Start-ups emerging as key drivers of economic growth and job creation

Activity in 2020 at GMIT Mayo iHub

START-UPS have emerged as key drivers of economic growth and job creation and have continued to play a critical role to local economies during the Covid-19 crisis, writes Maria Staunton, manager of the GMIT Mayo iHub.

2020 has been an unforgettable year for most but there have been some positive developments, especially in the world of work.

Employees and employers have discovered that working remotely is now a possibility. Some have started a new business, grown an existing one or set off on a new path which they wouldn’t have considered before this pandemic.

The GMIT iHub in Mayo has helped facilitate some of these new ideas and businesses, through the centre itself, the New Frontiers and the EMPOWER programmes. Ten of the top 100 start-ups featured in the Sunday Business Post in November were businesses that were part of the iHubs at GMIT Mayo and Galway.

The EMPOWER Programme for female entrepreneurs is based out of GMIT Mayo iHub and it is for women in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon (EMPOWER 1). This year EMPOWER II extended its regional remit to Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. There has been a wonderful response to the programme with an increase of 118% in applications for EMPOWER II.

The annual EMPOWER Explore event was held online in September with 222 people taking part. There are currently 13 participants selected onto EMPOWER Growth and 21 onto EMPOWER Start.

For more information, check out www.empowerher.ie, which will kick off again in 2021. If you’re a woman with a good business idea, now’s the time to contact us.

Representatives from three companies connected to the GMIT iHub in Mayo share their views below on how things have played out for them this year.

EMPOWER programme participant Lorraine Corcoran, co-founder of Airmedica (sanitiser products), says: “When Covid-19 hit us back in March, Aiden and I, as co-founders, and the team at Cosmetic Creations (now LYNØSLIFE) in Claremorris spotted an opportunity. We developed the Airmedica product and tested it to EN Standards.

“LYNØSLIFE produced over 4.5 million units of hand sanitiser in its first six months of production at the Mayo and Cork plants. The HSE is one of our main customers.

“We are delighted to state that Airmedica donated over 30,000 units of hand sanitiser to local hospices, hospitals, schools and charities.

“Since then we have looked at other products needed to help keep families safe and have launched additional products such as hand wash and hand creams and various on-the-go sanitiser options. The pandemic allowed us to look at where there were issues and ways in which our company could respond.”

Jo Anne Butler, co-founder of Superfolk, internationally recognised creative studio, makers of homeware for people who love the wild outdoors, and client of iHub Mayo, says: “Due to the pandemic, most international trade shows were cancelled and we haven't been able to travel as we normally would to meet with international retailers, peers and partners or for market research. We decided to use this quiet downtime to build on our online sales, design new own-brand products and increase our online marketing.

“In the lead up to Christmas, we launched the new Superfolk products directly through our online shop.

“A new departure for us has been 'Selected by Superfolk' - this is a small curation of quality books and brands we have picked to complement our own brand products. We are the first to introduce the Japanese brands Snow Peak (Firepit and grill set) and Kohchosai Kosuga (charcoal and incense) to the Irish market.

“In the run-up to Christmas online sales have increased. People are definitely backing smaller, independent designers, makers and craftspeople and we are really grateful for all of this support. This has been supported by the Made Local campaign by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.”

Cathal Healy is the lead software engineer with InsurPro Systems Ltd., a software innovator in the insurance technology space, who started working from the iHub Mayo in January this year (2020). InsurPro is based out of Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim, and Cathal saves time every day on commuting by being based locally with the resources and facilities to efficiently work remotely.

Cathal currently shares an office with a start-up company and this arrangement works very well.

“My employer would sometimes come to meet with me at iHub Mayo and having the boardroom enables us to do this without having to book a separate venue elsewhere.

“High speed broadband enables me to get the work done that I need to complete daily and interactions with other iHub clients makes it feel like a normal work environment.”

As manager of the GMIT Mayo iHub, there’s no doubt that 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. The iHub had to shut its doors in March 2020 for the first time in 14 years but we reopened in late June in strict compliance with public health guidelines.

The centre at the time was 100% occupied and clients started to come back slowly over the summer months, bringing it back to its previous occupancy levels. The offices are all individual, and safety checks have been implemented so clients were able to return safely.

An area that is developing more rapidly is remote or flexible working. People now don’t need or want to commute to Dublin or another urban centres quite as regularly as before and have been working from home. Some, however, have reached their limits with balancing family commitments while working from home and need structured office support and to meet other people.

At GMIT’s iHubs in Galway and Mayo we offer services such as high-speed broadband, canteen and a telecoms facility upgrade thanks to the Western Development Commission (WDC) as part of their Atlantic Economic Corridor Fund. People can look at working one or two days in the iHub and other days at home. We can implement other flexible options.

I believe working in the iHub also enables a good cross fertilisation of ideas and synergy between corporates and start-ups.

For more information on GMIT iHubs, visit https://gmitihubs.ie/ or email ihubmayo@gmit.ie