Search for Business Partners to Create New Companies Launched by Minister Devins T.D
Enterprise Ireland Programme Asks Entrepreneurs to Fast Track Technology Start-ups
Thursday 27th November 2008
Entrepreneurs on the look-out for their next venture have been invited to preview investment opportunities emerging from third-level applied research projects by joining Enterprise Ireland’s Business Partners programme.
Launching the programme today at Enterprise Ireland’s Industrial Technologies Commercialisation Conference in Dublin, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Jimmy Devins T.D said that the aim of the programme is to “create a panel of entrepreneurs who will get to pick out the best investment opportunities from third level research and turn them in to viable new companies”.
Between 5 and10 new companies emerge from State-funded research each year and Enterprise Ireland wants to increase this figure and speed up the creation of new high potential companies. The Business Partners Programme will give the entrepreneurs who sign up first choice from Enterprise Ireland’s portfolio of potential start-up companies.
In return, the entrepreneurs must use their business and investor contacts plus their experience in the current marketplace to convert a new technology into a solid business plan in just 6 months.
Gearóid Mooney, one of Enterprise Ireland’s Research Commercialisation Directors outlined Enterprise Ireland’s expectations from the Business Partners Programme;
“Enterprise Ireland needs entrepreneurs with plenty of contacts, experience in setting up a company or two and who get a buzz from creating something from scratch. There are hundreds of potential companies in the third level sector just bursting to get out and we need people with business start-up experience to do this”.
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For further information contact:
For more information on the Business Partners Programme visit www.enterprise-ireland.com/businesspartners
For more information on this press release or to arrange an interview with Gearóid Mooney, Enterprise Ireland’s Director of ICT Research Commercialisation or one of the speakers profiled below contact Grace Labanyi Tel 01 7272746 or 087 3286404
Sean Fitzpatrick, Press Advisor, Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Mobile: 087 6292386
Further Information:
Enterprise Ireland’s portfolio of potential start-up companies are based in these sectors;
- Lifesciences
- Manufacturing
- Food
- Biotechnology
- Waste management
- Water purification
- Energy
- Noise monitoring and control
- ICT
- Gaming software
- Telecommunications
- Engineering
Additional information on the results of Enterprise Ireland’s applied research funding
Each year Enterprise Ireland funds hundreds of applied research projects in the lifescience and food, industrial technologies and ICT sectors. Currently, between 5 and 10 new companies are borne from this investment per annum but there are hundreds more potential companies in the third level research system.
From January 2005 until July 2008 the third level sector has disclosed 448 inventions, created 29 start-up companies, filed 250 patents and licensed 118 technologies out to companies. This programme will build on the work Enterprise Ireland’s network of Commercialisation Specialists.
Speaking at the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Conference are;
PJ King, entrepreneur.
PJ holds a Bachelors Degree in Physics from Trinity College Dublin, and a Master's Degree in Astronautics & Space Engineering from Cranfield University in the UK. PJ deferred his PhD in Astronautics at Stanford University, California in the mid 1990's to found a software company, Clockworks International. PJ grew Clockworks from a one-person company in 1995, to a multi-million dollar revenue business and a staff of over 70 by 1999, when he concluded a trade sale of the company. He has travelled and done business extensively in the United States.
PJ has recently done a corporate turnaround and privatisation of CNG Travel Group plc, a UK listed travel and technology company. He has given lectures on developing international technology businesses and is presently writing a book on entrepreneurship. He is a Founder Astronaut on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space venture, which is due to begin commercial launch operations in the next few years. Presently, PJ's interests are focused on renewable energy, both from a product development and an investment perspective.
Peter G Hiscocks, research commercialiser.
Peter is a scientist who worked in business; initially large companies, then consultancy and finally starting his own companies.
As an academic he built up the entrepreneurship resources within the University of Cambridge, from the original Cambridge Entrepreneurship Centre to Cambridge Enterprise and achieved a considerable increase in the level of research commercialisation.
He currently teaches Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship at the Judge Business School and is managing several research projects on the success factors for new hi tech business ventures.
Peter is the principal inventor on six patents, is Chairman of two early stage companies and is on the Board of three others: he has achieved two successful exits. He is an active business angel and on the advisory board of a VC firm.
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Last modified: 27/11/2008
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