Purpose built office buildings such as the Synergy
Centre at the Institute of Technology Tallaght
(ITT) house a multitude of dynamic start-up
companies that have the added advantage of working
alongside the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs),
offering the opportunity for mutually beneficial
project collaboration.
According to Nick Mernagh, Manager of the
Synergy Centre, ITT Tallaght,
Many of the successful new businesses that emerge
from these centres have done so on foot of the
Enterprise Platform Programme (EPP), funded by
Enterprise Ireland.
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In order to be eligible for the EPP, entrepreneurs
must have a well-thought out innovative business
idea or technology that has the potential to be
developed into a High Potential Start-Up (HPSU)
company. In order to become a HPSU and avail of
Enterprise Ireland’s excellent HPSU supports, a
company must demonstrate, through an investorready business plan, the capacity to generate either
€1 million in revenue or 10 jobs within 3 years.
They should also produce innovative products for
export or be involved in trading an international
service.
“Innovation is a real driver of growth in Ireland.
The Institutes of Technology are playing a leading
role in nurturing innovative start-up projects”.
EPP programmes are administered in
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The Synergy Centre, ITT Tallaght
The Create Programme, IADT
The Hothouse Programme, DIT
The South East EPP, Waterford IT
The LEAP Programme, Limerick IT
The Genesis Programme, Cork IT
The Ceím Programme, IT Sligo & IT
Letterkenny
Midlands Innovation & Research Centre,
Athlone IT & Galway-Mayo IT
The Carlow EPP, IT Carlow
The Novation Programme, Dundalk IT
The Endeavour Programme, IT Tralee
The LINC programme, IT Blanchardstown
The access to training, incubation units and the
support networks of mentors, venture capitalists
and academics, that the EPP programmes in these
incubation centres provide have given rise to a
number of internationally successful
Irish businesses.
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