31 gteic innovation and digital hubs coming to Gaeltacht, including 6 off shore Islands

Interesting interview with Páid Ó Neachtain from the Communications Section of Údarás na Gaeltachta

How many islands and communities are you targeting?

Údarás na Gaeltachta hope to develop 31 gteic innovation and digital hubs in locations throughout the Gaeltacht. This will include the 6 Gaeltacht off shore Islands also. Hubs will be of varying sizes depending on location and estimated demand and facilities in various locations. The full list of proposed locations is as follows

31 gteic innovation and digital hubs coming to Gaeltacht soon

How soon might the projects be rolled out?

Currently there are 8 hubs open in 5 counties, with the latest hub opening in Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh in the Cork Gaeltacht with Minister Creed last Friday.

We hope to have 15 hubs completed by the year end or in early 2020.

Eight hubs have been opened to date in

Gaoth Dobhair in Co. Donegal,

Béal an Mhuirthead in Co. Mayo,

Carna, An Cheathrú Rua, An Spidéal and Na Forbacha in Co. Galway,

Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh in Co. Cork and the

Daingean Uí Chúis (Mol Teic/Dingle hub) in Co. Kerry.

A further seven gteic hubs are on track to be completed and welcoming customers in Baile an Sceilg (South Kerry), Cill Charthaigh (Donegal), Oileán Chléire (Cork), Acaill, An Eachléim, Gaoth Sáile and An Corrán Buí (Mayo) by the end of 2019 or early in 2020.

What does ‘good’ look like if it all goes to plan?

‘Good’ will be a vibrant network of high speed broadband facilities in rural Gaeltacht areas to stimulate job creation, to assist remote working, to encourage and enable the return of Diaspóra na Gaeltachta, to facilitate concept development and new business and to develop a community of hubs that are inter connected and that are driving business for each other.

Remote working / digital nomads all have great potential to help attract a new type of settler and migrant to the Irish islands – ie if the connectivity is there, then the people could move to live and work in these beautiful and, until now, more remote parts of Ireland. Question, how soon might we see Ludgate / Skibbereen / Aran More levels of fast connectivity on some of the other proposed locations?

We have this level of fast connectivity in our eight hubs that are open already and it is a guarantee we give for all gteic hubs. In a similar manner to the hubs you have mentioned above we promise gigabit enabled broadband in all of our gteic hubs. This growing digital ecosystem is providing an excellent opportunity for new technology companies to establish or locate themselves in the rural areas which encompass the Gaeltacht and for their employees to enjoy the excellent worklife balance that these picturesque areas can offer.

We have already seen people moving their families back to rural Gaeltacht areas in Gaoth Dobhair, Béal an Mhuirthead and Conamara due to the facilities and high speed broadband available in our gteic hubs. Some of these individuals have taken their current job with them and can now operate remotely with the approval of their employer.

One of our established members in gteic@Gaoth Dobhair works for a shipping company based in Oslo and he regularly boasts that his broadband in the gteic in rural Donegal is quicker than that in headoffice in Oslo. He regularly conducts online training for them and has often had to wait for items to load in Oslo.

An opportunity of improved worklife balance is the only benefit of gteic membership! A reciprocal arrangement agreed with the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin means that any member of the GEC can avail of the gteic facilities anywhere along the network and members of the gteic digital community can avail of the facilities in GEC in Dublin free of charge.

Some studies with remote workers have shown that the speed of the broadband or avoidance of commute are not necessarily the main or only requirement of remote workers. It is often cited that a business minded work environment, a place to connect with other people and avail of new opportunities and a good atmosphere are most important in coworking spaces.

Anything you would like to add?

We are working hand in hand with local communities in a lot of areas to develop the gteic network. In some instances it will be the local community development organisation who will manage the hub on contract from us. It is a model that is working very well in remote and rural areas.

There is support available from Údarás na Gaeltachta both financial and soft supports, to eligible businesses that locate in our gteic hubs. We have a significant property portfolio across the Gaeltacht and successful eligible startups in our hubs would be able to develop their concept and grow with our support to larger premises if there was a requirement, providing a significant pipeline in job creation in these areas.

See more stories about the Irish islands here.

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