#CovidBizMap – A New Online Platform to Help Firms Collaborate on Coronavirus
TechIreland and InterTradeIreland, have launched a new cross-border online platform to allow businesses to see quickly, in and beyond their region, who they can work with to combat the many supply chain and manufacturing challenges generated by the coronavirus pandemic and meet pressing public need.
Presented as an interactive map, #CovidBizMap, will initially focus on healthcare innovation supports, but will soon expand to include broader economic and societal responses to coronavirus. It will also contain links to public tenders.
Already more than 100 businesses and supports are featured on the map, including those developing contact tracing apps, companies innovating infection control solutions, firms and groups producing PPE and other financial and wider supports.
Among those featured are NovaUCD-headquartered companies Akkure and Empiric Logic and initiatives from CeADAR and I-Form.
Akkure, a digital health start-up has developed and launched a CovidMedBot, an online personalised risk assessment and guideline tool for use during the Covid-19 pandemic. Empiric Logic, a leading managed software service company, is developing a machine learning model to optimise the ICU triage process.
CeADAR, Ireland’s National Centre for Applied Data Analytics and Machine Intelligence, headquartered at NexusUCD, has offered its expert scientists and researchers to help companies, government agencies, medical centres or charities in the fight against COVID-19. I-Form, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, based at UCD, is using its expertise in 3D printing to provide much-needed PPE (personal protective equipment) to frontline staff working across the health service in Dublin.
John O’Dea, CEO, TechIreland said, “One of the positive responses which will help see us through this crisis will be the solutions that come from products and innovations that are being developed by the business community.”
“As a result of the avalanche of information around Covid-19, and because of social distancing, it is difficult for firms to know what other companies are doing, how they are innovating and if there are opportunities to co-operate. In a fast-moving crisis, finding a potential partner or a customer, or identifying grants and funds can be time-consuming – but critical. This platform has been developed to address those challenges.”
Highlighting companies and groups on the platform will enable them to move faster by allowing them to collaborate, learn from each other and avail of the financial and wider supports coming from economic and industrial development agencies.
Aidan Gough, Designated Officer, InterTradeIreland, said, “Time is of the essence in the response to Covid-19, which is why we have worked swiftly with our partners TechIreland to develop this one-stop-shop for buyers and sellers. It gives firms involved in developing healthcare responses the ability, at a glance, to find other companies they can work with in terms of securing expertise or supply chain input.”
The platform will be constantly revised and updated with new information. To be featured, or if you are aware of projects which should be included, contact e: John@TechIreland.org.
ENDS
16 April 2020
For more information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie t: + 353 1 716 3712.
Editors Notes
TechIreland is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes, monitors and tracks tech businesses on both sides of the border has developed the map, which is the first of its kind anywhere. It includes contributions from TechIreland’s database of over 2,600 innovation businesses on both sides of the border and from the business development agencies and third level institutions on the island. https://www.techireland.org/
InterTradeIreland has been helping small businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland explore new cross-border markets, develop new products, processes and services and become investor ready since 1999. https://intertradeireland.com/