Financial Times again names NovaUCD as one of Europe’s leading start-up hubs
27 February 2025
NovaUCD, the hub of innovation and start-up activities at University College Dublin, has been named as one of (opens in a new window)Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs by the Financial Times and Statista, the international data and research company, for the second year in a row.
The 2025 ranking showcases the top 150 start-up hubs located across Europe, and NovaUCD, ranked 117, is one of only five start-up hubs and the only university-based hub in Ireland to feature in the ranking.
“UCD is at the heart of Ireland’s vibrant economy and as such is committed to its key role in Ireland’s innovation and knowledge exchange ecosystem,” said Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact.
“One way we demonstrate this commitment is through NovaUCD’s activities and its strategic focus on establishing new ventures, supporting and scaling job creating high-tech start-ups, and more established companies, with international potential and reach.
“We welcome [this] recognition and look forward to continuing to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and start-ups with global ambitions.”
Since 2003, UCD has supported over 600 companies and early-stage ventures, through the services and supports provided across the University by NovaUCD, and through the business support programmes, including dedicated accelerator programmes, it runs and manages.
NovaUCD delivers several annual accelerator programmes including AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme; AI Ecosystem Accelerator; NovaUCD Student Enterprise Competition, and UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator.
It is also partnering with IADT Media Cube to deliver an Enterprise Ireland funded New Frontiers Programme and is a member of the ESA BIC Ireland consortium.
The (opens in a new window)Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs 2025 is a ranking of the top centres across Europe offering incubator and/or accelerator programmes to founders who want to build or grow a company.
Approximately 3,000 start-up hubs from 38 countries were identified as potential candidates and invited to submit online applications.
To be eligible for consideration hubs had to have at least one physical base within Europe, have been in operation since at least 2020 and offer at least one incubation or accelerator programme.
The criteria used to determine the rankings of eligible hubs were based on the assessment of survey responses (4,300+ in total) of alumni who had participated on at least one programme run by of the respective hub from 2018 to 2023, recommendations from external experts (such as investors, entrepreneurs and academics), and track-record of a hub based on the evaluations of the top start-ups which emerged from incubator programmes or participated in accelerators.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Micéal Whelan, UCD Research and Innovation)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
