West Cork communityenterprise centre work begins

Work has just started on a new €1m Community Enterprise Centre in West Cork, while another centre in north Cork is fast becoming a hub for start-up technology companies.

The CEC project, which is co-funded by Enterprise Ireland and Cork County Council will see the construction of a purpose-built 930sq m centre in Dunmanway.

It is the culmination of eight years work as the project was initially recommended in the Dunmanway Integrated Development Strategy published in 2007 by the Dunmanway Inter Agency Committee.

A committee was formed by the Dunmanway Enterprise Network, the town’s business association, which, with the assistance of the West Cork Enterprise Board (now local enterprise office), commissioned a feasibility study.

The study identified the need to promote enterprise, create jobs in Dunmanway and to develop modern, commercial space to service startup companies and those looking to expand their business.

The enterprise centre, which is being built on the Clonakilty Road, close to the Parkway Hotel, will compromise three commercial units of 230sq m each in addition to a 230sq m enterprise unit, which will incorporate a hotdesk area providing space to organisations and businesses for meetings, presentations, lectures, and training courses.

“Enterprise Ireland is providing €450,000 of the funding, with €355,000 coming from the council which is also providing the site” said Independent councillor Declan Hurley.

“The centre will support food companies in product development, packaging and labelling, marketing, and e-commerce and will deliver much-needed investment to the town.”

Meanwhile, Mallow is fast becoming a hub for innovation, through a centre supported by Cork County Council which offers expert advice to start up technology companies.

The Mallow Systems Innovation Centre was established to provide advice on innovation, entrepreneurship, as well as research and development funding.

Louis Duffy, the council head of economic development, said the centre is staffed by experts who act as consultants for these businesses. He said he hoped that some of the new projects being looked at could yield a value of more than €1.5m in the next three to five years.

“Efforts are being made to establish Mallow as a self- sustaining living laboratory,” said Mr Duffy.

The Mallow centre is working with the council on providing free wifi. It will go live in the coming weeks providing a connection from the government cloud network.