Enterprise Ireland is the government trade and innovation agency that invests in Irish innovative companies through all stages of their growth. Majella Maher, Regional Manager of the Enterprise Ireland West Region Team spoke to the Galway Advertiser about how Enterprise Ireland assists companies in the west of Ireland to reach their full potential and why there is an appetite for industry in the west.
Enterprise Ireland supports over 4,000 Irish-owned businesses, ranging from start-ups businesses, established companies and Irish multinationals in manufacturing and internationally traded services. These companies employ in excess of 230,000 people nationwide.
"Enterprise Ireland works with 521 companies in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon. These companies employ 17,633 people across a range of sectors including engineering, construction, fintech, professional services, food and agricultural tech, Industrial and life sciences, digital technologies and consumer products, companies like Aerogen, CitySwift, Galway Biomedical to name a few" outlines Majella.
For Majella, it is more than the scope of sectors it supports that sets Enterprise Ireland apart. It is their ability to work with entrepreneurs and companies right through their development journey.
"We have a broad portfolio of expertise and supports that matches the companies' needs at each stage in their journey. For example, we can support companies with R&D, with talent development and acquisition, with productivity improvements and with accessing new markets. Ultimately, we want companies to grow and trade in international markets. The companies we work with achieved €34.6 billion in export sales in 2023".
Supports for start-ups in the region
"At Enterprise Ireland, we are committed to supporting and investing in start-up companies developing innovative solutions to global problems.
"In 2024, we supported 157 new start-ups, 17 of which are based in the West of Ireland. At our 'Start-up day' on May 7 we met with two of these ambitious companies, AVeta Medical and La Nua Medical who are developing disruptive medtech devices to improve health and treatment outcomes."
Start-ups and companies at the early stages of development need space and other supports.
The West of Ireland has benefitted from an investment in excess of €19 million since 2017 from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund Programme administered by Enterprise Ireland.
"This has allowed us to develop state-of-the-art sector-specific regional innovation hubs for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs in the west in collaboration with key stakeholders and partners in the region. The likes of Platform 94, PorterShed, the BIA Innovator campus in Athenry, the SCCUL enterprise centre and CREW Digital Enterprise Hub are giving entrepreneurs and start-up businesses a first home.
"These innovation hubs are supporting more than 200 companies and 1,300 employees in the west."
For start-up companies in the west of Ireland, the innovation hubs act as a foundation for their development as well as a means of networking.
"They provide a community of peer support," explains Majella. "You feel encouraged by people going along the same journey as you and you learn from people who are at the same stage or further on in their company's development journey."
"It can be a lonely journey, so being able to be part of a community is invaluable." One of the hubs, CREW digital celebrated its first birthday in April and now has a community of twenty entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs based in the hub.
Appetite for industry in the West
Is industry booming in the west? Is there an appetite for it? Majella is steadfast on her opinion.
"In 2024, Enterprise Ireland saw a six per cent increase in employment in client companies in the west of Ireland," she asserts.
"We have strong Lifesciences and technology sectors here in the west, and other sectors are growing.
The commitment to enterprise in the west is exemplified by the "collaborative ecosystem of stakeholders and partners" that work together.
"Enterprise Ireland works with the local Enterprise offices in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, with the universities in the region, the local authorities, the Western Development Commission, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and others.
"The innovation hubs are a huge part of the ecosystem as well. One of the recent events organised by Platform 94 was a UK market-focused trade event which 76 west of Ireland companies attended. Our colleague, Patrick McMahon, Senior Market Adviser for the Enterprise Ireland office in Manchester was speaking to companies on what is needed to be ready to trade in the UK market."
With over 500 companies supported by Enterprise Ireland in the western region, industry in the west is well and truly booming.
