OCO Global, which already has offices in Dublin and Belfast, will be recruiting trade and investment analysts at the Gteic hub in Gaoth Dobhair.
International trade and investment consulting firm OCO Global plans to establish a base in Donegal to facilitate its continued expansion into the Irish market.
The move will see the company operate from the Gteic hub in Gaoth Dobhair, which is part of a network of rural digital hubs run by Údarás na Gaeltachta.
OCO Global will use this as a base from which to deepen its relationships with governments around the world as well its private clients. The company will be recruiting a number of trade and investment analysts who will be based at the Gaoth Dobhair hub.
OCO Global, which is headquartered in Belfast, already employs 150 people. Its locations include London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Shanghai and Tokyo. The company established an office in the recently expanded Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin in 2018 to assist clients with Brexit mitigation.
Mark O’Connell, OCO Global’s CEO, said the team had recently completed economic development projects for Donegal County Council. While working in the county, O’Connell said the team noticed the “potential of the region and the depth of skills available”.
“OCO offers the opportunity to work internationally from a local base and we’re confident that we can build an excellent team here to support our continued expansion in the Irish market,” he added.
“The pandemic has opened our eyes and our clients to the potential for regional economic development, precipitated by a re-engagement with ‘place’ and liveability, remote and home working, domestic tourism, and the rebalancing of city-centric FDI with regional enterprise and more sustainable investment.”
Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh, CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta, said he is looking forward to working in partnership with OCO Global from its new strategic base to promote “regional enterprise and economic development in Ireland’s Gaeltacht areas”.
“Our Gteic network of digital and innovation hubs have forged links worldwide through the fantastic companies that have set up and relocated there and Údarás na Gaeltachta will continue to support and develop this burgeoning digital ecosystem.”
Anna Ní Ghallachair, chair of Údarás na Gaeltachta, echoed Ó hÉanaigh’s comments.
“The unique language communities that define the Gaeltacht provide a culture of innovation and creativity in which businesses can prosper and grow with the support of Údarás na Gaeltachta,” she said.
“The growing Gteic network of digital hubs offer fantastic business and work-life balance opportunities for OCO Global, which will resonate with their overseas clients as the embodiment of Ireland’s value proposition and our agile and adaptable business environment.”
Currently there is a capacity of more than 280 desks in the Gteic network, which will increase to over 330 desks in coming weeks as other hubs come online. It is expected that the network will provide more than 625 desk spaces when operating fully following Covid-19 restrictions.
Work recently started on a new hub in the Kerry Gaeltacht, while one opened on Achill Island in Mayo over the summer.
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