More than forty jobs have been created in the west region since the Innovation in Business Centre (IiBC ) at GMIT Castlebar opened its doors four years ago (2006 ). The IiBC is now approximately 90 per cent occupied and continues to actively collaborate on numerous local and regional initiatives aimed at generating interest in entrepreneurship and innovation.
An end-of-year review of the centre also shows that two client companies, InTime Media and CMS, have been awarded High Potential Start Up (HPSU ) recognition from Enterprise Ireland, while a number of research projects have been awarded under the Innovation Partnership Programme and Enterprise Ireland Voucher Scheme.
Other start up companies in the IiBC at GMIT Castlebar are: Anacores, Destine, Eternal Gifts, Giant Technologies, Messaging365, Ordú, PMG Consult, Powersavvy, Qmec, The Water Guardian, Treanbeg Shellfish Ltd, and Warface.
One such initiative was a start-up programme in conjunction with Mayo South West Development Company and Mayo North East Partnership which funded the programme under the Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013. A similar programme is currently being planned for March 2011.
Another initiative is ‘virtual space’ which enables start-ups access to the centre (incl boardroom ) and postal address (with option of mentoring ) without physically being located in the centre.
The annual public event ‘Spirit of Entrepreneurship’ (on starting up your own business ) attracted some 170 people during the autumn while some 50 entries have already been received for the Student Innovation Awards - the largest number of entries received.
“There has been a lot of activity in the IiBC this year and hopefully much more in 2011,” said Maria Staunton, manager of the IiBC at GMIT Castlebar. “We are delighted with the interest and progress of the centre since is opened four years ago.
“The start-up businesses located here have the potential to be the driving force for the Irish economy and although the current economic environment is difficult there are good opportunities. While we appreciate that many new high technology start-up companies fail in the first few years, statistics demonstrate that those that go through a process of incubation within innovation centres have a much greater chance of growing into sustainable businesses than start-ups that do not.”
For further information, contact Maria Staunton, IiBC Manager, GMIT Castlebar, phone 094 9043198.
