5. Driving Regional Enterprise (continued)

• Homepage
• Chairman’s Statement
• Chief Executive Officer’s Report

• Section 1
  Achieving Export Sales
• Section 2
  Investing in Research and Innovation
• Section 3
  Competing Through Productivity
• Section 4
  Starting and Scaling Companies
• Section 5
  Driving Regional Enterprise
  • CEC Managers’ Network
  • Enterprise Start Programme
  • Powerbar Ltd.
  • Nutriscience Ltd.

• Membership of the Board & Committees
• Organisation Structure
• Corporate Governance
• Financial Statements
• Office Network

Enterprise Support Networks

George McCourt, Manager of the Innovation in Business Centre at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology.

Enterprise Ireland continues to work with over 220 organisations around the country to drive a shared vision for enterprise development at local level. This co-operation helps identify the current and future environmental and infrastructural needs of key sectors. These organisations include: Business Innovation Centres; County and City Enterprise Boards; Regional Assemblies; Business Incubation Centres; Regional Authorities; Local Authorities; Third-Level Groups; Chambers of Commerce; and Task Forces.

CEC manager networking: As part of its support for the Community Enterprise Centres (CECs), Enterprise Ireland was instrumental in establishing a national network of CEC managers, the National Enterprise Centres Association. This contributes greatly to the spread of knowledge and best practice and to the establishment of cost-saving group procurement schemes. In addition, Enterprise Ireland worked with Waterford Institute of Technology and FÁS to establish a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Development for Incubator/Enterprise Centre managers, beginning in 2006.

Entrepreneurship in the Regions

Innovative entrepreneurs and new business leaders create business ideas, organise and operate their organisations and assume the risks involved in start-up ventures. They need a wide variety of support and infrastructure, including the appropriate enterprise space to develop their businesses. Enterprise Ireland is heavily involved in facilitating this key infrastructural need and in promoting entrepreneurship.

Community Enterprise Centres: In 2005, Enterprise Ireland carried out a review of its Community Enterprise Centre (CEC) programme with very positive results. To date, over €34 million has been approved for 137 projects building or extending CEC facilities. This includes three new centres completed in 2005 in Athy, Arklow and Drogheda, along with one extension in Nutgrove, Co. Dublin. A further €7 million has been approved for a new CEC programme running from 2006-2008.

Institutes of Technology Incubators: Supporting centres of research excellence around the country that create new business ideas through groundbreaking research is crucially important for Ireland’s economic growth and international competitiveness. To this end, Enterprise Ireland has invested over €38 million in Incubation Centres in 16 Institutes of Technology throughout the regions. In 2005, seven Incubation Centres were completed in Blanchardstown, Carlow, Cork, Dundalk, Castlebar, Limerick and Waterford, representing a €14.2 million investment.

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