News & Events

Minister for Small Business visits Guinness Enterprise Centre where 280+ people are employed in heart of Dublin's Liberties

At the end of 2011 GEC originating companies had sales of over €90M and directly employed in excess of 1,000 people

5th April 2012

Minister for Small Business, John Perry, this week visited the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties*. The Minister was hosted on his visit to the GEC by Professor Frank Roche of UCD Chairman of Dublin Business Innovation Centre (DBIC) and Desmond Fahey CEO of Dublin BIC.

The thriving centre, managed by DBIC is home to over 70 highly innovative start-up companies employing over 280 people.

During his visit Minister Perry said: “The Government places a high priority on supporting entrepreneurship and growing Irish owned business. All types of entrepreneurship are critical to the health of the Irish economy. The Government, with the assistance of Enterprise Ireland (EI) supports entrepreneurs to establish, scale, export successfully, and create jobs. In order to achieve this, Enterprise Ireland’s 10 regional offices work closely with entrepreneurs, local development agencies and local representative bodies offering a wide range of supports for entrepreneurship.

“When it comes to promoting prosperity through job creation, the role of new enterprises can hardly be overstated. Entrepreneurship activity provides the Irish economy with increased levels of innovation in the market place, increased productivity, cost efficiency as well as employment.

“The GEC provides an important range of supports to innovative startup companies and over the last eleven years has supported 491 companies, across a range of technology sectors. Dublin BIC also plays a valuable role by acting as a facilitator to the entrepreneur in finding practical solutions to problems they may face on a day to day basis.

“Entrepreneurship keeps the economy fresh and moving forward. But there is no machine or formula for generating creativity. In providing their services GEC and BIC are enhancing the existing, extensive supports provided by State’s Enterprise Development Agencies. Our role in Government is to provide the right supports, the investments and the incentives that will steer entrepreneurs in the right direction towards fulfilling their potential, achieving success and meaningful job creation.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: 631 2200, press.office@djei.ie

Sinéad Fennell, Communications Advisor to Minister Perry, 086 6075266

OR

Debbie Chapman, Communications Executive, Dublin BIC debbiechapman@dbic.ie / www.dbic.ie

*Minister Perry met with many of the companies on his visit including Benetel (Telecoms sector), Zinc Software (preventative healthcare technology), SourceDogg (Procurement), Arran Healthcare, Sentient (callcentre solutions), BankHawk Analytics (Banking Analytics Software), Source BioScience (Lifesciences), DV8 Productions (Audio Visual Communications), Follow The Camino (Tourism), Memods (Consumer Products), About France (Business Consultancy), First Connections (Audio & Visual Communications) and Research & Markets (Market Research).

About Dublin BIC

The Dublin Business Innovation Centre was established in 1988 with private, public, educational and EU support. It assists and provides advice to new business projects and access to seed capital to selected enterprises.

About GEC

The GEC is a 60,000 Sq. Foot Enterprise Centre providing a range of supports to innovative startup companies including Business Advise and Start-up capital. The GEC’s founding partners are: Dublin BIC, Diageo, Dublin City Council, Dublin City Enterprise Board, Enterprise Ireland and the Guinness Workers’ Employment Fund.

The GEC is home to DBIC in its role as co fund manager of the €53M AIB Seed Capital Fund and as manager of the Halo Business Angel Partnership. The AIB Seed Capital Fund has complete over 40 investments to date and the Halo Business Angel Partnership has helped facilitate investment of €33M into 91 startup companies over the last four years.