Scaling Our Legacy – GTC 25th Anniversary Event

Recorded Event:

Galway Technology Centre held a special virtual anniversary event called Scaling Our Legacy on Friday 23rd April, 2021.

This event was held to mark 25+ years of Galway Technology Centre, which was originally founded in 1994 following the closure of the Digital Equipment Corporation’s Galway facility – who at the time the largest employers in Galway. In the intervening years Galway Technology Centre has gone on to support 300+ companies and 3,000+ jobs, hosting a range of successful Irish and international ICT companies including Storm Technology, Blue Tree Systems, Siren, PlanNet 21, 9th Impact, Ex Ordo, Action Point, Electronic Arts (EA), SAP, Wayfair and many others.

Among those the speakers for Scaling Our Legacy were:

• An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD;

• Minister Hildegarde Naughton • Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Mike Cubbard

• David Minton, NWRA

• Representatives from Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Western Development Commission, Galway Chamber, WestBIC, NUIG, GMIT, Galway City Innovation District and Údarás na Gaeltachta.

• Senior personnel from a range of current and former member companies will also be participating including Paul Killoran, Ex Ordo; Denise Tormey, PlanNet21; Karl Lusted, Aptarus; David Stafford, Siren; Brenda Dooley, AXIS Consulting; Mark Quick, 9th Impact.

During the course of the event they announced details about their AcademyWest expansion, which will make Galway Technology Centre the largest innovation centre outside of Dublin, generating investment north of half a billion euro for the West region over the next decade, while also creating hundreds of jobs.

The AcademyWest project will have a particular focus on facilitating rapid scaling for start ups and other innovation driven enterprises, as well as growing ICT businesses in need of second sites. The 22,000 square foot expansion will see the total floor area of GTC extend to 72,000 square feet, with the number of floors in the facility growing from two to four. The project will also include dedicated conferencing and meeting space and will address a critical capacity barrier in the existing centre. When complete the development will enable GTC to become an even greater focal point for the expanding tech cluster throughout Galway and the west of Ireland.

The impact of the expansion is expected to see 828 new jobs and €62.4m in investment generated per annum by Year 5, growing to 1,689 new jobs and €127.3m per annum by Year 10 and on to 2,517 new jobs and €189.7m per annum by Year 15. This will bring the cumulative total to over 12,500 jobs and €1.4 billion over the next 15 years.

The event was broadcast from the studios of Sound to Light in Galway.

To View the event, click the image below:

Scaling Our Legacy