Minister Síle De Valera Launches Enterprise Platform Programme In GMIT

Minister Síle De Valera Launches Enterprise Platform Programme In GMIT

galway.net , 14 March 2003

Ms Síle de Valera T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, in association with the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, has this week launched the second year of the Enterprise Platform Programme.

The Enterprise Platform Programme is a one year rapid incubation programme for individuals who wish to start their own businesses. Successful participants are provided with the opportunity to utilise the skills and experiences they have gained in their employment and if possible to convert those into successful business start-ups. Programme participants receive training in all areas of business, access to an onsite office facility and indeed access to all available resources within the college. Personal mentors and funding from the Department of Education is also available to each participant.

Promoted by the Development Office at GMIT, it brings together in partnership key players in the economic development sector e.g. Enterprise Ireland who support many of its participants through their very successful CORD Programme, Udarás na Gaeltachta who play an active role in the management committee of the programme and WESTBIC who have day to day responsibility for the co-ordination of programme activities.

Minister Sile De Valera in formally launching the programme said " the partners in the programme have a wealth of knowledge and experience of dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a start-up enterprise. Their role is to help bring all resources and expertise to the aid of participants so that they can properly plan their businesses for success. This type of advice is invaluable when a business is at its most valuable."

The Minister said that the programme was a financially supported window of opportunity for participants to effectively research, business plan and test market their ideas. The Minister added "based within GMIT this Enterprise Platform Programme is one of a number of programmes designed to be responsive to the needs of enterprise and communities. GMIT can be justifiably proud of its ability to pioneer, to innovate and to change in response to the needs of the commercial world."

Speaking at the launch Marion Coy, Director, GMIT said she looked forward to a deepening and broadening GMIT's relationship with Enterprise Ireland in the context of the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy. " We share a mutual mission in our joint commitment to maintaining investment in the future, in the encouragement and facilitation of innovation, quality and entrepreneurship and in our recognition of the importance of the locality of knowledge. We hope with Enterprise Ireland to be active drivers of Regional Innovation Strategies and to collaborate with them in significant outreach partnerships. We want to thank Enterprise Ireland for their support of the of the Industry's Support Centres at the Galway and Castlebar campuses of GMIT.

It is clear to me that in an economy and more crucially in a society where knowledge counts, people count more and more. Everybody has a mutual interest in providing all who are interested with opportunities to develop their capacities for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Enterprise Platform Programme encourages all participants to develop a strong focus on the possible, on the value of individual excellence and on the ability to collaborate. It also encourages the participants to see the importance of risk taking and lateral thinking."

At the launch Seamus Bree, Director West Region Enterprise Ireland said: "The GMIT Initiative is a good example of partnership between the Department of Education & Science, GMIT and Enterprise Ireland in encouraging the development of knowledge based start ups in the West Region. The development of high technology companies is critical for the future growth of our economy. Our Graduates and Educational Institutions have a key role to play in fostering and helping entrepreneurs working in a campus environment to develop their business ideas."

Related Links

Advertisements