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INCUBATING INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISES
In association with Business & Innovation Centres (BIC) |
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Mary Ryan,
Assistant
Director,
WESTBIC |
VALUABLE SUPPORT OFFERED BY BUSINESS & INNOVATION CENTRES
BICs continue to provide fruitful support and quality resources
for high potential start-ups.
As specialist providers in the
Governments Portfolio to Industry, the
Irish Business & Innovation Centres
(BIC’s) are mandated to assist in the
creation of higher potential start-ups,
enhance their competitiveness and
increase their survival rates.
Providing Assistance
In servicing today’s dynamic market,
particularly for start-ups, the BIC’s
nationally have pioneered some areas
of vital support including seed capital,
incubation, quality and an all- island
approach. Additionally, Irish BIC’s have
succeeded in leveraging significant
amounts of resources into the area of
supporting higher risk, value-added
start-ups. This leveraging often involves
‘drawing in’ programmes and measures
from the EU network in favour of
Irish SMEs, transferring innovation
practices, collaborative networks,
accessing external markets and so on.
The leveraging also includes significant
private sector resources being focused
on the work of supporting start-ups.
This is most evident in the incubation,
seed capital and ICT training areas.
Offering Resources
The BIC’s in Ireland continue to
successfully apply resources to the startup
and early-stage end of the market
and the following case studies profiles a
range of BIC assisted client companies and
highlights how they are growing their
businesses with the support and guidance
of the Irish Business & Innovation Centres.
Contact: Mary Ryan, Assistant
Director, WESTBIC,
T: +353 (0) 91 730850,
E: info@westbic.ie
| AUTOMATED APPROACH TO SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS |
GAELSTORM PROVIDES AUTOMATED SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS WHICH MEASURE THE
BUSINESS IMPACT OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS AN ORGANISATION
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| Peter O Connell, CEO, Gaelstorm; Dr Jack
Phillips, Chairman, ROI Institute; Gerry Doyle,
Impact Measurement Centre; Walter Cleary,
Director, Gaelstorm |
The provision of talent to fuel
organisational growth and innovation
has become a business critical issue
across the globe where it is vital for
organisations to achieve the tightest
alignment of their learning and
development budget to key business
outcomes and deliverables.
Gaelstorm removes traditional
barriers associated with measuring
business impact by delivering an
easy to use, cost effective automated
approach. Endorsed by the world
leader in the measurement of learning
and development, Dr Jack Philips of
the ROI Institute, has developed a
five level evaluation process called
the “ROI Methodology”. Over the last
decade this has been adopted by the
worlds top Fortune 500 companies
and been endorsed by the American
Society of Training and Development.
In addition, Gaelstorm has signed a
global partnership agreement with
the ROI Institute and Dr. Phillips
now acts as an advisor to the board.
With a partner network in over forty
countries worldwide this represents
an invaluable channel to market for
the Gaelstorm SenseiROI product.
Global Niche
Gaelstorm SenseiROI allows
organisations to align training and
development in a cost effective manner
with core business needs. Decision
makers can make informed investment
decisions based on an objective and
reliable assessment in a manner, which
binds people, strategy and operations
to deliver maximum potential from
their human capital investment.
The company is well positioned
to exploit a significant global niche
market opportunity backed by an
industry-recognised brand name.
Growth And Expansion
The company operates out of the
WESTBIC managed facility at the Galway
Technology Centre since 2005 and
work closely with the WESTBIC team
in the development of the business.
Gaelstorm are also members of The Halo
Business Angel Partnership, managed
by WESTBIC, and see it as an excellent
forum to generate funding crucial
for company growth and expansion.
In addition, Gaelstorm have accessed
valuable export planning support from
the Enterprise Ireland overseas offices
Contact: Gaelstorm
W: www.gaelstorm.com
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| MOBILE TECHNOLOGY |
MOBILE PHONE SERVICES GROUP, ZAMANO, PROVIDES
LEADING EDGE SOLUTIONS IN WAP AND MOBILE
COMMERCE RELATED TECHNOLOGIES
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| John O’Shea, Managing Director, Zamano |
Led by Managing Director John
O’Shea, the company has quickly
become Ireland’s market leader
in mobile messaging technology.
The company provides services
such as 3G mobile applications, like
video chat and dating, live video
streams or video competitions and
games. Zamano has continued
to expand since its inception in
2000, employing 35 staff and
completing three major takeovers
and multiple acquisitions. Services
are now available in Ireland, the
United Kingdom, and Australia.
Counting major mobile operators
such as 02, Vodafone, and Orange
among its partners, Zamano is an
established software developer
and application/service provider. It
ranked 5th in Deloitte Technology
Fast 50 Awards in 2006, a
ranking of the 50 fastest growing
technology companies in Ireland.
Ground Breaking Deal
The company successfully listed on the
Alternative Investment Market (AIM)
in London last October, a deal valued
at €24.3 million. Proceedings from the
listing are going towards acquisitions,
investments in new technology and
expansion into new markets. Following
this success, Zamano is taking a
supplementary listing in 2007 on the
Irish Enterprise Exchange in Dublin
to increase access to funds for future
acquisitions. With revenues and profits
in line for expectations last year, and
forecasted revenue of €18 million for
2007, Zamano are on track for another
successful year.
Striving Forward
The Dublin Business Innovation
Centre has been actively involved
in assisting Zamano throughout its
development. Early stage funding
provided by The Dublin Seed Capital
Fund in 2000 was critical in helping to
drive forward the launch and product
development of the company. The
Dublin BIC also worked closely with
Zamano providing them with ongoing
mentoring and assistance. In addition,
Zamano has benefited from being
incubated in the Guinness Enterprise
Centre (GEC) managed by Dublin BIC.
Contact: Zamano
W: www.zamano.com
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| INNOVATION WORKS |
ACCORDING TO BRIAN KELLY IT WAS EASIER
SECOND TIME AROUND
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| Brian Kelly, Managing Director,
Calibration Technology |
Twenty years ago Brian Kelly was
a founding Director of Reagecon
Diagnostics Ltd at the Innovationworks,
Plassey, Limerick. A chartered
accountant, he had just completed the
second ‘Entrepreneurship and High
Technology Programme’ run by Shannon
Development, which was innovation in
itself at the time. Reagecon has grown
to be a very successful company in the
laboratory supplies business both in
Ireland and internationally.
Seizing Opportunities
Today, Kelly is back at the
Innovationworks. In 2005 he saw
an opportunity for change and
established Calibration Technology
Ltd (CTL) to provide an ISO 17025
accredited calibration service
to both industrial and clinical
laboratories.
“Our mission is to provide a
comprehensive, cost-effective
and reliable pipette calibration
and repair service giving the
best obtainable combination
of quality, price and service,”
says the Managing Director,
who explains that pipettes and
micropipettes are one of the
most widely used instruments in
laboratories. “Our customer base
comprises companies involved in
regulatory compliance such as the
pharmaceutical and clinical sectors
that need stringent quality control
procedures to ensure complete
accuracy, precision and reliability of
results and products. End users are
increasingly turning to accredited
calibration laboratories for this
service” Kelly explains.
Growth and Expansion
Calibration Technology currently
employs four people, but plans to
increase the workforce to eight within
twelve months. Kelly says, “we have
received excellent support from Shannon
Development, initially a Feasibility Study
grant together with support for BES
approval and recently a 150 sq. meter
facility.”
Contact: Calibration Technology
T: +353 (0) 61 503132
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| ENCOURAGING E-COMMERCE |
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SOUTH EAST BIC STEERS COMPANY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Appliance Parts Direct (APD) is
an SME based in Clonmel, County
Tipperary. Its primary business is
selling replacement parts for a range
of branded domestic appliances
directly to the consumer market.
The business model has
changed from traditional
telephone and over the counter
sales, to e-commerce via the
company web-shop. Internet
sales have grown significantly
in just over a year, to account for
over 80% of turnover. This shift
to e-commerce sales has also
seen the geographical location of
customer’s change, with nearly
85% being UK domiciled.
South East BICs Input
South East BIC were contacted by
Tipperary CEB and briefed regarding
the business and the unexpected
success of the e-commerce channel,
which was putting strain on the
limited resources of the company.
South East BIC agreed to undertake
a review of the APD Value Chain and
determine if efficiencies could be
gained by updating systems and/or
procedures particularly in the area of
sales and fulfillment.
The Solution
The main recommendations of the
Value Chain Analysis Report were to
implement an integrated e-commerce
and back-office information system,
that would automate the stock control
and sales order process and to consider
the recruitment of staff to undertake
both sales and customer service.
Working closely with APD a system
requirement specification was produced
and a solution provider selected. System
scalability was critical as APD estimated
that only 15% of the potential product
catalogue was on the web-shop.
The system went live in December
2006. The next two to three months will
see the expansion of the product lines
and additional staff being recruited.
Proprietor Sean Sunderland can
now take a step back from the daily
operation to concentrate on strategic
issues. He estimates that by the end of
2007 he is on target to double turnover
with e-commerce contributing to at
least 90% of turnover.
Contact: Appliance Parts Direct
W: www.appliancepartsdirect.ie
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