Contents
Welcome
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny,
welcomes GEN Ireland
I
am delighted to welcome
the arrival of GEN, the
Global Entrepreneurship
Network, to Ireland and its
unveiling in this publication,
supported by President Obama
and Kauffman Foundation.
Ireland’s economic recovery
is founded on rebuilding an
enterprise focused economy.
As we continue to do this, we
need to develop the passion,
energy and creativity of our
enterprising young people
and entrepreneurs, and help
them translate their ideas
into sustainable businesses
that create jobs. That is what
GEN Ireland is all about. It
will play an important role
in a range of initiatives for
start-ups including developing
Ireland’s new foundation for
entrepreneurship (INFE).
This will help to seal Ireland’s
reputation as a global hub for
start-ups and a great location
to do business, as part of our
determined efforts to keep the
recovery going and continue
strong job creation.
Opening Word
Prof Frank Roche,
Chairman, GEN Ireland
W
elcome to the
inaugural issue of
GEN Magazine
Ireland, where we unveil
GEN Ireland, a new and
independent open platform
for entrepreneurship in
Ireland and internationally.
Through linking, engaging and
connecting those in the national
ecosystem including start-ups
and entrepreneurs, this edition
brings to the forefront the
leaders in entrepreneurship
education, which is at the
heart of engendering an
entrepreneurial mindset and
culture. Universities, Institutes
and Government unite here
to talk about the many ways in
which they are collaborating
and making great efforts in
further advancing the role
of entrepreneurship in our
education system.
In his Foreword, President
Obama’s comments are
testament to this, referring
to Ireland’s investment in a
‘world class education,’ and
our young people as among
‘the best educated and most
entrepreneurial in the world.’
We are at an entrepreneurial
juncture in Ireland where GEN
Ireland can be the catalyst for
new thinking and approaches
around collaboration,
networking and engagement.
We find ourselves as a central
meeting point for Government
leaders - both President Obama
and our Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
- sharing in a sentiment about
Ireland’s entrepreneurial
culture and value, alongside
education leaders, innovators,
researchers, policymakers and
entrepreneurs, all converging
on this one open platform of
engagement. This in itself is
the simple magic and potential
of GEN Ireland that can act
as a spark and a means of
harnessing, building and
advancing a sustainable culture
of entrepreneurship in Ireland
that is inclusive.
Creative spark is the seed...
“Dedicated to people who imagine anything is possible,
who create, spark and start, fall and rise again: the dreamers, the
doers and the game changers”
Maree Helena & David Bradley
The Cooney family,
founders of Boann Distillery
3
Credits and contacts
[email protected], genireland.com
wearegen.co
13 IT Sligo’s commitment to
entrepreneurship is playing a central
role in regional development
4
The GEN Universe
Creating one global
entrepreneurship ecosystem
14 Dublin Institute of Technology is
putting research and innovation at the
very centre of its new campus
6
The new global start-up village
By Jonathan Ortmans, President,
Global Entrepreneurship Network,
Chair, Spark Global
Entrepreneurship and
Senior Fellow, Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation
15 The concept of researchers working
in close partnerships with industry is
well embedded at UCC
7
GEN Ireland
Unveiling the Global
Entrepreneurship Network in
Ireland
Insight and Comment
8
Minister for Skills, Research and
Innovation Damien English
explains why education is central
to nurturing a start-up culture
9
Kauffman Foundation, Vice
President for Research, Dane
Stangler explains why an
independent foundation
supporting entrepreneurs needs
to spawn “a million mutinies”
SPECIAL FOCUS
Universities and Institutes in
Ireland unite to share a single
message
All content appearing in GEN Magazine Ireland may not be reproduced prior to
written permission of the publisher and in no case for profit @ Copyright Startup
Global 2015
10 The cross-border collaboration
that has formed the newly
completed North West Regional
Science Park
Accreditations and thanks
A very special thank you to President Barack Obama and the White House for
supplying the foreword for GEN Magazine Ireland 2015. Official permission was
granted for its worldwide publication, excerpted from speeches made by US
President Barack Obama, including that made at the Global Entrepreneurship
Summit on 25 July 2015. Special thanks to Brian Jensen, Political and Economic
Section Chief, U.S. Embassy.
11 University of Limerick is
championing the links between
academia and industry to
encourage international
investment in Ireland
INFE
GEN IRELAND
and industry through its popular
hackathons
Foreword
Spark and start - embracing
entrepreneurship worldwide
By President Barack Obama
EDUCATION
Founders, GEN Ireland
22
12 Dublin City University brings
innovation to life for both students
16 Maynooth University’s ICT hub is an
integral part of a major str