Success for innovation centre

THE Ennis Innovate regional innovation centre has proven to be a success, with even more start-up businesses getting involved as it begins its second year.
There are also plans for the project to target existing companies to help them boost their business.
According to Majella McNamara, enterprise officer with Clare County Council, the new programme is taking in between 10 and 15 new participants.
Last year, eight completed the training programme.
Ennis town manager Ger Dollard has described the project as an “exciting initiative”. The centre, based in the Information Age Park on the Gort Road, is an inter-agency initiative providing support to start-up businesses as they progress from idea stage to commercialisation.
It is a resource for all start-up companies providing entrepreneurs with business skills, networks, facilities and supports necessary to navigate the business start-up process.
The initiative, which began in 2011, aims to create jobs and support the local economy by increasing the number of start-ups in Clare and provide access to third-level expertise and research.
Ennis Innovate is a partnership project under the Clare County Development Board county enterprise strategy and has been under development for a number of years.
Ennis Innovate offers businesses incubation facilities, training and mentoring, enterprise development, technology transfer/academic linkages, funding opportunities and networking.
Outlining the project at a recent meeting of the Strategic Policy Committee for Community and Enterprise, Tourism and Emergency Services, Ms McNamara stated the project complements existing enterprise agency services but it is also different in that it offers university expertise to Clare-based businesses.
Ms McNamara recalled when the idea for the project was first born. “Research showed there was scope for a level of research and development to increase and there were a number of start-ups out there with high potential that would benefit from linking in with third-level institutions in developing new products.
“However, there was not that facility in Clare as the county does not have a university.”
As the idea for the project gained momentum, National University of Galway came on board, along with University of Limerick. This meant that Clare-based businesses involved with Ennis Innovate can now have direct access to cutting-edge technology transfer.
“The programme and supports are similar to what you would find in on-campus only services, the kind of thing that would normally only be available on a university campus,” she said.
According to Ms McNamara, it’s not just start-up businesses that can benefit from the access to research and development.
“Existing businesses can also access this support, this is about keeping employment in the county,” she said.
Ennis Innovate offers customised support, with Ms McNamara describing it as “very hands on and hands holding”, with lots of follow-up help for every participant.
She explained that getting involved in the project could help businesses to work out the business potential of their ideas before they even start up. As part of the selection process to take part in the initiative, there is a pre-validation exercise where the viability of the business idea is assessed.
“People with business ideas get assistance in its development and they get construction feedback on whether it’s worth doing. This allows for faster start-up.”
In the first year of the pilot project from April 2011 to January 2012, 15 businesses were mentored, with eight completing the training programme. One of the participants, Enspire Technologies, won the FBD Clare Business Excellence Innovation Award in 2011.
Participants in the first pilot programme are still in contact with the centre and are assisted to progress to further assistance from enterprise agencies.
The second year of the programme, which began this month, will continue on the success of the first by taking in between 10 and 15 participants out of 35 that were interviewed and there are plans to host special workshops for existing businesses this year.
This year, Ennis Innovate are specifically targeting existing businesses in Clare that would benefit from the innovation supports and technology transfer from third-level to help them stay in business and grow their business.
According to Ms McNamara, “There is a continual need for research, development and innovation.
“The failure rate of start-ups is very high and one of the ways of counteracting this is to help businesses become more innovative. As well as supporting start-ups, Ennis Innovate is about trying to keep the businesses that we already have.”
Partners in Ennis Innovate are NUI Galway, University of Limerick, Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council, Shannon Development, Enterprise Ireland, County Enterprise Board and Clare Local Development Company.