The Limerick business community is celebrating after Minister Heather Humphries announced a grant of €2,279,073 to enhance the development of the ground-breaking Digital Collaboration Centre (DCC), the first of its kind in Ireland, under the Enterprise Development Fund.
The centre will be located at 29-30 Cecil Street and will act as a major catalyst for further investment and building refurbishment in the area.
The Digital Collaboration and Virtual Reality Centre will work with multi-national companies (MNC’s), small-medium enterprises (SME’s), Start-Ups and third level institutions to facilitate the use of existing technology to solve business problems.
The work of the centre will focus on business process improvement rather than new technology development.
Mayor of Limerick City and County Council, James Collins and Board member of Innovate Limerick said the news is further evidence of the ongoing growth and innovation in Limerick.
“I am delighted for all involved in this project. It is proof that Limerick is a city and a region on the rise. It is a perfect example of how large multi-national companies and SME’S are being provided with the best opportunities to do business and grow in this region. This project aims to position the Mid-West region as a hub of applied disruptive technology innovation. As the first of its kind in the country it will narrow the innovation-adoption gap for global and indigenous companies across the region through regional collaborative disruptive technology applications in services and business processes, which will support start-ups, scaling, HPSU growth and talent attraction. This is a very exciting time for all of us involved in building a brighter and prosperous future for Limerick.”
Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council Conn Murray said: “We’ve made huge strides since we launched Innovate Limerick, which has been a major stimulant for employment and innovation in Limerick city and county. Today’s news is the latest positive development in what is a great period for Limerick. This reaffirms our status as a digital and technical hub and, thereby, strengthening Limerick’s profile as a great place to do business even further. A huge amount has gone into getting us to where we are today and I want to offer my sincere thanks to the Innovate Limerick team for their vision and hard work. This adds to our momentum and Limerick’s reputation.”
Mike Cantwell CEO of Innovate Limerick said he was delighted with the news and described it as a “game changer” for Limerick businesses.
“The Digital Collaboration Centre will act as a platform for Small to Medium Enterprises to meet with multi-national companies in a mutually beneficial problem-solving environment. The centre is about connecting MNC's with SME's that have adjacent skills which will lead to accelerated growth. It means businesses can come to us with problems and we can offer them solutions that could save them money and time. It is a game-changer. This whole enterprise came about after businesses approached us and explained their needs. We are delighted they did and we are equally thrilled we have been able to deliver for them”