2013 Press Releases
gatewayUCC yields 100 jobs
gatewayUCC has announced that their portfolio of start-ups, spin-outs and high-tech companies has cumulatively reached 100 jobs, translating investment in research into tangible employment.
Since the opening of gatewayUCC in 2010, a significant number of successful spin-outs including Thinksmart Technologies, Solvotrin Therapeutics, Metabolomic Diagnostics and Energywatch have all availed of the gatewayUCC services to scale up and develop their businesses, creating viable, high tech job opportunities in the process.
“Supporting job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship in the knowledge-based sector is a key remit of gatewayUCC. We actively support startups and entrepreneurs located here, through our state of the art on campus facilities, access to a world-class research environment, mentoring, business coaching and support services. The centre is fast becoming a hub of knowledge transfer activities at UCC in the areas of IT, ICT and Food/Bio/Pharma”, explains Myriam Cronin, Manager gatewayUCC.
Innovative new ventures located in gatewayUCC come from a wide array of sectors, from ICT, IT to biotech/medtech and food health. A significant number of companies have incubated and graduated from gatewayUCC, with success stories such as Open Innovation Partners and Energywatch continuing to expand with UCC licensed technologies and grow into bigger facilities in the Region.
GatewayUCC Manager Myriam Cronin highlighted the success of Atlantia Food Clinical Trials Ltd and Luxcel BioSciences Ltd as great examples of companies that anticipate creating further jobs in the months ahead.
"As a start-up company providing clinical trials for functional food/supplement sector, Atlantia Food Clinical Trials recognises the importance of a support system for early stage companies. The gatewayUCC incubation facility provides a dynamic and modern infrastructure that promotes interaction with both academic and industrial partners, which is of great benefit to us at this stage of our development. An innovative environment is facilitated by a committed management team which is enthusiastic and resourceful in its support of start-up companies. Access to a world-leading research institute in the food for health space, the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, is a key success factor for our start-up venture", said Dr Sally Cudmore, CEO, Atlantia Food Clinical Trials.
gatewayUCC client companies can access services such as wet labs, bio-science units and Tyndall labs, and avail of support and fully serviced offices while they grow and expand.
"gatewayUCC is one more support UCC offers companies spinning-out of its research activities. We recognise the importance of our start-up companies in maintaining their linkage with key research groups and facilities in UCC, particularly in the early stages of building their businesses", said Tim Roche, Director Technology Transfer, UCC.
UCC researchers collaborate with close to 700 of the world’s top universities across 110 countries and 62% of Ireland’s most highly cited researchers are from UCC. UCC’s research income was €401 million over the past five years. The University leads four and co-leads a fifth of seven centres created by Science Foundation Ireland in the largest joint state/industry research investment in Irish history (worth €300 million). UCC is the most successful university in Ireland for EU FTP7 research grants at 23.7%, and income from new awards from the EU was €13.1 million, a 170% increase since 2008/2009. UCC’s research has helped create new jobs with the establishment of 12 campus companies which currently employ 110 people. UCC has signed 75 licences (including options and assignments) in the last five years with both SMEs and Irish based multinationals.