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An Information Evening will be held in the Innovation in Business Centre (IiBC) at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Castlebar on Tuesday 24th October from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm for individuals with an innovative business idea who are interested in starting their own businesses.
IiBC offers subsidised office space, business advice in marketing, sales, patenting, advice in relation to finance and grants, access to GMIT graduates and postgraduates and research.
IiBC provides space where individuals have the opportunity to rent a desk for up to nine months to research their potential business idea. Here they could run their work in a research-orientated and facility-supplied environment, interacting with other potential entrepreneurs
Five start-ups have joined the IiBC since it officially opened for business in March 2006. Three of these companies are undertaking the Enterprise Development Programme run by Enterprise Ireland. The primary aim of this programme is to support entrepreneurs with their technology concepts, leading to the formation of viable, sustainable regional enterprises or High Potential Start-ups.
InTime Media is an interactive media technology company. Their solution enables users
to interact directly via their mobile phones with television and radio broadcasts. This is
achieved through sophisticated audio recognition software that allows the phone to 'hear' what is being broadcast and respond accordingly.
Tablane Technology is a start-up Internet Technology Company that is dedicated to enabling people to gather, organize and share content from the Internet more efficiently than is possible today. For more information check out: www.tablane.com
WallStress Technology is an innovative technology-based start-up company whose core business is to develop, manufacture and support scientific models used for research, test and demonstration in the medical device industry
The programme, which is being run since February, finishes in November. These companies plan to take up incubation space in the centre on a full-time basis running their own businesses. They have spent the last 7 months researching their ideas further, developing their business plans, developing financial plans, working closely with a mentor, attending various workshops etc.
'We moved into the Innovation Centre during March, and since then, the facility has been ideal for our purposes. Although we are still in the early start-up phase with our business projects, we are confident that
we will be expanding in the winter. In so doing, we hope we'll be doing our bit to create opportunities for people locally to get involved in some exciting new technologies.' (Julian Ellison, Tablane Technology)
The center has also started an initiative, the GMIT Innovation Award 2007, which will allow students (both past and present) at the Castlebar Campus a chance to test and research a business idea that they feel may have market potential thus encouraging more students to look at taking the entrepreneurial route.
Maria Staunton, Co-ordinator of the IiBC at GMIT Castlebar says she is pleased with the centre’s progress in its first seven months of operation. She sees great potential for further collaborations between industry and GMIT.
"The center will serve as an access mechanism to the intellectual resource base of the GMIT and thus helping existing businesses to progress their development, as the level of successful start-up increases so too will the potential for the employment of these graduates."
"We are looking to attract not only individuals with a good idea and all those working in companies that are willing to come out with their ideas, but also a company who wants to link with the research and graduates available at the GMIT or students in the college to consider taking the path of entrepreneurship." added Ms Staunton.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Innovation in Business Centre Mayo should attend the Information Evening on Tuesday 24th Oct. The centre is located on the grounds of the GMIT Castlebar campus, behind the Mayo Education Centre. One-to-one meetings can also be arranged in the strictest confidence at a time convenient to the potential tenant. Tel. 094 90 27492.
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