Business
New head for PorterShed
The Galway City Innovation District – the non-profit company aiming to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation here – has appointed Mary Rodgers as Innovation Community Manager at the PorterShed innovation hub which will open in the coming weeks.
Mary brings years of experience as an entrepreneur, executive manager and advisor to this new role. A graduate of GMIT and NUIG, she is the Founder of Stateside Solutions, an entity that helps Irish companies to enter the US market and former Vice President at Credit Suisse in New York.
Regularly cited as one of the most influential women in business in Ireland, most recently by Irish Tatler and the Irish Voice, Mary is also a business mentor for Líonra and LEO Galway, a member of Going for Growth, the International Irish Business Network, New York Digital Irish, and global professional women’s network Ellevate.
“I am thrilled to join Galway Innovation District as Innovation Community Manager at the PorterShed. Galway has evolved into a major technology hub and now with the framework of the Galway Innovation District in place, we can attract dynamic businesses to Galway,” she said.
“My role will be to ensure that all members of our community are supported and to connect and accelerate their growth potential on both a national and international stage,” she added.
Chairman of the Galway City Innovation District, Maurice O’Gorman, expressed his delight at ‘having someone of Mary’s calibre joining us in this key role at the PorterShed, leveraging her passion for entrepreneurship and advising entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses’.
“In her role as Innovation Community Manager, Mary will support the board of the Galway City Innovation District, to create a culture focused on supporting members of the community and helping them to make the connections they need to grow their businesses,” he said.
Situated just off Eyre Square in the heart of Galway City, the PorterShed innovation hub, backed by AIB, brings together entrepreneurs, startups, growth companies, educational institutions, the Galway Chamber, state agencies and local government. Its goal is to create an innovation ecosystem that creates a synergistic relationship between people, companies and place; to facilitate idea generation, open learning and collaboration; and to accelerate commercialisation.
The PorterShed allows entrepreneurs to use collaborative spaces, mingle with other entrepreneurs and have efficient access to everything from insights into the latest technology to legal and financial advice.
The new President of Local Ireland, the association representing local news publishers around the country, is Head of Irish Times Regionals Dan Linehan.
Mr Linehan takes over the presidency from Declan McGuire of the Connacht Tribune. His appointment was confirmed at the recent Annual General Meeting of Local Ireland at Bloomfield House Hotel near Mullingar, Westmeath.
Mr Linehan, who has served as Vice President of the organisation for the last two years, said: “The coming years are a very important time for local publishers with many important issues to be addressed, including the implementation of the Future of Media Commission recommendations, defamation reform, the role and support for local publishers in public service reporting and helping publishers develop commercial digital offerings.”
Speaking at the AGM, Mr McGuire acknowledged the work done by the Executive in the past two years under the direction of Executive Director, Bob Hughes, on several projects related to the publishing industry but most especially the successful conclusion of the long-running campaign for the abolition of VAT on newspapers.
He also wished Mr Linehan the very best in his new role as President of the association for the next two years.
Mr Hughes thanked Mr McGuire for his leadership and support during his term of office and said he looked forward to working with Mr Linehan on the key policy priorities for the association, including Government supports, Government advertising, fair remuneration for content from the tech platforms and the reform of the legislation for defamation.
Local Ireland members also elected Seán Mahon, Managing Director of the Southern Star, as Vice President for the next two years.
The shortage of affordable housing is the single biggest impediment in attracting and retaining workers in the West, according to business group Ibec.
At a ‘Regional Insights Series’ meeting in the Galmont Hotel in Galway last week, employers were told that capacity constraints and labour supply are the key challenges facing business growth in the region.
Ibec Head of Regional Policy Helen Leahy said: “There must be greater focus by government on enhancing quality of life issues such as housing and infrastructure which are driving labour shortages in the region.
“Ibec’s vision for the West is to realise its potential to become a globally competitive location. An inadequate supply of affordable housing is now the single largest impediment to attracting and retaining talented workers, without whom business investment and expansions are not possible.
“Labour shortages are a real concern for businesses in the region. People decide where to live and work based on quality of life and access to high quality services and amenities. Industry tends to follow talent, and in this regard, the region needs to have all the building blocks in place as the attraction and retention of world-class talent becomes increasingly competitive on a global level,” said Ms Leahy.
Amongst Ibec’s priorities for the West are:
- Addressing housing and infrastructure challenges
- Transitioning towards a new growth model with Net Zero energy powered by Atlantic offshore wind resources
- Adapting businesses to the new economic realities
- Enhancing capacity and skillsets to achieve sustainable development objectives
- Investment in people and skills
- Creating competitive advantage through digitalisation
- Innovation as a key driver of productivity growth
One in five Galway businesses want to go fully cashless, as the move towards card payments and tapping continues unabated post-Covid.
In all, 22% of Galway businesses would like to be fully cashless, according to a survey carried out by BOI Payment Acceptance (BOIPA), a provider of payment technology solutions, which asked Irish businesses about the current payment landscape as well as business confidence and concerns.
Over one-third (36%) of Galway businesses were unaware there is no contactless limit on mobile wallets – just below the national average – while 54% believe the increase in card over cash transactions has helped them run their business.
Six out of ten Galway businesses expect to grow this year despite the cost-of-living crisis and running costs dominating as key concerns; 62% believe their business will grow over the next twelve months despite global economic uncertainty.
Unsurprisingly cost-of-living increases and running costs were the main concerns the majority of businesses had.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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