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New Entrepreneur Programme to be launched
Entrepreneurs keen to learn the skills which will enable them to set up and run their own business, will be flocking to one of the key events at IT Sligo’s Enterprise & Innovation Week on Wednesday March 21st.
(Picture: Dr Lisa Keating, “New Frontiers” Programme Manager pictured with Minister for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock. Dr Keating will be at IT Sligo next Wednesday. )
Experts from Enterprise Ireland will be on hand to explain to the next generation of Dragon’s Den style entrepreneurs how to qualify for financial support worth €15,000 to enable them make their dreams come through.
The ‘No Frontiers’ programme is being run by Institutes of technology around the country and IT Sligo is working with LyIT on a programme for this region.
Dr Lisa Keating, “New Frontiers” Programme Manager, will be at E&I Week to explain to budding entrepreneurs that the programme is for people who have an innovative idea and want to learn how to set up and run their own business. “The main focus is on the individual, giving them the skills they need to become successful entrepreneurs”, said Dr Keating.
She will outline how participants accepted onto the six-month intensive programme will receive financial support of €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland as they commit full-time to the challenge of realising their business goals.
Last month Minister for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock, launched the new entrepreneur recruitment campaign, which is expected to generate growth and employment.
The launch will take place on Wednesday March 21st, 11.30am Hume Hall IT Sligo.
Students Engage in Enterprise Drive
Students are playing a major role in the organisation of this year’s Enterprise & Innovation week.
A group of students from IT Sligo’s Bachelor of Business in Marketing with Event Management and Public Relations are organising ‘Inspirational Business Day’ focused at third level and transition year students on Friday, March 23rd. The day’s events are designed to inspire students to launch their own business.
Students from the Institute’s Performing Arts course will present a special performance which will probe perceptions on verbal and non-verbal communication. This will take place in the Institute’s Black Box theatre on Wednesday, March 21st from 7pm to 8pm.
Two student enterprise competitions also feature in the week’s programme. The Sligo VEC’s Dragon’s Den takes place on Tuesday, March 20th from 7pm to 10pm and IT Sligo students will battle it out in the final of a competition on Wednesday, March 21st from 5.15pm to 7pm.
Public support for all events is very welcome.
Business Leaders share their expertise at Enterprise & Innovation Week
Advice on starting a business, tips on funding opportunities and expert advice on digital marketing, the games industry and human resources, are just some of the features of Enterprise & Innovation Week 2012 which runs at It Sligo next week, March 20th to 23rd.
Four days of events are planned for the initiative and all are free and open to members of the public to attend.
The week begins on Tuesday March 20th with the Irish launch of RE:CONNECT, an initiative aimed at fostering commercial links between businesses operating in the West of Ireland.
Tuesday is focused at Enterprise Engagement and also includes; an overview of IDA with Regional Director, John Nugent; a talk by Ruben Cortez, an expert in the games industry and former Chief Network Architect for Electronic Arts (EA); as well as a digital marketing workshop with Aoife Porter of Bua Marketing.
Entrepreneurs and start ups are the focus of Wednesday, March 21st and includes; the launch of a new stream of funding for companies who graduate from IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre and a new Enterprise Platform Programme ‘No Frontiers’; a presentation by Larry Farrell, leading expert on entrepreneurship; and a discussion on the importance of collaboration in business featuring Damien Devaney (Team Sligo), Paul Keys (Western Development Commission) and Joe Quennan (Foxford Woollen Mills).
Also on Wednesday, the National Digital Research Centre (NDCR) will explain its catalyser investment programme and it can be used to transform research from an idea into an income-generating enterprise
Thursday, March 22nd will feature a presentation on Business Leadership by the CEO of Lionbridge, Paul McBride, as well as an expert guide to Human Resources by Professor Patrick Gunnigle from the University of Limerick.
Also on Thursday is the week’s flagship event involving Anton Savage (Today FM), Bobby Kerry (Dragons Den), and Christine Barrett (Microsoft), and the Taiwanese Ambassador to Ireland, Dr. Harry Ho-Jen Tsen, as well as a webinar with Stuart Coulson, lecturer in Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability with Stanford University.
Friday’s programme is geared towards fostering a sense of entrepreneurship amongst third and second level students.
To see the full programme of events go to www.itsligo.ie/innovationweek or find IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre on Facebook. All events are free and open to the public to attend.
Public Procurement – Tips on a possible Lifeline for Business
Public sector contracts can provide a lifeline for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and businesses from the region will learn how to tap into that multi billion euro market, during Enterprise & Innovation Week at IT Sligo.
Public Procurement may be the key to survival – or dramatic expansion – for many companies.It is estimated that public procurement currently supports 250,000 jobs and accounts for an annual spend of approximately €14 billion.
On Tuesday March 20th, the opening day of Enterprise & Innovation Week, Evelyn Smith, an expert from Enterprise Ireland’s public procurement team will outline how it is alerting public sector organisations to the innovative capabilities and can-do attitude of Irish SMEs.
At the event Evelyn will outline Enterprise Ireland (EI)’s strategy for working with Irish SMEs to exploit the contract opportunities available through the public sector.
EI not only promotes Irish SMEs with the public sector in Ireland, but also targets global government organisations, such as the European Union and the United Nations.
A number of sectors are being targeted during 2011-2013 in order to increase the engagement between public sector bodies and SMEs. These sectors include Built Technologies and Construction, Environmental Technologies, Life Sciences and IT for Health, Print and Packaging, Software and Services and Transport.
Carole Brenan, Senior Regional Development Executive with Enterprise Ireland stressed the opportunities that Enterprise & Innovation Week at IT Sligo can provide. “We hope the events will be well attended by Entrepreneurs, Clients and Multinational Companies alike as there is something for everyone in the programme for the week.”
This event takes place on Tuesday March 20th 1pm Hume Hall, IT Sligo. It is free and open to all members of the public to attend.
Networking is key – RE:CONNECT advice at Enterprise & Innovation Week
Irish businesses could do more to take advantage of their connections abroad, according to Andy Rogers, founder of the Sligo Business Network London.
The Ballymote native, who was recently knighted for his services to education and charity, will preside at the Irish launch of RE:CONNECT, to mark the opening of Enterprise & Innovation Week at IT Sligo, on Tuesday March 20th.
The main objective of RE:CONNECT, which was launched in London by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in January, is to promote and develop links between businesses in the western region and businesses in the UK which are owned or managed by people from the region.
The Western Development Commission (WDC) and six local authorities in the western region (Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon and Galway) established the new business network to exploit the positive attitude of the London-based Diaspora to businesses at home.
“During the good years we probably let our links with the Diaspora fade away but now when things are tough and we need to sell our products and services, we can avail of that good will, “ said Mr Rogers who will stress the importance of networking in a business environment.
The former Bank of Ireland senior executive will spell out to business leaders from the region who attend the launch, how they can use existing structures like the Global Irish Network and the Irish International Business Network to make valuable business contacts and increase their markets.
“A lot of people now rely entirely on social media to get their message across, but at a certain level of business that is not enough – you have to network as well,” Mr Rogers stressed.
The RE:CONNECT Western Regional Business Network facilitates businesses at the larger end of the scale as well as many small and medium sized enterprises, especially those in the creative, ICT, financial services, manufacturing and food sectors, who are competing in the global market.
Andy will be joined at the Irish launch by Joanne Grehan of the WDC who said the network had been started in London for a number of reasons – including existing close trading and social links and excellent air access - but would be rolled out to other major cities worldwide in the future WDC said.
The launch of RE:CONNECT is at 11am on Tuesday, March 20th in the Hume Hall at IT Sligo. All events at Enterprise 7 Innovation Week are free and open to all members of the public to attend.
To see the full programme of events go to www.itsligo.ie/innovation or find IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre on Facebook. All events are free and open to the public to attend.
More updates will also on ‘Up and Running’, Ocean FM’s new Business Programme on Saturday mornings from 9.30am to 10am.
Major funding news at Enterprise & Innovation Week 2012
A major announcement about EU funding for creative industries in the North West region, will be made at this year’s Enterprise & Innovation Week at IT Sligo which runs from March 20th to 23rd.
Designed to enhance the links between the Institute and industry, IT Sligo’s third Enterprise & Innovation Week will highlight the cultural and economic potential of the creativity sector which accounts for an estimated combined workforce of 60,000 throughout the country.
The flagship event of the week, which takes place in the Knocknarea Arena on Thursday March 22nd, has been organised by the Institute in collaboration with “Creative State Northwest”. Chaired by broadcaster Anton Savage, it will showcase the European Creative Industries Alliance (ECIA); a new platform and support programme for the development and support of creative industries. The Northwest project is the only Irish programme that has been selected to participate in the ECIA, and full details of the supports it can provide to Creative SME’s and the broader business sector will be announced on the day. The proceedings will be broadcast live on the internet.
Another highlight of the week will be the launch of the Bank of Ireland Accelerator Programme on Wednesday March 21st. Mark Cunningham, head of Business Banking for Bank of Ireland in Ireland and the UK, will launch a new stream of funding for start-up companies who have graduated from IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre. “Essentially this well mean that companies who have come through the Innovation Centre will have start-up funding fast-tracked, which will give them a huge advantage in these challenging times,” said Niall McEvoy, Head of Innovation at IT Sligo.
As always, Enterprise & Innovation week will celebrate the well-established cooperation between IT Sligo and industry, both nationally and internationally. Throughout the event the campus will be open to anyone interested in learning from high profile experts – and a number of surprise guests - about the opportunities out there.
Fittingly the week begins on Tuesday March 20th with the Irish launch of RE:CONNECT, an initiative aimed at fostering commercial links between businesses operating in the West of Ireland, and businesses abroad which are owned or managed by people from the region. Taoiseach Enda Kenny presided at the London launch of the initiative last January.
This event will be addressed by Andy Rogers, founder of London-based Sligo Business network and a member of the Global Irish Network as well as by Joanne Grehan from the Western Development Commission who will both stress the commercial potential of the close links between Irish entrepreneurs at home and abroad.
All events throughout the week are free and open to the public. As well as key announcements on funding for creative industries and start-up companies, there will be sessions devoted to the importance of digital media marketing and the opportunities online learning provides for workers who want to up-skill without taking time off work.
The achievements of IT Sligo graduates and students will be showcased throughout the week. Participants will include Team Hermes, from IT Sligo, the first Irish students to win the Microsoft Imagine Cup after coming first in the world’s most prestigious software development competition.
For more information see the schedule below or find IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre on Facebook. More updates will also be available on ‘Up and Running’, Ocean FM’s new Business Programme on Saturday mornings from 9.30am to 10am.