Includes a guest seminar by Sean Gallagher, RTE’s ‘Dragons’ Den’

NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin is hosting an Open Day on Tuesday, March 24th. The Open Day aims to give budding high-tech entrepreneurs who want to ‘fly higher’ an opportunity to discover the unique services, supports and facilities available at NovaUCD.

 
At the announcement of details of the NovaUCD Open Day were UCD Engineering Students and members of UCD's Kite Club, Greg Duggan, Emer Nooney, Christina Connolly and Justin Perry

The NovaUCD Open Day is one of the events taking place during the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Enterprise Week. This week (March 23rd – 26th) features a series of county-wide activities designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs to start new businesses and the owners of existing businesses to expand.

Sean Gallagher, co-founder and CEO of Smarthomes and a ‘Dragon’ on RTE 1’s ‘Dragons’ Den’ will be the guest speaker and will deliver a lunchtime ‘Entrepreneurs Live’! seminar. At this seminar Sean will talk about his experiences of setting-up and running his businesses, emphasising the highs and lows encountered along his entrepreneurial journey and he will reveal the secrets of his entrepreneurial success.

Speaking in advance of the Open Day, Dr Pat Frain, Director, NovaUCD said “In the current climate, entrepreneurs who want to ‘fly higher’ will have a significant role to play in Ireland’s economic recovery and the development of a Smart Economy. These entrepreneurs are increasingly relying on university research as a source of the innovative ideas underpinning their new ventures.”  He added, “The overall objective of the NovaUCD Open Day is to give budding high-tech entrepreneurs an opportunity to drop-in and visit our facility and to discover the research opportunities, unique services, supports and facilities available.”

In addition to the ‘Entrepreneurs Live!’ seminar the NovaUCD Open Day will consist of a series of talks, facility tours along with an opportunity for visitors to meet with, listen and talk to members of NovaUCD’s successful community of entrepreneurs.

NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with industry and business. NovaUCD as a purpose-built incubation centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises.

Click here for full further details on the NovaUCD Open Day.  

ENDS

12 March 2009

 For further information contact Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: (01) 716 3712.

Editor’s Notes

NovaUCD is University College Dublin’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre.  NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with industry and business. NovaUCD as a purpose-built centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises.

NovaUCD has over 40 incubation units, including bio-incubation units, and provides innovators and entrepreneurs with the necessary support and knowledge to take their ideas from proof of principle to commercial success. Twenty-six knowledge-intensive companies are currently located in NovaUCD. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx.

The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Enterprise Week from March 23rd to March 26th features a series of county-wide activities designed to support the ambitions of aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. Ten organisations, working collaboratively are jointly hosting the Enterprise Week. These include the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Enterprise Ireland, FÁS, Bank of Ireland Business Banking, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, NovaUCD, the Southside Partnership and the Irish Internet Association.