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An overview of coworking hubs in Ireland

Coworking hubs in Ireland – Information Document

coworking hubs in Ireland

Introduction:

This document is to pull together information around coworking hubs in Ireland to make it easier for everyone to know structures, where the supports are, and to aim for more joined up thinking and action.

This blog post is a static version of a living, breathing document, if you would like to input please email: [email protected]

Background Information:

A snippet on hub structure from “Remote Work in Ireland – Future of Jobs 2019” is here.

The full document covering “Remote Work in Ireland – Future of Jobs 2019” is here.

National Supports

Connected Hubs

ConnectedHubs.ie is your one-stop-shop for hubs throughout Ireland. Launched in May 2021, it is designed to simplify and standardise the process of sourcing and booking spaces, desks, offices and events in hubs for a day, a week, a month, a year or longer.

Are you a start-up looking for a place to work and a community to support you?
A remote worker keen to separate home from work, even for a few days each week? 

ConnectedHubs.ie will help you find the exact space you need so that you can #TransformYourWorkDay

National Association of Community Enterprise Centres

“The National Association of Community Enterprise Centres (NACEC) is a network of 120 community enterprise centres in the Republic of Ireland. Formed in 2008, its primary role is to support and develop the interests of community enterprise centres on a national basis. Many centres were developed in areas of low employment and population, with the support of Enterprise Ireland, County Enterprise Boards, Local Development Groups and other local community organisations.

If you are a Community Enterprise Centre in Ireland and would like to become a member of the National Association of Community Enterprise Centres please contact us for more information and to join see here.

GEC Co-Connect

The CoConnect Programme is a collaboration between the GEC and our fellow enterprise centres around Ireland. We offer entrepreneurs a ‘home away from home’ by engaging in collaborative efforts with our extensive network of centres. Together, we develop regional start-ups and support the growth of the entrepreneurial network across Ireland. 

Register here.

Mapping of Coworking Hubs in Ireland

National

Regional

Member Organisations:

Ongoing projects in the hub/co-working space:

  • ATLANTIC ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (AEC) ENTERPRISE HUBS PROJECT
  • Longford CoCo are working on a pan EU project with a group in Finland to create best practices on deciding strategy around hubs/co-working spaces within a community
    • Reach out if you’d like an introduction
    • Grow Remote Ennis have linked in with them and are looking at best practices from the perspective of their hub network in Co Clare
  • Guinness Enterprise centre – Prosper Series
    • The Prosper Series is a Guinness Enterprise Centre initiative that develops a network of entrepreneurial support among Ireland’s counties.  Each Prosper event involves early-stage companies presenting to key decision-makers from their same county who look to support economic development.  The Prosper Series has launched in Kerry, Limerick, and Cavan
    • https://gec.ie/programmes/prosper-series/
  • University Partnership Programme – GEC
    • University Programme connects top Universities and MBA Programmes around the world with Ireland’s most innovative entrepreneurs.  These partnerships offer organisations access to some of the world’s best young entrepreneurial minds.  It provides university students real-time business challenges, they gain work experience in an international setting and have the opportunity to use the GEC as their soft-landing pad for Europe.
    • https://gec.ie/programmes/university-partnership-programme/

Relevant Reports

NATIONAL REMOTE WORKING SURVEY – Professor Alma McCarthy, Professor Alan Ahearne, Dr Katerina Bohle-Carbonnell, Ms Noreen O’Connor, Tomás Ó Síocháin (WDC), Deirdre Frost (WDC) – Whitaker Institute Project

http://whitakerinstitute.ie/project/remote-working-during-covid-19-irelands-national-survey/

Researchers from the Whitaker Institute at NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission have published summary data from the second annual national remote working survey in Ireland. The survey gathered responses from over 6,400 employees examining their experience of remote working one year after lockdown. This is the first national survey to attain managers’ views of the impact of remote work on their team.

REGIONAL CO-WORKING ANALYSIS – John Daly, Economist – 3 regional assemblies of Ireland

https://emra.ie/dubh/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/regional-co-working-analysis-22102020.pdf

Challenges

In general we’re reminded that while covid is influencing the space for the foreseeable, it won’t always have such a large impact on our lives.  With that in mind we’re thinking about challenges (and opportunities) as either short-term (taking covid into account) or longer term.

coworking hubs in Ireland

Issues such as lack of sustainability, where funding is secured for a hub/space but a route to revenue isn’t clear.  Not have a solid strategy in place to secure business, or lack of research to the needs of the local market.

Opportunities

coworking hubs in Ireland

A big piece coming up is community for hubs and spaces.  There is a huge potential value add here and so many people are looking for a community to join when they use a hub or co-working space.

We are reminded that it’s not always about hardware for people using the spaces. And to look at opportunities depending on the location, urban vs rural and the demographics of the area.

If you would like anymore help, join the Slack channel or make contact with one of the above organisations.