Ladies make their mark in Enterprise Ireland promotion

ENTERPRISE Ireland supported the establishment of 61 new high-growth potential start-ups in 2003, which involved a total investment of €75 million.

Up to 1,900 jobs could result from those ventures within three years.

Enterprise Ireland’s new chief executive, Frank Ryan, is also hoping that the new start-ups, traversing a wide range of activities from top level research to food, will have among them the next Kerry Group or the next Iona.

One notable statistic of yesterday’s new companies was the fact that seven of the budding entrepreneurs were women, compared with just two last year. It also shows that more women are making it as serious entrepreneurs, whatever about getting on to the boards of Irish companies.

Mary Burke, managing director, Bioclin Research Laboratories, observed that “women are talkers rather than doers” and she went on to predict more women will make their mark in the world of business in the coming years.

Ms Burke’s research company emerged out of Elan and it employs 15 people in pharmacological research.

Recently it won two contracts to carry out drug research from two major multinational companies.

Ms Burke is optimistic about the future and sees the company employing 30, all scientists, in another few years.

Anne Gethings is determined to forge ahead and prosper with her Dublin-based publishing company, AG Services.

Employing 10 she has had a very good year.

“I am an entrepreneur. I like doing business and I like the good things in life.”

But she was determined to grow steadily.

“I’ve got to consolidate before I can move the business on,” she said.

This latest wave of start-up was boosted significantly by contacts with third level institutions.

Of yesterday’s announcements, up to 20% of the start-up companies were as a direct result of funding projects from the third level sector, the Business Start-Up Showcase, organised by Enterprise Ireland, heard.

“Ireland needs entrepreneurs with the drive and ambition to grow businesses capable of competing in world markets”, Minister of State for Trade and Commerce Michael Ahern told those at the launch of the new firms in Dublin by EI.

“The companies here today are built on a solid foundation of innovation and intellectual capital and are further evidence of a fundamental change in industrial structure, as Ireland perceptibly shifts from a developing to a developed economy,” he added.