Landmark year at Mayo iHub as Atlantic Technological University is born

MARIA Staunton, manager of GMIT Mayo iHub, has summarised 2022 activity in a year where the Atlantic Technology University was born and the iHub became the ATU Mayo iHub.

The past 12 months, she said, was a landmark year for the GMIT iHubs as the college, together with IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT, became Atlantic Technological University and the innovation centres in the west and north-west became ATU iHubs.

The year was a busy one once again for start-ups in the region.

The EMPOWER Programme run by ATU Mayo iHub rounded up its cycle II.

The EMPOWER Programme is a free initiative run by the ATU iHubs that aims to promote and fast-track female entrepreneurship across the counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.

Over 450 female founders applied for 65 places and in September an event took place to celebrate its finish.

Keynote speakers were Galway natives Ailbhe and Isabel Keane of Izzy Wheels, an Irish company creating stylish wheelchair wheel covers.

The sisters have won over 20 international awards, including the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2021, Forbes 30 Under 30, and the Accenture Leaders of Tomorrow Award.

Other speakers were Nadine McCarthy, Transformative Leadership Coach, Niamh Ryle, HomeCheck, and Catherine O'Grady Powers, Glen Keen Estate.

Both Niamh and Catherine are past participants of the EMPOWER I cycle who now run successful national and international businesses.

Catherine O’Grady Powers hosted an Asia Business Matters event on November 30 at Glenkeen Estate, near Louisburgh. The strong panel of speakers for the female leaders roundtable showcased just a few of the global businesses based in the west and Co. Mayo, demonstrating the strengths and benefits of Mayo and its access to the global economy.

The panel of Mayo businesses who participated at the female leaders roundtable event represents over €.5 billion annually to the Irish economy, which is just a sampling of the global reach and economic power here in Co. Mayo and that of the Irish rural economies.

EMPOWER II has made inroads with 148 new products launched, €10.43m in funding raised and 67 new employees hired on EMPOWER II.

According to a new report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in November 2022, women continue to make major strides in entrepreneurship but need more support from policymakers and programme leaders.

As part of these supports, ATU iHub Mayo and Údarás na Gaeltachta launched a pilot programme called Cumasú, helping to fast-track female entrepreneurs in the Gaeltacht areas of Galway and Mayo.

This programme will get underway this January and ATU iHub Mayo through EMPOWER is looking forward to growing this initiative.

The new world of remote work is also beginning to grow with people deciding to work locally and commute less.

ATU iHub Mayo is part of the Connected Hubs Platform and with support from Connected Hubs and Enterprise Ireland the centre has made new renovations completed in 2022, including two new outdoor spaces, a booth in reception, upgrading of facilities and new hot-desking facilities with high-speed fibre broadband installed.

ATU iHub Mayo launched its own ebook online on doing business in Mayo for those looking at moving west in the near future. Castlebar came out on top as the best town to work from home.

The price comparison website Switcher.ie has published the finding of a recent survey which looked at house prices, crime rates, broadband speeds and 5G mobile coverage, access to green spaces, fitness and leisure centres, cafes and food delivery services, as well as health centres, GP surgeries and top schools.

DIGITAL FIRST DAY

On November 16, the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and ATU iHub Mayo undertook a joint initiative for Digital First Day. This event explored digital technologies and utilising these technologies to help the efficiency of your business.

Here is a selection of some updates from five companies in 2022.

Since his participation in ATU New Frontiers business start-up programme, Castlebar’s Mark Corrigan established Marine Cable Services specialising in bringing ashore internet and power cables.

Mark has just returned home from South Africa and Namibia this year and last year was based in Morocco and Western Sahara where his team completed projects on these continents.

Cubbie, who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Mayo, were winners at this year’s National Enterprise Awards, taking home the Innovation Award.

The installation, which is in over 200 schools across Ireland, enables students with neurodiversity or sensory challenges to regulate their senses with a bespoke programme to ensure their learning and academic experience is not adversely affected.

Cytidel, experts in the cybersecurity field, were selected to pitch at the European Cyber Security Organisation’s Investor Days conference in association with Enterprise Ireland.

Cytidel have partnered with IBM to drive their intelligence and technical capabilities and work with some large financial service organisations to improve their overall security capabilities. They were selected as a finalist in the National Startup Awards and will be announcing plans to hire staff from January 2023.

Full Health, a client company currently at iHub Mayo, now employ 15 people across Ireland, Brazil and Romania.

Helen Nolan from Spraoi agus Sport, award-winning social enterprise in Carandonagh, Inishowen, and a participant on EMPOWER Growth, appeared on RTÉ’s Nationwide in November, benefitting from the Toy Show Appeal last year.

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal in 2021 raised over €6.6 million in donations and in total 164 charities and organisations received a grant to help children.

One such beneficiary of the grants was Spraoi agus Spórt. It connects people through a variety of enterprises including with classes, toddler and baby groups, high-tech digital laboratories and a co-hub working are just some of their programmes.

The year gone by was once again a very exciting year with lots of wonderful new start-ups being created. We had seven finalists in the Network Ireland Business Women of the Year Awards with EMPOWER and three winners: Asumpta Gallagher from Best Practice won the Solo Businesswoman category, Yvonne Commer, Rugby Smarts, won the STEM category, and Dani Baumgarten, Dani Teal Designs, won emerging new businesswoman category.

The iHub was refurbished and is now a very modern space to work, with lots of break-out space.

Phase Two of the New Frontiers Programme kicked off in late 2022 with five businesses in Mayo selected to participate.

We also have done good work with Connected Hubs in ensuring ATU iHub Mayo offers some hot-desking and remote working space.

It is wonderful to see Castlebar recently feature as the best place to work remote from with fibre broadband, house prices and safety all taken into consideration. We hope that anyone looking to move west will consider Castlebar and ATU iHub as its home base so we can continue to grow high tech start-ups in the west of Ireland.

For more information on ATU iHubs visit www.atuihubs.ie or www.empowerher.ie.