As Ireland’s creative industries continue to evolve into a major driver of enterprise and innovation, the need for dedicated business support within the sector has never been greater. At the forefront, CREW, Galway’s enterprise hub for the digital creative industries, supports companies and entrepreneurs in building sustainable, scalable businesses across film, animation, games, immersive media, digital design, and creative technology.
CREW's work is grounded in the understanding that creative businesses face many of the same challenges as companies in other high-growth sectors, from scaling operations and accessing investment to adopting emerging technologies and developing leadership capacity.
Through targeted enterprise support, innovation programmes, training, and strategic partnerships, CREW helps creative industry businesses strengthen their commercial foundations while positioning them for long-term growth in international markets.
CREW has recently launched two new initiatives, aimed at scaling businesses: the CLIMB Programme and Creative Catalyst. The CLIMB Programme (creative leaders innovating for market and business growth ) is a dynamic two-year initiative designed specifically for growth-stage companies, entrepreneurs and business leaders operating within the digital creative industries.
CLIMB is focused on empowering ambitious creative businesses to scale sustainably, embrace innovation and strengthen leadership capabilities in an increasingly competitive global market.
Through a combination of targeted training, personalised mentorship, expert-led workshops and access to a vibrant digital peer network, CLIMB supports participants in transforming creative expertise into commercially sustainable, market-ready ventures.
The programme is tailored to address the real-world challenges facing scaling creative businesses, from business development and financial planning to AI adoption, strategic marketing and organisational resilience.
Complementing this is Creative Catalyst, an all-island innovation programme supported by InterTradeIreland. Targeted at established digital creative SMEs, researchers and innovation-led businesses, Creative Catalyst focuses on supporting companies with cross-border collaboration, commercialisation and international growth opportunities.
The programme offers a series of expert-led masterclasses and mentoring support focused on business innovation and commercial readiness. Topics include investment pathways, AI adoption, and intellectual property management.
Connecting businesses with industry experts and collaborative networks across Ireland, Creative Catalyst is helping strengthen the wider digital creative economy while encouraging innovation-led growth.
Registration is now open for the upcoming CLIMB course, Resilience and Diversification in the Digital Creative Industries, and the next Creative Catalyst masterclass, AI for Creative Business. Both programmes start mid-June, and more information can be found at www.crewdigital.ie/programmes/ The conversation around the growth of the Creative Economy, innovation and international competitiveness in the west of Ireland continues at EDGE26, Ireland’s Creative Economy Summit, hosted by CREW.
EDGE26 will take place at Dexcom Stadium on Thursday, May 21, and brings together industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to explore the future of business, technology and enterprise within Ireland’s creative economy. To view the full programme and speakers, please visit edgesummit.ie
