Simon Coveney, TD, Minister for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, today, Thursday April 20, placed a ceremonial brick to officially mark the construction of the CREW Creative Enterprise Hub located at ATU’s Wellpark Road Campus, Galway.
The state-of-the-art CREW Creative Enterprise Hub is the first hub in the West Region focused on the development of start-up and early-stage companies in the Creative Industries. The CREW Hub will provide shared and own-door enterprise space, collaboration areas and event space. The Hub will be home to 150 Creative Technology and Creative Digital entrepreneurs in areas such as game development, animation, immersive technology, content creation and digital design.
CREW was founded by Atlantic Technological University Galway City (Wellpark Road), The Western Development Commission and Ardán.
The CREW Creative Enterprise Hub will serve as a regional centre for the Creative Industries, delivering programmes and masterclasses in entrepreneurship to founders from the West Region. The hub will also provide meetup spaces and innovation areas for the Creative Industries welcoming industry experts, hosting meetups and networking events.
CREW, which secured over €3.2 million from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund, is an integral part of the West Regional Enterprise Plan and has a lead role in implementing the strategic objective to strengthen and harness the cultural and creative sector to attract new investment, commercialisation, and collaboration opportunities.
Construction of the new facility by Burns Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year. As well as providing expanded resources for the creative industries in the west the CREW Hub will be a significant addition to the region’s cultural and economic landscape.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney said he was delighted to be in Galway to take part in the brick laying ceremony and to see, using Virtual Reality, the completed state-of-art CREW Creative Enterprise Hub.
“Today is an important day for Galway which further enhances the West of Ireland’s reputation for creativity coupled with innovation. Creative Technology is emerging as a key area of opportunity, with the convergence of art, design, and technology opening new possibilities for businesses and entrepreneurs in the region to drive economic growth. Congratulations to all at CREW on their achievements to date.
The acceleration and development of Irish companies through facilities like this is supported by my Department through Enterprise Ireland and I would like to congratulate Atlantic Technological University Galway City, the Western Development Commission, Ardán and Enterprise Ireland on this achievement and look forward to my return visit when the hub opens its doors.”
Allan Mulrooney, Interim CEO said
The Western Development Commission has long been a champion of the Creative Industries Sector in the Western Region of Ireland, and we are thrilled to partner with CREW on this exciting project. The opening of the CREW Creative Enterprise Hub will have a significant impact on the region, both socially and economically. The Creative Industries sector is a vital component of the regional economy, stimulating innovation and creating opportunities for talented individuals to thrive. We look forward to working with CREW to support this sector and the people who work in it, and to seeing the positive impact that the CREW Creative Enterprise Hub will have on the region as a whole.
Alan Duggan, CEO of Ardán who, along with Atlantic Technological University and The Western Development Commission are one of CREW’s three founding partners added “The CREW Creative Enterprise Hub represents a significant investment in the screen industries in the West of Ireland and has the potential to become a key driver of economic growth and job creation in the region. By bringing together creative talent, innovative technologies, and a supportive business environment, we believe that this world-class centre can help to establish the West of Ireland as a leading global location for CreaTech companies in areas such as games and animation and immersive tech.”
The CREW Creative Enterprise Hub is scheduled to open in late 2023. For more information see https://crewdigital.ie/
