The first ever joint Cork and Kerry network of innovation hub managers event kicked off last week at Vertigo County Hall, with special international guest speaker and entrepreneur, Peter Harrington.
Peter Harrington, CEO of SimVenture, and esteemed serial entrepreneur, spoke at Vertigo County Hall on Friday 10th November, for the ‘Opportunities for Growth from a Hubs Perspective’ event, organised by Leesa McGrath, programme co-ordinator at the Rubicon Centre.
Mr. Harrington shared his wisdom about strategies of growth for business centres, incubators and hubs.
Speaking about his first start-up experience at a business centre, he said, “I really got to learn the value of being around other people who can support me. I don’t think that that business would have survived if I had not been in that space. Nothing to do with the bricks and mortar, nothing to do with the telephone or computer, everything to do with the people.“
“Collaboration will always trump competition,” Harrington said.
Sharon Corcoran, Director Of Economic Development, Enterprise & Tourism at Cork County Council welcomed the cohort.
“All of us are in this space to work smarter around hubs and to learn how we can share experiences rather than being protective over them, because there are new challenges coming down the track in terms of the whole hub compound,” she said.
Anne Looney, External Services Manager at MTU, and MC of the hub event said it is “wonderful to see so many, especially after all the online meetings. It’s great to be in a room together, and I think nothing beats an in person event.”
Other hubs in attendance included Acorn Business Centre, Benchspace Cork, RDI Hub and Sneem Digital Hub, as well as the team from the Rubicon Centre, with Ciara Concannon, Senior Regional Development Executive at Enterprise Ireland, also presenting on the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, following Peter’s talk.
To learn more about Peter Harrington’s entrepreneurial thinking, you can listen to the ‘Startup Survival Podcast’, or visit his blog at: ‘Read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Entrepreneurship.’
Peter Harrington, serial entrepreneur (left) and Paul Healy, Innovation Manager, Rubicon Centre (right), at Vertigo County Hall. Photograph taken by Emily Piggott.
From left to right, Peter Harrington (Serial Entrepreneur), Josette O’Mullane (Innovation and Enterprise Manager, MTU), Aileen Hurley (Programme Manager South-West Regional Enterprise Plan), Leesa Mc Grath (Programme co-ordinator, Rubicon Centre), Paul Healy (Innovation Manager, Rubicon Centre), Anne Looney ( External Services Manager, MTU) and George Bulman (Operations Manager, Rubicon Centre), at Vertigo County Hall. Photograph taken by Emily Piggott.
