MORE THAN 700 new jobs will be created by Irish start-ups over the next three years, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton has said. The jobs, which will come from 80 companies supported by Enterprise Ireland’s 2010 “High Potential Start-up” programme will be in the software, industrial, life sciences, food and consumer sectors.
Collectively, Enterprise Ireland-supported firms in the programme, which provides financial assistance and mentoring to develop new ideas, are expected to generate €520 million in sales over the three-year period, with exports accounting for 80 per cent of that figure.
Speaking at Enterprise Ireland’s start-up showcase yesterday, Mr Bruton said, “Government does not create jobs, businesses do.” He said employment growth could only come from “reducing business costs, improving access to finance and encouraging RD”.
Mr Bruton also told company representatives that the State, which purchases €15 billion in products and services every year, “needs to make sure its procurement is orientated towards companies like your own”.
Among the businesses showcased yesterday was Smartbin, a Dublin-based manufacturer of infra-red sensors that enable refuse collectors to assess remotely if public or commercial recycle bins require emptying. The system then maps a collection route before trucks leave the depot. Director of Smartbin Alan Mangan said the company has customers in Europe and North America.
Galway company Snap2Travel has developed an app to make print advertisements interactive. By taking a smartphone photo of an ad, brochure or wine label, the app will serve up video, text and live pricing to aid purchasing. The company counts major German travel companies among its clients.
Meanwhile, Donegal company Moo-licious both processes local milk to give it a longer shelf life and creates single-use stick-packs of milk used by airlines, cruise ships and fast-food restaurants.
The company will open a Donegal production facility to serve two new British supermarket customers and a Middle Eastern airline this month.
