The O'Connell Bridge in Dublin
The first major mapping exercise of Dublin’s start-up ecosystem has been instigated by the city’s new commissioner for start-ups Niamh Bushnell.
Entitled the Dublin Data Initiative, it will be undertaken in conjunction with Startup Genome, a global non-profit that maps start-up ecosystems around the world. It will be run in partnership with product development and supply chain management services company PCH.
“To continue to build on Dublin’s character and reputation as a global tech hub we need great data about our companies, their strengths and challenges, and how we, as an ecosystem, can better support them at every step along the journey,” Bushnell said.
The Dublin Data Initiative will collect and map data on an ongoing basis from start-ups and stakeholder organisations across the city, providing key insights into, for example, the number of start-ups in Dublin, their operations, areas of focus and stage of development.
Insights for growth
“Good data helps create focus around how resources are spent, and highlights important trends that are critical to the success of companies, industries, and cities,” explained PCH CEO Liam Casey.
“We’re pleased to see data being prioritised by commissioner Bushnell for Dublin, and are delighted to partner on this initiative.”
The Dublin Data Initiative will be a collaborative effort involving a broad range of public and private organisations around the city. It will also leverage work already carried out by organisations such as Enterprise Ireland, Dublin City Council, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Startup Ireland and Amárach Research.
“We have many strengths – good availability of seed funding and venture capital, an enviable presence of leading international companies, good accelerators and incubators for early stage companies and well-established support systems from State agencies,” the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, TD, said.
“These strengths, together with our growing numbers of ambitious tech start-ups, drive a high standard of innovation and entrepreneurship. By collecting better data, we can build on these strengths, address weaknesses, support more start-ups and create the jobs of the future.”
It is the first such mapping exercise of Dublin’s tech-related start-up sector to be carried out.
“The data collection effort itself will bring the community together under a common goal,” said Startup Genome CEO Shane Reiser, whose organisation will be responsible for the curation and mapping of the data.
“The results from the data will give leaders in Dublin better insight into the local entrepreneurial community.”
