He added: “Getting real value means getting the fundamentals right, starting with data, and measuring the return on initiatives and interventions.”

Richard Hepworth, EY Ireland Consulting Partner, Studio+, said: “Technology is a powerful enabler, but on its own it is not enough.” He added: “Lasting value comes from combining it with a real understanding of what customers and employees need, strong design, good use of data and effective delivery.”

Siofra Moriarty, EY Ireland Business Consulting Partner, said Studio+ uses AI-enabled solutions to accelerate the full transformation lifecycle, “from understanding customer needs and rapidly designing and prototyping solutions through to build and delivery at scale”.

The structural driver is the gap between AI experimentation and everyday use, which pushes professional services firms to combine strategy, design, data and delivery in one team.

For the sector, the unit shows professional services firms organising around applied AI and customer experience, with fewer gaps between strategy, technical delivery and commercial execution.