New Phase of Enterprise Development

The Rubicon Centre, Cork Institute of Technology

The Rubicon Centre opened at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in February 2006.

CIT has assisted entrepreneurs through its leadership of the Genesis Enterprise Programme (run in partnership with ITT, UCC, Cork BIC, FÁS and Enterprise Ireland (EI)) and more recently its Enterprise Start Programme (in partnership with FÁS and EI). As a result of these initiatives and the opportunity to assist companies to access technologies and facilities on the CIT campus, the development of an innovation centre was the next logical step.

The development office at CIT researched and brought together an implementation team to design, build and launch the innovation centre to meet the needs of indigenous and multinational companies who wished to launch new businesses into the market place using the institute's Bishopstown campus as their base.

Fulfilling Needs

Michael Delaney, Head of Development, believes strongly in the need to exploit college/industry linkages and to offer assistance to business in the region. "The Rubicon Centre marks a strategic investment in the future by CIT as a service provider for entrepreneurs in the region.

We have for many years researched and developed new technologies, many suitable for commercialisation by entrepreneurs. The Rubicon Centre provides a platform for entrepreneurs to develop their businesses on campus using these technologies in addition to their own in-house developments."

In addition the 2006 Genesis Programme will this month engage a new intake of 18 entrepreneurs, who will base themselves at the centre and at the Tom Crean centre located at the Institute of Technology Tralee's North campus.

Diverse Business Supports

Michael Delaney believes that the centre's role will be a positive influence on the development and fostering of entrepreneurship in the region. The development team of Carole O'Leary, Josette O'Mullane and Paul Healy have taken time to engage with potential entrepreneurs, providing maximum exposure for the institute's wider supports prior to the centre coming on-stream. "We offer a wide range of business supports using a network talent drawn from the campus and from the business community," according to Paul Healy, Centre Manager. "Our current clients and the R&D community at CIT will be our best ambassadors going forward. An example of one such ambassador is William Oppermann, founder of MPSTOR."

Innovative Edge

Founded in 2005, MPSTOR is located at the Rubicon Centre. An innovative designer and supplier of leading edge enterprise data storage technology, MPSTOR is currently the only indigenous storage software and server technology company based in Ireland and employs nine people. Its co-founders and company directors, William Oppermann and Bill Bedford, both have extensive experience in the ICT industry.

Tiered Storage

MPSTOR's initial product is the iBOD which allows partners to install a range of enterprise storage solutions. Through its partnerships, MPSTOR is targeting global electronic markets including both the US and Europe.

Strategic Interface

A recent participant on the Genesis programme, the company made a strategic decision to locate at the Rubicon Centre based on its close contact with CIT along with the opportunity to partake in the innovation partnership scheme, student placement, graduate recruitment and use of research facilities. "There is a flow of research funds into third level institutions and there is a technical ability and infrastructure we can harness. The Rubicon Centre and its support structure is perfect for our needs," concludes Oppermann.

Onward Vision

Taking the Rubicon Centre as an example, it would appear that the investment made by the Institutes of Technology and EI in campus innovation centres, will generate knowledge based companies who can become world leaders in their field in the decades ahead. With 14 companies already located in the Rubicon Centre, all employing graduates and postgraduates, and with a number already trading internationally, then the business model is working.

Enterprise Focus

The Rubicon Centre took on its first clients in February 2006 ahead of schedule and within budget. Finance for the build project came from both EI and CIT. Michael Delaney believes that the additional investment made by CIT was necessary to ensure that the centre was of a standard that could meet the future needs of entrepreneurs in the region. "The planning and development of the Rubicon Centre started a number of years ago. However, we never expected demand for the facility to be so strong this early in its roll-out. The facility today has just one unit left but we are already planning additional capacity," concludes Delaney.