Keep positive about business and start-up growth is the upbeat message from Irish business leaders and support organisations, including NovaUCD, involved in Dublin’s largest pro-enterprise initiative.

Bobby Kerr from Insomnia, Nicola Byrne from 11890, Marc Coleman from Newstalk and Michael Johnson from the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board have jointly unveiled details for the ‘Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Enterprise Week’, which runs  from Monday, March 22 to Friday, March 26 in various locations, including at NovaUCD, on the Southside of Dublin.

Bobby Carr, Insomnia, Nicola Byrne, 11890 and Michael Johnson, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board

Aimed at entrepreneurs, micro-enterprises, the recently unemployed and other people thinking of setting-up a business, the busy calendar of events includes innovation and e-Business seminars, networking evenings, open days and idea generation talks.  An estimated 2,000 people are expected to attend the fourteen scheduled events, most of which are completely free of charge.

One highlight of Enterprise Week is expected to be a lively enterprise panel discussion on March 24 hosted by Marc Coleman, as he broadcasts his Newstalk show live from the Institute of Art, Design & Technology Dún Laoghaire (IADT) that evening. Panel members include Insomnia CEO and Dragons’ Den star, Bobby Kerr; Iona Technologies co-founder, Dr Chris Horn; Global Entrepreneurship Monitor  national co-ordinator, Paula Fitzsimmons and CEO of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, Michael Johnson.

Commenting on the full line-up for the week, Johnson said, “This is our most ambitious calendar of activity for DLR Enterprise Week and all events are open to the public. At a time of budget cuts and job losses, we must do everything we can to encourage existing Irish businesses to grow and to support new start-up businesses to take that first step.”

Other events attracting attention include the launch of a ground-breaking €4,000,000 small business loan scheme through Dundrum Credit Union and the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board. On March 22, the Managing Director of Call 11890 Ltd, Nicola Byrne, will address local Chamber members and guests at the official opening event at lunch-time.  

Serial internet entrepreneur, Ray Nolan, is the guest of honour at the NovaUCD 'Entrepreneurs Live!' seminar on March 23.  This seminar takes place as part of an Open Morning at NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD.

Innovation and eBusiness Seminars are running throughout the morning and afternoon on March 24,  with an Idea Generation workshop for the unemployed taking place in Blackrock on March 25. The Student Enterprise County Finals for secondary schools also takes place on March 25 with a Third-Level Enterprise Showcase event and several mentoring clinics scheduled for March 26.

The organisations sponsoring DLR Enterprise Week are Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Enterprise Ireland and Bank of Ireland Business Banking.

Support organisations include NovaUCD, IADT, Southside Partnership DLR, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber, Dundrum Credit Union, the Irish Internet Association and the Dún Laoghaire Community Enterprise Centre.

ENDS

26 February 2010

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: +353 (0)1 716 3712.

Editors 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 the industry and business communities. NovaUCD as a purpose-built incubation centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises. 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.