Programme

Tuesday March 20th – Friday March 23rd

Enterprise & EnterpriseWeek & Innovation Innovation Week 2012

2012

Tuesday March 20th – Friday March 23rd

2

in association with:

3

Welcome to the third annual Enterprise & Innovation Week at IT Sligo. Enterprise & Innovation Week is a celebration of IT Sligo’s links with the regional, national and international business community. It is vital that higher education institutions foster strong links with enterprise, and Enterprise & Innovation Week is a key milestone in our academic calendar. It’s a practical demonstration of our commitment for enterprise suppor t and regional development. Our major themes for this year’s Enterprise & Innovation Week are indicative of the practical day-to-day work the IT Sligo Innovation Centre; ‘Enterprise Engagement’, ‘Entrepreneurs and Star t-Ups’, ‘Creativity and International Success Stories’ and ‘Students and Entrepreneurs’. A highlight of the week is the announcement of a new funding oppor tunity for the creative industr y, which will be revealed at the flagship event on Thursday. The creativity sector accounts for an estimated combined workforce of 60,000 throughout the countr y and this is a significant development for the sector. We’re delighted to be hosting this event in collaboration with Creative State Nor thwest. This is just one of a number of exciting launches which make up the week’s programme of events. Also included are; a new accelerator funding programme with Bank of Ireland, a new entrepreneur platform programme to be offered in association with LYIT, and the Irish launch of the RE:CONNECT initiative. Advice on the best funding oppor tunities, guides to oppor tunities in digital marketing and the games industr y, and workshops from business leaders are amongst the other events on offer. Our students are playing a big role this year also, working to foster an early sense of entrepreneurship amongst their peers and younger students. We are par ticularly delighted to bring leading figures such as Bobby Kerr, Christine Barrett, Larr y Farrell, and Anton Savage to Sligo to join us for our Flagship Event, and we look for ward to hearing their exper t views on ‘Creativity and Success’. All events during the week are free and open to members of the public to attend. We look for ward to welcoming you to the campus. Professor Terri Scott President, IT Sligo

4 · E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T / T U E S D AY 2 0

Tuesday 20th March

Theme 1 Enterprise Engagement Time Event

Presenter

11:00–12:30 Launch of E&I week in conjunction with RE:CONNECT

Ian Brannigan Hume Hall Joanne Grehan Andy Rogers Declan Walsh, Lotus Works Brendan McCormack, Registrar, IT Sligo

13:00–14:00

 nterprise Ireland (EI) E Evelyn Smith, Growth through Procurement Public Sector Enterprise Ireland and Irish Solutions working together

14:00–15:00

1. I nnovation Partnerships/ Innovation Vouchers

Cormac Cantwell/ Tom Bannon

Venue

Hume Hall

Hume Hall

2. EI European Network

Lorraine McDonnell/ PJ O’ Reilly

15:00–16:00

Using Digital Media To Stretch Your Marketing Budget

Aoife Porter Bua Marketing

Hume Hall



Launch IT Sligo mobile app

16:00–16:45 IDA - Overview

John Nugent, Regional Director IDA

Hume Hall

16:45–17:00 Launch of Centre for Online Learning

Kieran Tobin Brian Mulligan Gavin Clinch

Hume Hall

17:00–18:00

BioWare Gaming Industry

Ruben Cortez, BioWare

Hume Hall

19:00–22:00

Final County Sligo VEC Dragon’s Den

Shaun Purcell, Sligo VEC

A0006

Wednesday 21st March

Theme 2 Entrepreneurs & Start-ups 10:15–13:00

Launch of Enterprise Supports:

10:45

BOI Accelerator Programme Mark Cunningham, Bank of Ireland

11:30

EI New Frontiers • Workshop 1: CEB • Workshop 2: EI – New Frontiers

Hume Hall

Stephen Walsh, CEB Lisa Keating, EI

13:00–13:45 NDRC & Catalyser programme

Amy Neale, National Digital Research Centre

Hume Hall

14:00–16:00 Larry Farrell – The new Age Entrepreneur

Larry Farrell,  EO, Farrell Company C

Hume Hall

16:00–17:00 Business & Brand Innovation

Joe Queenan, Foxford Woollen Mills

Hume Hall

Collaboration in Action

Paul Keyes Damian Devaney (Team Sligo)

17:15–19:00

Student Enterprise Competition Final

Marie Moran, IT Sligo

A0004

19:00–20:00

The Power of Performance: From Impulse to Action

Declan Drohan & Students

Black Box Theatre

5

Enterprise & Innovation Week 2012 Tuesday March 20th – Friday March 23rd

Programme

Thursday 22nd March

Theme 3 C reativity & International Success Stories/

Launch of Creative State North West

Time Event

Presenter

Venue

10:00–11:00 Business Leadership

Paul McBride, CEO, Lionbridge

Hume Hall

11:30–13:00

Prof. Patrick Gunnigle, University of Limerick

Hume Hall

13:00–16:00 Flagship Event in collaboration with The Creative State North West “The Flagship Event of the Week Celebrating Creativity and Success”

Bobby Kerr Hubert Kearns Mary McAuliffe Ambassador Tzeng Anton Savage Christine Barrett Larry Farrell Team Hermes

Knocknarea Arena

18:30–20:00 Panel format & Video Conference – USA From Vineyards to Electric Cars….

Stuart Coulson North Karelia University of Applied Sciences

Innovation Centre Conference Room

Weathering the storm? Multinational companies and human resource management through the global financial crisis

Friday 23rd March

Theme: Students & Entrepreneurs Inspirational Business Day Organised by the Bachelor of Business in Marketing with Event Management and Public Relations students with the Enterprise Society in association with the Innovation Team. “Inspirational Business Day” is targeted at students from IT Sligo and local secondary schools and is designed to inspire students to launch their own business.

6 · T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T

1

Enterprise Engagement Thursday 20th March

Main Event:

Launch of E&I week in conjunction with RE:CONNECT at 11.00am The Irish launch of RE:CONNECT will mark the opening of Enterprise & Innovation Week at IT Sligo, on Tuesday March 20th. The main objective of RE:CONNECT, which was launched in London by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in January, is to promote and develop links between businesses in the western region and businesses in the UK which are owned or managed by people from the region. The Western Development Commission (WDC) and six local authorities in the western region (Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon and Galway) established the new business network to exploit the positive attitude of the London-based Diaspora to businesses at home. Andy Rogers, founder of the Sligo Business Network London and a former Bank of Ireland senior executive will detail how business people can use existing structures like the Global Irish Network and the Irish International Business Network to make valuable business contacts and increase their markets. Andy will be joined at the Irish launch by Joanne Grehan and Ian Brannigan of the WDC.

Speakers: Ian Brannigan Ian Brannigan acting CEO of the Western Development Commission, has spearheaded a number of innovative initiatives in the organisation in the areas of renewable energy, the creative economy, regional promotion, diaspora development, niche tourism and innovation development. He played a key role in securing c4.3 M in EU funding for a range of practical job growth initiatives targeted at the west of Ireland and similar regions in Scotland, Nor thern Ireland, Sweden and Finland. These initiatives have the potential to create hundreds of jobs in such diverse areas as renewable bioenergy and the creative economy. Ian has also been closely involved in the development of the unique regional promotional platform www.LookWest.ie which has attracted over a million visits to its website, while marketing the western region as a location of choice to live, work and do business With a background is in engineering and management within the international technology sector, Ian spent almost 15 years working abroad in Japan, USA, France and the UK, in a variety of technical and management positions within the HI Tech sector. He has also worked in the area of strategic business development, for regions across the UK and Ireland. Professional qualifications include an Applied Physics Degree from Dublin City University, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T · 7

Joanne Grehan Joanne Grehan, Regional Development Executive at the Western Development Commission (WDC) comes to Enterprise & Innovation Week with good news about how friends abroad are boosting business oppor tunities in the west of Ireland. Joanne was in London in Januar y when Taoiseach Enda Kenny launched RE:CONNECT the Western Regional Business Network, which aims to promote and develop links between businesses in the western region and businesses in the UK which are owned or managed by people from the region. Now Joanne comes to the Irish launch of RE:CONNECT, to explain how companies and individuals can get involved in this joint initiative which was spearheaded by the WDC and local authorities in the Western region. Joanne has form in creating oppor tunities in the region. She led the WDC’s award winning LookWest.ie initiative which promotes the attractions of Ireland’s Western Region to a global audience. Indeed she has been central to several regional development initiatives involving the creative industries, tourism, and air access. Prior to joining the WDC she worked with Stena Line as Product Manager, and she also worked with Holiday Ireland, promoting that brand. A former lecturer in Tourism and Marketing at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), she also worked at the Michael Smurfit Business School in UCD where she managed a European Union-funded programme to suppor t enterprise development in Ireland and in Wales.

Andy Rogers

Keynote Speaker Ballymote-born Andy Rogers is a former senior executive of the Bank of Ireland and founder of the Sligo Business Network London. A strong advocate of strengthening our links with the Irish diaspora in order to create oppor tunities and markets for businesses at home, Andy is coming to IT Sligo for the launch of RE:CONNECT, the Western Regional Business Network. The principal of Rogers Associates Ltd, a consultancy which provides both strategic advice and mentoring suppor t at board level to many European companies, he is a non-Executive Director of many companies including VGC Group Ltd; Global Shares PLC; Premium Golf Bands Ltd. Andy worked with Bank of Ireland for over 38 years, in Ireland and London. He was the first Irish person to become a member of the Foundation Board of IMD in Lausanne. His dynamism has been as effective in the voluntar y sector. Andy is a Board member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Council member of the Ireland Fund of Great Britain, Patron of SafeStar t, Trustee of More than Gold; a member of the London 2012 Forum and Chair of the Irish Community Group at LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was Knighted in Nov 2011 for ser vices to education and charities, becoming a Knight of the Sacred Militar y Constantinian Order of St George.

8 · T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T

14.00–15.00

13.00–14.00

EI Growth through Procurement Public Sector and Irish Solutions working together. Evelyn Smith Evelyn Smith comes to Enterprise & Innovation Week with an insight into how public sector contracts can help companies sur vive in this challenging environment. Evelyn is a Senior Market Adviser in Enterprise Ireland’s Public Procurement team. Her current responsibilities include working with Irish companies to connect them to the procurement oppor tunities in the Irish public sector and targeted Tier 1 system integrators. Before joining the Public Procurement team, Evelyn held roles in Corporate Marketing, Internationally Traded Ser vices and the High Potential Star t-up divisions in Enterprise Ireland. Prior to joining Enterprise Ireland, she worked in the private sector in a number of marketing roles, including six years with a South African fruit co-operative based in London. Evelyn has a Bachelor Degree in Business Studies (Dublin Business School), a Diploma in General Management and a Post Grad in Strategic Marketing Management (IMI).

1. Innovation Partnership / Innovation Vouchers Dr. Tom Bannon Dr. Tom Bannon’s speciality is linking innovative companies with specialists in Irish Higher Education Institutions. Research is the key to the par tnerships he develops. Dr Bannon joined Enterprise Ireland in 2008 to manage the Innovation Par tnership Programme. The main focus of his work is linking Irish-based companies who wish to develop innovative products, processes or ser vices with specialists in Irish Higher Education Institutions. He does this by encouraging the creation of collaborative research projects involving both companies and colleges. More than 200 such research par tnerships have received over €30 million in funding from the Innovation Par tnership Programme team in the last four years. Dr Bannon spent ten years working in various R&D and Product & Process Development engineering roles in the Semiconductor and Nuclear Power Industries. Throughout this period he worked in Ireland, Canada and the USA.

T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T · 9

2. EI EEN

15.00–16.00 Lorraine McDonnell Lorraine is the Enterprise Europe Network Project Manager with Sligo Chamber.

The Enterprise Europe Network helps small business to make the most of the European marketplace. Lorraine has worked at the EEN offices since 2007. Responsibilities include managing and developing the affairs of the Enterprise Europe Network centre and providing information, advice and assistance to SMEs on matters relating to international trade and the EU. She has a Degree in Business Management. P.J. O’Reilly P.J. O’Reilly is here to talk about business oppor tunities in European and international markets. He is Enterprise Europe Network’s Regional Manager. Based in Athlone, he is responsible for the entire countr y. P J’s responsibilities include developing the ethos of technology transfer and research and development in Irish industr y. His talk will be of special interest to those anxious to grow their business and to know how Enterprise Europe Network can help Irish SMEs. He will also have words of advice about how to access funding.

Using Digital Media to stretch your Marketing Budget Aoife Porter Aoife Por ter believes in big ideas and customercentric digital marketing. Aoife founded Bua Marketing in IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre in 2009 after spending a number of years in sales and marketing roles with large blue-chip companies including Microsoft Ireland and Thirdforce Plc. An award winning digital marketing agency based in Sligo, Bua Marketing delivers digital marketing advice and ser vices to a wide variety of clients including the Western Development Commission, IT Sligo, The Model ar ts centre, Good4U Health Foods and Fastcom Telecom. Bua Marketing won the Irish Internet Association Net Visionar y Award for ‘Best in Digital Marketing’ in 2011. As par t of an integrated marketing strategy, online marketing enables you to engage with your customers in more direct, cost-effective and exciting ways than ever previously existed. So what? Most organisations are over whelmed, by the sheer scale of channels that exist; the speed at which the market is evolving; and ultimately how to quantify whether digital marketing is having any impact on their bottom line. This session will explore how to choose the right digital marketing activities for your customer-base, how to really engage your customers and most impor tantly how to measure the success of your investment in digital marketing.

10 · T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T

16.45–17.00

16:00–16:45

IDA John Nugent John has worked in IDA for over 9 years, joining IDA from its sister agency Enterprise Ireland in 2002. His IDA career star ted in Sligo where he worked in IDA’s Engineering Division. From 2006 to 2009 he was based in the US working in IDA’s Silicon Valley Office. During this period he worked as par t of a team that secured investments into Ireland from many leading-edge multinational technology and social media companies such as Facebook, PayPal and LinkedIn. Since his return from Silicon Valley and prior to his appointment John has been par t of IDA’s Clean Technologies Division focusing specifically on the US and Chinese markets. John studied Chemistr y at IT Sligo and Queens University graduating with an honours degree in 1992. He began his career with Enterprise Ireland (then EOLAS) in 1992 initially working as an industrial chemist providing a range of ser vices to Irish based industr y, laterally working in a business advisor y role with Enterprise Ireland in the Nor th West region based in Sligo. While working John has returned to study twice completing a Masters Degree in Environmental Protection in 1999 and a Diploma in Business Strategy at the Irish Management Institute in 2003.

Launch of Centre for Online Learning IT Sligo now has a new and extended Centre for Online Learning (COL). Now more than ever, it is important for both companies and individuals to keep their skills base fresh. Learning online provides an ideal opportunity for companies and individuals to access training while continuing in normal employment. The Institute currently works with a variety of companies in the provision of educational training programmes and the overarching objective of the new Centre for Online Learning is to develop online learning processes throughout the Institute and to drive growth in the area through corporate and international markets. Three programmes managers – Gavin Clinch, Brian Mulligan and Kieran Tobin - are now working within the Centre to identify new partners nationally and internationally. IT Sligo is the national leader in online learning. We currently provide 27 courses online to more than 800 students across Ireland, Europe, Africa and Canada. The continued growth of this area is a strategic priority for the Institute. To contact the COL call + 353 71 913 7327 or email [email protected] Speakers: Online Learning at IT Sligo – Enterprising and Innovative Kieran Tobin Kieran has a primar y qualification in mechanical engineering which was supplemented in later years with an Masters in Business Administration (MBA) qualification. Before joining IT Sligo he worked extensively in the Medical Device, Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical

T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T · 11

Pictured with the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn TD are from left to right: John Kelly, Citrix; Frank Carter, former Head of School of Engineering; Gavin Clinch, Brian Mulligan, and Kieran Tobin, Centre for Online Learning; and Professor Terri Scott, President at IT Sligo.

industries in Ireland and abroad in Engineering, Operations Management and Product Development roles. At IT Sligo he has lectured in Biomedical Science, Pharmaceutical Science and Medical Biotechnology and his main area of ongoing interest is in Biopharmaceutical Processing. He maintains close links with the Biopharmaceutical industr y and has been a main contact person between IT Sligo and NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training) for the past number of years. Kieran’s primar y focus in the new Centre for Online Learning (COL) is in the areas of Business Processing and Business Development. How we teach online learning Brian Mulligan Brian Mulligan is a Civil Engineer with a Masters in Engineering Design. His original work was mostly in mathematical modelling and simulation and the application of information technology within engineering and has lectured in IT Sligo since 1984. He has been instrumental in the rapid growth in online learning in IT Sligo since 2002 and significantly involved in the growth of e-learning in Ireland since 1999, organising the EdTech series of conferences from 2000 to 2006 and as a founding member of the Irish Learning Technology Association in 2002. His main areas of exper tise are now in

web-casting, webinar management, synchronous online training, instructorled online training, lecture capture and the rapid development of online training. As Programme Manager with the Centre for Online Learning Brian is jointly responsible for growing the number of programmes delivered online, staff development and best practice in online pedagogy. Future opportunities for online learning Gavin Clinch After graduating from the Bar tlett School of Architecture, University College London Gavin practiced as an architect in the UK and Germany for 15 years. Since joining IT Sligo in 2001 he has lectured in Interior Architecture and is the Course Coordinator of the online Construction Management programme. He was centrally involved in the development and professional accreditation of a number of Level 8 and 9 programmes. Gavin is currently completing an MA in Learning and Teaching. His disser tation topic is Communities of Practice. As Programme Manager with the Centre for Online Learning, Gavin is responsible for growing the number of programmes delivered online, staff development and best practice in online pedagogy.

12 · T U E S D AY 2 0 / E N T E R P R I S E E N G A G E M E N T

17.00–18.00

BioWare-Gaming Industry BioWare develops computer, console, handheld and online video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. Since 1995, Bioware has created some of the world’s best-selling titles including the award-winning Baldur’s Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for the Nintendo DS™. Original BioWarecreated intellectual properties include Jade Empire™ and the 2007 Game of the Year, Mass Effect. With studios in Edmonton, Canada, and Austin, Texas, Fairfax, Virginia and Galway, Ireland, BioWare is hard at work on the epic fantasy RPG, Dragon Age™: Origins, and a story-driven MMO, Star Wars®: The Old Republic™ as well as several unannounced projects. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by the world’s leading electronic entertainment publisher, Electronic Arts. Ruben Cortez Ruben has spent his 16 year in-industr y career specialsing in online video gaming. In 1997, he helped build and run the infrastructure for the world’s first globally distributed “MMO”, Ultima Online, for developer Origin Systems, a subsidiar y of Electronic Ar ts Inc. In 1999, he joined the EA Operations team in California where he continued to run UO while building the EA.com online network as the Chief Network Architect for EA. During his tenure with EA he worked to launch several MMO’s, many other Online Games and websites, and ultimately was responsible for EA’s global online and corporate network and internet presence which spanned 40 countries and 6 continents.

In 2006, Ruben joined Bioware and has responsibility for Bioware Ireland as Senior Director of European Operations where he has fiscal and management responsibility for the company. He is also responsible for the Global Online Infrastructure and Operations group for Star Wars The Old Republic, the largest and most ambitious MMO launch in gaming histor y. 19.00–22.00

Final County Sligo VEC Dragon’s Den

The Sligo VEC Dragon’s Den competition is based on the popular TV programme and gives students the opportunity to come up with a creative and unique idea for a new business venture. Finalists representing a number of Sligo VEC schools and PLCs throughout the county will battle it out to be the 2012 winner of the Dragon’s Den competition. The aspiring entrepreneurs will pitch their innovative ideas to a panel of three local business people known as the ‘dragons’. This event is being sponsored by Sligo County Enterprise Board, Sligo Credit Union and Sligo VEC. This is the third year of the competition and it always promises to be a fun and energetic evening. The prize for overall winners is an iPad or alternatively vouchers to the same value to share between team members.

W E D N E S D AY 2 1 / E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S TA R T - U P S · 13

2

Mark Cunningham

Keynote Speaker

Entrepreneurs & Start-ups

Mark Cunningham is Bank of Ireland’s Director of Business Banking across Ireland and the UK.

Wednesday 21st March

Main Event:

BOI Accelerator Programme at 10.45 As part of its commitment to supporting and growing relationships with small and medium enterprises throughout Sligo, Bank of Ireland is launching a new funding programme for companies emerging from IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre. As part of the move, Bank of Ireland Sligo is allocating a business banker to work closely with the Innovation Centre in order to gain a better understanding of the business needs of the companies located there. The aim of the programme is threefold; · To ensure that companies get the required support in terms of advice and access to finance. · To ensure that companies and startups have access to an experienced business banker. · To ensure that all applications are assessed in a timely manner. In advance of the launch, Business Manager, Paddy Leydon, said: “Bank of Ireland is looking forward to further strengthening its close relationship with IT Sligo. Support of start-up companies and growing companies will be a key factor to growing the local economy. The Innovation Centre at IT Sligo is an invaluable local resource, which provides a platform for start-up companies to get their ideas off the ground.”

He comes to Enterprise & Innovation Week with good news about the Bank of Ireland Accelerator programme which will fast track funding for companies which have graduated from IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre. Previously Mark was Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Private Banking, Ireland’s largest private bank, a Director of BIAM and Managing Director of the Bank’s Trust and Custody Operations. He is a law graduate of TCD and holds an FCCA qualification 11.30 Workshop 1: CEB Stephen Walsh The title of Stephen’s presentation is: ‘Suppor ts & Ser vices of Sligo County Enterprise Board’ Stephen is the Business Executive of Sligo County Enterprise Board. He is responsible for the provision of business advice, the organisation of Sligo County Enterprise Boards Business Skills Training Programmes, and the promotion of enterprise in second-level Schools via the National Student Enterprise Awards.

W E D N E S D AY 2 1 / E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S TA R T - U P S · 15

Workshop 2: EI – New Frontiers Dr. Lisa Keating Lisa Keating is a Programme Manager with Enterprise Ireland, the state agency responsible for the development of indigenous Irish business. Lisa will give a presentation on Enterprise Irelands recently launched programme New Frontiers. Lisa has worked with EI for five years on a number of initiatives enhancing collaboration between companies and 3rd level institutes, and research commercialisation. In her prior career she worked as the academic liaison between the Depar tment of Trade & Industr y and the Research Councils in the UK. She is a graduate of UCD and holds a doctorate in microbial physiology. New Frontiers is Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme that is delivered at a local level by IT Sligo in collaboration with LYIT. If you have an innovative business idea and are planning to establish and run your own company the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme can provide you with a package of suppor ts to help accelerate your business development and to equip you with the skills and contacts that you need to successfully star t and grow your company.

13:00–13:45

NDRC & Catalyser programme Amy Neale Amy Neale is Communications and Programme Manager at the National Digital Research Centre (NDR). Her presentation will focus on the work of the NDRC, as she explains its investment programmes and how it collaborate with researchers and companies. Amy has 10 years experience in the area of research and technology commercialisation. She has specialised in technology and investment marketing, and has vast experience of working with researchers, technologists and star t-up founders. In her role as Communications and Programme Manager at NDRC, Amy is responsible for NDRC’s communications and brand management, as well as the development of the organisation’s investment programmes. Before arriving in Ireland in 2008, Amy led the business development team at Queen Mar y, University of London. Amy has a research background, and completed her PhD in Linguistics at Cardiff University in 2002.

16 · W E D N E S D AY 2 1 / E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S TA R T - U P S

16:00–17:00

14:00–16:00

Larry Farrell – The New Age Entrepreneur Larry Farrell Larr y Farrell is the Founding Chairman of The Farrell Company, the world’s leading firm for researching and teaching entrepreneurship. He founded the firm in 1983 to research the high-growth business practices of the world’s great entrepreneurs – and distil them into a set of practices that could be taught to others. That challenging goal has been achieved. Over the past quarter centur y, Larr y has met and inter viewed several thousand entrepreneurs and has personally taught entrepreneurship to more individuals, organizations, and governments than any person in the world. His latest book -- The New Entrepreneurial Age (2011) -- is a timely revision of his three earlier books and his Conference Board Review columns – combined with an up-to-the-minute accounting of ever ything his company has learned about helping people, companies, and governments around the world apply the economic power of entrepreneurship. Larr y is a welcome visitor to both Ireland and IT Sligo as this is his third year to present at IT Sligo’s Enterprise & Innovation Week. Each year Larr y’s master classes and workshops for entrepreneurs attract a loyal following. Larry has served on the Boards of The Economic Development Society in the US and The Journal Of Strategic Change in London. Currently he is a Contributing Editor for The Conference Board Review in New York, a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine in India, and an Advisory Board member to Cambridge University’s Enterprise Solutions to Poverty project in the UK.

Case Study of Foxford Woollen Mills, Co. Mayo Joe Queenan Joe Queenan is Managing Director of Foxford Woollen Mills, Co. Mayo, a traditional brand which has managed to keep pace with contemporar y trends without losing its classic image. Joe transformed the future prospects of the Woollen Mill when he took it over in 1990. He made a significant investment which helped to modernise the Mill and re-invent the brand. Joe will give his audience the benefits of his vast experience and talk about entrepreneurship, business growth and brand development in a changing business environment. Joe obtained his ACCA qualification following his studies in IT Sligo.

Team Sligo – Collaboration In Action. Paul Keyes Paul Keyes is Head of Corporate Ser vices at the Western Development Commission, a Government Agency charged with promoting the economic and social development of the West of Ireland region. He is also a founder member of Team Sligo Tourism which aims through collaboration with the relevant agencies and stakeholders to significantly increase visitor numbers to the region. Paul will speak about Team Sligo’s aims and how it believes in increasing

W E D N E S D AY 2 1 / E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S TA R T - U P S · 17

the awareness and appeal of the county through public/private collaborative action. Paul previously was a Commandant in the Irish Defence Forces. He holds an MA, Leadership, Management, Defence Studies from NUI Maynooth and a BA, Economics, Social and Political Science from NUI, Galway. Damian Devaney A former Chairman of The Marketing Institute of Ireland, Damian Devaney believes that cooperation between interested par ties is a key to selling the region. Along with other interested par ties, he established Team Sligo Tourism, a collaborative network focussed on tourism development in County Sligo, in a bid to put the destination on the map for domestic and overseas visitors Team Sligo’s objective is to substantially increase visitor numbers by increasing the awareness and appeal of the county through public/private collaborative action. Damian will join Paul Keyes to give a brief outline of how Team Sligo Tourism was created, an over view of the work to date and its future plans.

Damien currently runs a strategic marketing and business improvement consultancy and is a non-executive board member at Cybercom Digital Marketing Agency and The Irish Marketing Institute. He is also the Professional Games Board at Connacht Rugby and is the outgoing chairman of the Sligo Live festival. He began his career with the Irish Trade Board’s Marketplace program in 1992 after completing a Hons BA and a Grad Dip in Business Admin at UL. He has since held marketing positions in Bank of Ireland, James Rivers, Gilbeys of Ireland, Eircom, Diageo, and Coca Cola Ireland and most recently was the marketing director of O2. 17:15–19:00

Student Enterprise Competition Final Four teams will present a case study analysis to a panel of industry and academic judges, in the hope of winning the first IT Sligo Student Enterprise Competition. The competition is all about encouraging an entrepreneurial approach among students, while giving them the opportunity to learn about reallife business challenges and solutions.

18 · W E D N E S D AY 2 1 / E N T R E P R E N E U R S & S TA R T - U P S

19:00–20:00

The Power of Performance: From Impulse to Action This showcase, directed by IT Sligo lecturer Declan Drohan, is the culmination of the student’s skill based exploration of solo and partner focused performance. The objective is to prepare the actor’s for the world of auditions and the challenges of an ever changing workplace. Openness, flexibility and risk taking are the qualities which typify a responsive, employable actor. Physical stamina, vocal control and the ability to adapt to all kinds of texts, external stimuli and settings. This performance will also run for an invited audience of industry professionals in Bewley’s Café Theatre in late March of this year.

Declan Drohan Declan Drohan is a graduate of the Gaiety School Of Acting, the Adult and Community Education Depar tment at NUI Maynooth, and the Masters in Theatre Studies at St Pat’s, Drumcondra. A former course leader of the BA in Acting programme at The Conser vator y of Music and Drama, DIT, Rathmines, Declan has been an active freelance director and consultant for over twenty years. Since the early 1990’s, he has been an innovator in the emerging ar ts and disability sector in Ireland, ser ving as Ar tistic Director of both Quick Bright Things Theatre Company, Dublin, and Touch The Sky Per formance Group, Sligo. He directed the documentar y film ‘Crossing The Line’ which premiered at The Model, Sligo, in 2010. The Cast Lorcan Strain Grace Corr y Alan Grant Itunu Olowookere Louise Donlon Noelle Kielty Caoimhe Cassidy Darren Hall

T H U R S D AY 2 2 / C R E AT I V I T Y & I N T E R N AT I O N A L S U C C E S S S T O R I E S · 19

3

Creativity & International Success Stories Thursday 22 March 10:00–11:00

Business Leadership Paul McBride, CEO, Lionbridge Paul McBride is Vice President and General Manager of the Enterprise Crowdsourcing Business Unit at Lionbridge. As a member of the Corporate Leadership Team and one of five Business Unit General Managers in the company, Paul with his team is responsible for setting strategy and delivering overall business per formance from revenue to net income. Prior to heading up the Enterprise Crowdsourcing Business Unit at Lionbridge, Paul set up the software localization practice at RR Donnelley’s Global Software Ser vices (Dublin) division in 1994, which was subsequently integrated into Lionbridge as par t of the company’s formation in 1996. He relocated to Mayo in 1998 to set up and lead the company’s first subsidiar y star t-up that is now the centre of a global business unit. Prior to joining Lionbridge, Paul worked for four years as a software engineer on the Windows Development Team at Microsoft. Paul holds a Masters in International Business from Trinity College and is a Computer Science graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology. He has also attended the University of

Chicago Graduate School of Business, Babson College Boston, IMD and the Dublin Institute of Technology School of Business where he holds a post graduate Diploma in International Selling. Paul is currently completing a Doctorate in Business Administration at Dublin City University. 11.30–13.00

Weathering the storm? Multinational companies and human resource management through the global financial crisis Prof. Patrick Gunnigle Paddy is Professor of Business Studies and former Head, Depar tment of Personnel and Employment Relations at the University of Limerick. A graduate of University College Dublin (B.Comm, 1977; MBS, 1978) and Cranfield School of Management (PhD, 1995), he has authored or co-authored 17 books and over one 100 refereed journal papers and book chapters. A former Fulbright Scholar and current Marie Curie Research Scholar, Paddy is also a Char tered Fellow of the Char tered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD). He is former co-editor of the Irish Journal of Management, and current member of the Editorial Boards of the Industrial Relations Journal, the Human Resource Management Journal and Employee Relations: The International Journal. He holds Visiting Professor appointments at University of Paris II and the University of Cadiz. He is currently external examiner at Queens University Belfast, University of Bath, University College Cork and the University of Ulster. He has

20 · T H U R S D AY 2 2 / C R E AT I V I T Y & I N T E R N AT I O N A L S U C C E S S S T O R I E S

examined doctoral theses at a number of universities, most recently at Trinity College, Dublin, Queens University, Belfast, University of War wick and National University of Ireland, Galway. In 2009 bestowed with the award of inaugural Fellow of the Irish Academy of Management in acknowledgement of his distinguished contribution to academia and the study of business and management in Ireland. His main research interests are in the areas of multinational corporations and human resource management (HRM), trade union membership and recognition, management strategies in industrial relations, and the role of HRM specialists. He previously worked as a senior executive in the Semi-State sector in Ireland and taught for some years in Zambia, but hails from Nor th Sligo.

13.00–16.00

Enterprise & Innovation Week

Flagship Event Can Creative Thinking be Contagious? Leveraging Creativity for Regional Growth ····· New Thinking for a New Era Collaborations and Concrete Actions – Making Change Happen Faster Shaun Purcell Shaun Purcell is CEO of County Sligo VEC which provides education to young people and adults throughout Sligo in a variety of schools and centres. Co. Sligo VEC, through the deliver y of its programmes and initiatives, promotes Innovation, Creativity, and ICT. He also chairs the Economic Sub-Committee of the County Development Board. Shaun has a background in the Ar ts, and formerly wrote and produced musicals in Dublin and London. Coming from this background encouraged him to become involved in the Creative Sligo Initiative, sitting on the steering group since its inception in 2011.

Thinking Regionally, Connecting Globally A Regional Vision; Creative West 2020 Ian Brannigan Ian is the CEO (A) of the Western Development Commission, an organisation tasked with fostering growth in the western region of Ireland. His background is in

T H U R S D AY 2 2 / C R E AT I V I T Y & I N T E R N AT I O N A L S U C C E S S S T O R I E S · 21

engineering and management within the international Technology sector and latterly within the realm of strategic business development, for regions in the UK and Ireland. Professional qualifications include an Applied Physics degree from Dublin City University, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). A member of several steering groups and boards, Ian is seeking to use the current challenging climate as a chance to reposition the regional economy and focus efforts and investment on sustainable indigenous sector growth.

Create to Innovate – a European Perspective European Creative Industries Alliance 4CNW Business Innovation Support Programme Mary McAuliffe Mar y is an employee of Sligo County Council and is currently assigned as Project Coordinator of the 4CNW Business Innovation Suppor t Programme; one of 9 projects represented on the European Creative Industries Alliance (ECIA) recently established by the EC DirectorateGeneral Industr y & Enterprise. Mar y has over twenty years experience working in the public sector in roles that range from education to urban regeneration to cultural planning and economic development. Professional qualifications include MA European Cultural Planning, De Montfor t University, Leicester UK and BA Rel. SC Mater Dei Institute, Dublin. Mar y represents the Council on various Boards and specialist committees.

Launch of 4CNW Talent Voucher by Bobby Kerr (Turn to pp24/25 for more details.)

Creativity and Innovation at Work – International Success Stories Panel Discussion Moderated by Anton Savage Anton Savage Anton Savage is the Managing Director of The Communications Clinic, which provides communications training, consultancy and public relations ser vices. Set up in 2007, the company has grown steadily through the economic crisis, with its consultants now delivering ser vice in Ireland, the UK, Frankfur t, New York, Los Angeles, Dar Es Salaam, and Sydney. The company works for some of the biggest companies in Ireland as well as Government Depar tments, NGO’s, Semistates, charities and private individuals. On his weekends, Anton presents the Sunday Business Show on TodayFM and – in Autumn - hosts the Apprentice; You’re Fired! on TV3. He also stands-in for Matt Cooper on The Last Word and Ray D’Arcy on the Ray D’arcy Show and - before being contracted to TodayFM was the stand-in for Ryan Tubridy on The Tubridy Show. Anton writes regularly for Associated Newspapers (Irish Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) and the Independent Group (Irish Independent and Sunday Independent). He published his first book ‘Spin and Win: How Irish Politicians Get Elected’ in 2007. Bobby Kerr Bobby Kerr is an Irish entrepreneur and businessman. He presents ‘Down to Business’ a Sunday Business Breakfast show on Newstalk and

22 · T H U R S D AY 2 2 / C R E AT I V I T Y & I N T E R N AT I O N A L S U C C E S S S T O R I E S

is a ‘Dragon’ on RTE’s Dragon’s Den. He is the Chairman of Insomnia Coffee and one of the owners of Bang Restaurant. He has a variety of business interests in food & hospitality, technology, manufacturing and retail. Bobby is also a popular public speaker and business mentor. Christine Barrett Christine Barrett joined Microsoft in 1998 with 10 years international sales & marketing experience. During her tenure with Microsoft she per formed operations Program Manager roles for strategic marketing programs like Microsoft Developer Network and TechNet; since 2005 she has worked in the Microsoft Business Solutions depar tment. Today she is Operations Director for MBS in Europe Middle East and Africa, managing the strategic, business and operational ser vices to Independent Solution Vendors, Distributors, Par tners and internal stakeholders across 62 subsidiaries. Christine is an active member of the EOC Commercial Leadership Team, Area Engagement Deputy to France and the Gender Diversity Lead for Microsoft Ireland. Prior to Microsoft, she worked for Penn Racquet Spor ts, where she held various sales and marketing positions in both France and Germany. Larry Farrell Larr y Farrell is Chairman of the The Farrell Company and former Vice President of American Express. A native of Arizona, USA, he is a leading authority and writer on international entrepreneurship and his latest book is called The New Entrepreneurial Age.

Team Hermes Team HERMES is the first Irish team to win the overall title at the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 which took place in New York. Team HERMES is an interdisciplinar y venture from IT Sligo. Their winning project brought together ideas from the Schools of Engineering and Business and Humanities, to recognise the road and traffic conditions associated with accidents and to identify át risk’ drivers in real time. In researching the statistics on road safety the team found that data was lacking real time analysis. The students then developed an in-car device that sends data to a mobile phone. This information is then uploaded to the cloud, where it can be used as an early warning system identifying erratic driving behaviours. Dr. Harry Ho-Jen Tseng Dr. Harr y Ho-Jen Tseng is the official Taiwanese Representative to Ireland, a position he has held since September 2010. Dr. Tseng is one of a number of high profile guests who will bring a unique perspective to Prior to his appointment to Ireland, Dr. Tseng spent a successful stint in the United States where he ser ved as Director General of the Depar tment of Nor th American Affairs for two years. Before that, he also headed up the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in the USA.

T H U R S D AY 2 2 / C R E AT I V I T Y & I N T E R N AT I O N A L S U C C E S S S T O R I E S · 23

Prior to his appointment to Ireland, Dr. Tseng spent a successful stint in the United States where he ser ved as Director General of the Depar tment of Nor th American Affairs for two years. Before that, he also headed up the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in the USA. Dr Tseng received his Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Taiwan and subsequently went on to pursue fur ther studies in the United States. He graduated from Princeton University with a MPA before going on to under take a doctorate at the University of Virginia. He also ser ved for a shor t period as an Adjunct Professor at National Taiwan Normal University

Nor th-West based film-makers include Cinema Nor th West the World Cinema exhibitor, Studio Nor th West, the filmmakers forum and Adaptation Film Festival, the Dromahair based festival of Cinema and Literature. Active in regional politics on behalf of the Green Par ty for the past decade, he initiated the current debate on Fracking in May 2011 through a number of high-profile screenings of the U.S. film Gasland.

18.30–20.00

Panel & Video Conference – USA From Vineyards to Electric Cars…. Stuart Coulson

Propelled by the Imagination – The Creative State North West Film Short/Premiere Screening of “Astray” Director Johnny Gogan, Studio North West. Commissioned by Sligo County Council, 2011 and funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government Per Cent for Art Scheme. Johnny Gogan Johnny Gogan is currently in postproduction with Black Ice, a feature film co-written with Brian Leyden. He is writerdirector of fifteen shor ts, documentaries and fictions, including the award-winning feature films The Last Bus Home and Mapmaker. He runs his own company Bandit Films which he set up in Dublin in 1989 before moving to Leitrim in 1997. He is founding editor of Film Base, a magazine by Film Ireland which is now in its 25th year. More recent innovations in which he has taken a hand with other

Stuar t is an Irish adjunct lecturer at Stanford on the “Extreme” program and a proven entrepreneur. His latest VC investment is in the electronic car company WENG Motors. Stuar t is currently involved in a number of for-profit and for-benefit business angel and early stage non-executive investment projects in Ireland and the US. He is a lecturer at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University, and owns and operates a small, critically acclaimed old-vine Zinfandel vineyard in California’s Russian River Valley. Previously, Stuar t specialised in travel technology and data communications, holding various technical and managerial positions in Ireland, the US and the UK. Stuar t holds a B.A. (Mod.) in Computer Science from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, an MBA from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and an Executive MBA from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, Pittsburgh, USA.

24

What is The Creative State North West? The Creative State North West is a strong coalition of key players from the fields of local government, regional development, education, business and enterprise who are working together to enable new connections between knowledge, creativity and technology, in support of economic renewal and growth.

The Creative State Driving Change

The Creative State North West has its origins in Sligo County Development Board’s Creative Sligo Initiative, and is working in close collaboration with the Western Development Commission (wdc) to add value and build on their Creative West 2020 strategy. The overriding goal is to contribute to the development of the creative industries, and wider innovation ability, in the North West of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

What are the creative industries? The term “creative industries” refers to a range of economic activities that deal with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information. They comprise of businesses that deal with the creation, production and distribution of creative goods and services. creative industries build upon a rich and diverse core of cultural heritage, skilful arts and other creative crafts, and provide products and services in sectors such as publishing, media, software, gaming, consultancy, advertising, arts, entertainment, TV, design fashion and architecture.

Fuelled by Partnership

Many creative businesses are commercially oriented and part of other sectors, but the common element is that they deal with the creation, production and distribution of goods and services that are strongly based on creativity.

How will The Creative State North West achieve these goals? Through cross sector collaboration, transnational engagement and concrete actions that test new funding instruments. Central to the successful realisation of these goals will be the implementation of the Sligo-led, European Commission Bid: 4cnw .

How can I get involved? Please see the further detail on the 4cnw business innovation support programme and talent voucher scheme overleaf.

Powered by the Imagination

25

4cnw

“4cnw will actively support the economic opportunity provided by creative industries and is an important step in developing a regional approach to this sector. It will add value to the existence of successful technology and industries within the region; and help unlock the potential of the ‘disconnected’ creative talent within North West Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland “ Hubert Kearns, Sligo County Manager

What is the 4cnw progamme? 4cnw – which stands for Creative Challenge Celtic Crescent North West – is the result of a successful collaboration between Sligo County Council and the wdc who, together with local authority partners from Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon, entered a successful bid to the European Commission’s Directorate-General Industry & Enterprise. 4cnw is a new, transnational, business innovation support programme, implemented by The Creative State North West. The programme will enable knowledge exchange between creative businesses and four targeted industry sectors; life sciences, tourism, technology and agrifood. A key aim is to encourage better practice in demand-led innovation support and to facilitate the testing of new partnerships. 4cnw will do this through a series of initiatives including the establishment of a transnational broker network, matchmaking between companies, and a competitive call for talent vouchers. A creative directory and mobile app will also be built to help Creatives find each other, and to be found by the broader business environment.

4cnw project leaders will join the newly established European Creative Industries Alliance (ecia), and will see Ireland input to the ecia learning platform along with just 11 other European countries.

What is the ecia? ecia is a new initiative that combines policy learning with concrete actions around innovation vouchers, better access to finance, cluster excellence and cooperation. It is an open platform that brings together policy-makers and business support practioners from 28 partner organisations. By developing and testing better policies and tools for creative industries, its overall aim is to shape a community in Europe that actively supports the creative industries as a driver of competitiveness, job creation and structural change.

Is it for me? Yes, if you’re a creative business working in sectors such as publishing, media, software, consultancy, advertising, gaming, fashion, arts, entertainment, design and architecture, or a business within one of our four target Industry sectors: • Technology

• Tourism

• Agri-Food

• Life Sciences

How do I find out more? Visit our web page on www.lookwest.ie/4cnw to register your interest. You can also add us on twitter @CreativeStateNW and on facebook.com/TheCreativeState

26 · T H U R S D AY 2 3 / S T U D E N T S & E N T R E P R E N E U R S

4

Student & Entrepreneurs Friday 23rd March

Inspirational Business Day In a new addition to the already hugely successful week, Friday the 23rd is aimed at students from IT Sligo as well as Transition Year students from secondary schools in the surrounding area. The day entitled “Inspirational Business Day” is designed to inspire students into launching their own business. The day will include talks from successful businesses within the Innovation Centre. These include Hodson Moore Pathology, Poll Daddy, and Epona Biotech as well as a tour of the Innovation Centre itself, and up for grabs on the day is a computer tablet!

The event is being organised by Year 3 students of Bachelor of Business in Marketing with Event Management and Public Relations. The day aims to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit within young people. Niall McEvoy, Head of Innovation at the Innovation Centre said of the day “Inspirational Business Day is a new feature for Enterprise and Innovation Week 2012. This day is completely organised by our Event Management and PR students and gives them a real world project to play with. I commend their enthusiasm and energy.” While broadly aimed towards students the event is open to the general public and will take place on Friday 23rd of March from 10am until 1pm at IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre. It promises to be an informative and inspirational day. For further information please contact Laura.

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S · 27

Up and Running For all the latest in business news from across the North West region, tune into Ocean FM’s new business programme Up and Running every Saturday morning from 9.30am to 10am. Proudly supported by IT Sligo’s Innovation Centre.

List of Sponsors The Innovation Team at IT Sligo wish to acknowledge the suppor t and contribution of the following: Sponsors • Bank of Ireland

Staff & Students • President’s office

• Enterprise Ireland • Western Development Commission

• IT Sligo Post Graduate & Under Graduate Students

• The Creative State Nor th West

• Depar tment of Information Systems

• Sligo County Enterprise Board

• Estates Depar tment

• New Frontiers Programme

• IT Ser vices Depar tment

• RE:CONNECT

• Innovation Centre Interns Nicola Flynn/Jamie Bowes/ Denise Clarke

• Sligo London Business Network Supporters • Sligo Champion • Sligo Weekender • Ocean FM • Printfix Ltd • C  ar ton LeVer t, Design & Communication • Wheat’s Catering

• Research Depar tment • Knocknarea Arena Event Management • Dr. Michelle Connolly, Event Manager

Want to know more Register your interest at: www.lookwest.ie/4cnw or join us on twitter.com/CreativeStatenw or facebook.com/TheCreativeState

Date for your Diary Creative Industries 4cnw Discovery Session Thursday 7 June 2012 For further details and booking information please go to our website www.lookwest.ie/4cnw

4cnw