Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor will attend the official opening of the Dingle Creativity and Innovation Hub (The Dingle Hub) today.
The Hub plans to support the creation of over 100 full time jobs in five years.
The new facility provides state-of-the-art services for start-up companies to establish, expand and collaborate with other businesses, not just in Dingle but across Ireland and internationally.
The Dingle Hub is a community enterprise initiative supported by a range of significant partners including eir, Dingle Business Chamber, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Kerry County Council and Net Feasa.
Focusing on three key areas - Music/Film-making, Animation and Internet of Things (IoT), the Hub will place a significant emphasis on creativity and the role it can play in supporting and developing businesses.
eir is providing an extensive and scalable communications infrastructure which includes a 1 Gigabit dedicated fibre connection, hosted voice services and Wi-Fi.
eir believes that having access to high-speed internet connectivity in a remote rural setting will be a gamechanger for Dingle. They claim that the community can retain local skills, knowledge and talent, compete on a level playing field with national and international organisations and attract new enterprises providing job creation and stimulus to the local economy.
Working closely with Udaras na Gaeltacta and Kerry County Council, the Hub will also provide a comprehensive support and mentoring mechanism for entrepreneurs, SMEs and start ups.
The Hub will have two Test and Trial Networks – one for Wifi and one for Internet of Things. These will enable businesses based in the Hub to test their products and services in real world situations and to bring customers to view the systems operating in such environments. While Dingle has a resident population of approximately 1,700 people, it has over 1 million visitors per annum, so there are opportunities for testing and trialling products and services at scale.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor says, "I would like to congratulate everyone involved in bringing this initiative to fruition. There is no disputing the significant economic and social benefits that such facilities bring to rural communities across Ireland. Dingle is a place of beauty and has a strong international reputation, not only for its entrepreneurial spirit but also its creative acumen."
She added, "It is reassuring to see eir play such a pivotal role in rural regeneration. The 1GB connectivity will give users of the Hub access to a best in class network that will allow them to confidently conduct business on a local, national and global scale."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
