Campus Innovation

Enterprise Support

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Campus Innovation

The Institutes R & D activities are complemented by various campus-based specialist centres and campus companies such as the Campus Innovation Centre. This Centre, which was established in 1992, offers suitable research projects access to a range of facilities and supports that has been designed to accelerate the R & D period for new product and process ideas. In this way, the Centre assists in the development of small-to-medium size high technology indigenous enterprises throughout the SouthEast region and nationally. Supported by the IDA, local industries and the Carlow Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Centre has had a full-time occupancy rate since its inception and several companies have already emerged from the incubation units that provide full-time employment opportunities. Some recent examples include Irish Skin Care Ltd. (research and development of skin care products), Deycom Ltd (providers of specialist computer systems), Technical Sales Leads (providers of high technology e-commerce systems) and Industrial Coatings (developers of specialist coatings).

In addition to providing development space in a fully serviced building, access is also provided to various Institute support services through the External Services Department. These include high quality information technology and conferencing services. Arrangements can also be made for consultations with individual Institute staff members with particular relevant expertise e.g. in the areas of management, finance, patenting, technical areas.

The success of the Campus Innovation Centre in supporting company development is indicated by the comments of some of those who have availed of the facility (see below).

Mr Arnie Stevenson,
Managing Director of Irish Skin Care Ltd.
"My company was set up in an R & D facility in the IT Carlow Campus Innovation Centre to develop a unique sun block product that is now in the market place under the brand name Parasol. This product now commands a 15% share of the Irish market and has growing exports in the UK and Europe. The company has researched and brought to market additional skin care products through the support of the Institutes R & D facilities. None of this would have been possible without the assistance of the IT Carlow staff and Campus Innovation Centre" (April 2001).

Mr Bryan Corden,
Managing Director of Deycom Computer Services Ltd.
"The facilities that were provided to Deycom at the Institute of Technology Carlow, including access to market research students, electronic testing facilities and access to the computing department for technical advice, were key elements in the success and development of Deycom. After just two years in the facility, Deycom had increased its workforce from two to seven staff. From the Campus Innovation Centre, the company purchased its own premises in Carlow and now employs fourteen staff. The Directors of Deycom firmly believe that the Campus Innovation Centre was a major factor in the success of Deycom and see such facilities as extremely important for the development of innovative businesses."