The bright future for ICT in the Midlands was the focus of an insightful event at Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) in Athlone, as Midlands Local Enterprise Offices and their clients came together for an information session delivered by teams from TUS and the COMAND Technology Gateway on the funding mechanisms open to business in the region in the areas of ICT and Innovation. The session was well-attended by business from across the region, and was opened by Chair of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan, Dr. Anne Cusack, and hosted by Enda Fallon, Head of Department for Computer and Software Engineering TUS, with Anthony Cunningham, COMAND Technology Gateway Manager, also located at TUS.

Attendees were given an overview of the funding and supports available to grow businesses in the region, working with TUS to assist in Research and Development and Product Development, as well as developing deeper partnerships with the University to develop competitive advantage for Midlands businesses in areas such as ICT, Software, Data Analytics, VR, AR, Wireless and IoT. Programmes highlighted included the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher, as well as the Intertrade Ireland Fusion and Accumen funds. Attending businesses then attended workshops with Research Teams from TUS and COMAND to look at opportunities and explore next steps.

The initiative comes as part of the Midlands Regional Enterprise to 2024, under the Midlands ICT Cluster, with the objective of developing competitive advantage for Midlands businesses through Smart Specialisation and the wider adoption of digitalisation with business, leveraging the knowledge and supports available from TUS. The Cluster has been developed with a triple-helix approach, bringing together ICT companies, public sector bodies, and academia across Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath.

Learn more about the Midlands ICT Cluster here