Minister Micheál Martin, TD Officially Opens Enterprise Ireland Webworks
July 6th 2006
Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Enteprise, Trade & Employment today opened Enterprise Ireland Webworks, a fully serviced office facility developed for the benefit of services focussed small and medium enterprises (SMEs) trading internationally from Cork. Webworks has been undertaken as a public private partnership (PPP) venture with Cork City Council and Howard Holdings.
Commenting, Minister Martin said, “The importance of high quality serviced office space in the promotion of entrepreneurship, employment and economic growth is widely acknowledged internationally. The contribution that such facilities can make to the formation of clusters has also been demonstrated”
“The Webworks is a lifecycle office facility for technology-based companies designed to reflect the need of its tenants to grow rapidly through international trade. Flexible short term lease arrangements will allow tenants to move to the appropriate size of space as business needs determine. Enterprise Ireland has provided ¤3.8m towards the capital costs of Webworks. It is expected that the Webworks will contribute to the growth of a self sustaining cluster of software and services based enterprises within the Cork area. The interior of Webworks has been designed so as to allow the maximum opportunity for networking and mutual learning in a busy, flexible, market focussed environment.”
Webworks is a 5,000 square metre building divided between generous common areas and 36 individual units ranging in size from 30 to 200 square metres. In total the building can accommodate 450 people and in this knowledge intensive age will play a key strategic role in the development of the Region.
International experience points to the creation of clusters, or networks of knowledge-driven companies, as an important catalyst in the development of a regional hub for technology and innovation. Typical cluster formation occurs in an urban setting in close proximity to Third Level institutions and, also, to social amenities. High technology companies also cite the importance of easy access to Venture Capital investment and the availability of a highly skilled workforce and high quality telecoms access as priorities.
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Notes to Editors
Webworks is the latest in a series of long term initiatives in the Cork area supported by Enterprise Ireland aimed at developing technology centres in the region.
The National Software Centre (NSC) in Mahon currently houses 50 companies and houses over 250 IT professionals within its walls. The NSC was also funded by a public/private partnership and the total project cost was in the region of ¤8m of which Enterprise Ireland contributed just under ¤2 million.
In June 2006 Minister Martin officially opened the Rubicon Centre at the Cork Institute of technology which provides incubation space to very early stage start-up companies as well as providing support for the commercialisation of Applied Research for SMEs. Enterprise Ireland provided ¤ 2.54 million towards the capital costs of the Incubation Facilities within the 1,800 square metre facility.
The Webworks programme will continue into 2007 with the launch of the Galway Webworks which is being constructed in Eyre Square.
ENDS
Last modified: 06/07/2006
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