EU helps advance manufacturing with a New €8.5 million North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing ‘Super Cluster” for the North West

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Catalyst Inc welcomes the investment

Catalyst Inc welcomes the investment

The SEUPB has announced that funding of over €8.5 million from the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme has been offered to Catalyst Inc for the creation of a new cross-border ‘super cluster’ within the Health & Life Sciences business sector.

The project is called the ‘North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing’, and will be led by Catalyst Inc. It will support eight different key Health & Life Sciences companies involved in 15 different research projects based in the North West to develop new products and processes.

The project aims to enhance the level of cross-border research and innovation collaboration within the area of applied advanced manufacturing. It will also significantly increase the the number of Health & Life Science businesses engaged in commercially focused research in order to make them more competitive.

The project will bring together a number of partners in the creation of a new ‘super cluster’ including the Engineering Research Institute at Ulster University, the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre at Glasgow University, the PEM Centre at Sligo Institute of Technology and the CoLab facility at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Industry partners include Sphere Global, Randox, Lpe, Armstrong Medical, Nuprint, Abbott and GSK.

A total of 26 PhD level researchers, along with post-doctoral research assistants will be recruited over the life time of the project, to work with the eight participating companies, and create up to 98.5 years’ worth of PhD full time equivalent research.

Match-funding for the project has been provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland, the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and the University of Glasgow.

Announcing the funding award Gina McIntyre CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), which manages the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme said: “This project will make a real impact in terms of providing support for a business sector with strong economic potential. The research produced will be used to strengthen the economic outlook of businesses on a cross-border basis.

“This is one of the core objectives of the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme which has been specifically designed to enhance the levels of Research & Innovation found within businesses across the region,” she continued.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Norman Apsley CEO Catalyst Inc said:

‘As lead partner for the North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, we are delighted that the project has been awarded this EU funding. At Catalyst Inc we are focused on advancing the Knowledge Economy and this project will support the development of new products and services by bringing together industry and academic partners to work on research projects deploying Advanced Manufacturing technologies within the Life and Health Sciences sector.

This will see the development of a virtual cross-border Centre for Advanced Manufacturing with a focus on four cross-cutting thematic areas, enabling our industry partners to benefit from additional research facilities and expertise which will have a positive impact on the companies and the wider economy.

Our aim is to increase the level of cross-border collaboration across the region and raise the levels of innovation both of which are key to the regions future economic success.’

A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said: “Investment in research and development is critical to future economic growth. Strong collaboration between industry and academia will also contribute to success. The creation of this new super-cluster is a welcome development for the health and life sciences sector and a boost for the North West border region.”

Welcoming the project Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor, said: “I am delighted that this project has been approved and I am very happy that my Department is in a position to co-fund this project. It is a great example of practical cross border cooperation, which will bring strong economic benefits to the eligible regions in both jurisdictions. Manufacturing has been a key sector for us over the years, providing valuable jobs and investment. This new initiative will help drive competitiveness and enhanced value-added, at a time of significant technological change in the industry.”

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Acorn Angels invest in social peer-to-peer finance platform Flender

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Padraig Canavan (Acorn Angels) and Oli Cavanagh (Flender)

Padraig Canavan (Acorn Angels) and Oli Cavanagh (Flender)

Irish-based company Flender has won a funding package including the first investment by the Derry/Londonderry Acorn Angel Group, which included Padraig Canavan, Liam Bradley and Paul McElvaney. Flender is an online platform that creates a marketplace for businesses and individuals in the Republic of Ireland to borrow and lend money safely and at better rates than those offered by the banks.

In a significant development following this investment, Flender was awarded full FCA authorisation to launch in the UK, a market nearly 300 times larger than the Irish Peer-to-Peer market. The Flender UK offering will launch in June.

Flender is the brainchild of Strabane born Oli Cavanagh and business partners Kris Koik and Jeremy Davies Betancourt. They have secured funding of nearly £1M to develop the opportunity. This marks the first investment by the Acorn Angels group, whose focus is on investing in the North West and who hope to attract more businesses to pitch for investment.

As well as the Acorn Angels, which was facilitated by Halo at Catalyst Inc, the funding package includes a number of private investors, including Mark Roden, cofounder of Esat Digifone (sold for over £1Billion) and founder of Ding, the world’s largest mobile top-up network. The company is also ‘backed by the crowd’, having reached their £500,000 funding target on crowdfunding platform, Seedrs, in January this year.

Flender enables businesses and consumers to borrow money through their existing networks of friends, family and customers. This market alone is estimated to be worth £2.9bn per annum and it is the aim of company to be first to formalise and automate it.

The platform has just gone live in Ireland and is launching in the UK in June. The company already has many businesses on their flender.ie site seeking a total investment of over €900,000 plus a pipeline of others ready to go onto the platform.

Flender’s Co-Founder, Oli Cavanagh, explains:

“Flender lets people take advantage of a disruptive marketplace that is seeing triple-digit growth, making access to funds easier and generating better returns for lenders. It is a web and mobile offering that lets borrowers decide the amount they wish to repay over a period that suits them. They are quickly matched with lenders who also get the return they want. Borrowing and lending happens via a smartphone, in a paperless transaction, and with automated payments setup and digital contracts that provide a secure legal framework. It also lets businesses reward their customers by inviting them to participate, and directs the repayments to them rather than to a bank. The knock-on effect of this is increased loyalty from customers.”

Liam Bradley, Acorn Angels, commented:

“The ability of the Flender platform to engage lenders from within a business’ own social circles is what the group identified as a real gap in the market. Within an addressable market of over £5.4bn between the UK and Ireland, we believe that the company has an opportunity for massive growth. With our first investment under our belts, we would welcome more companies from the North West applying to the group for investment. ”

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Qubizm squares up to Boston market

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Boston Trade Mission Success

Franz Schlindwein celebrates Boston Trade Mission Success

Qubizm squares up to Boston market: Local businesses hoping to break into the US market are being encouraged to sign up for a special trade mission to Boston Massachusetts, which is being led by Derry City and Strabane District Council working in partnership with Donegal County Council.

The 2017 Trade and Investment Mission, November 14th-17th, will focus on promoting the North West region as an attractive investment proposition for global companies. The trip builds on strong links established over the years as part of an ongoing programme of activities included in Ireland Northwest’s Gateway to Growth Initiative.

Several local companies are already reaping the rewards from previous trade missions – among them Qubizm, a unique company which is hoping to transform the landscape of traditional education with an innovative and engaging new approach to Maths. Qubizm creates specialized learning tools aimed at improving teaching standards and reviving interest in the subject for primary and secondary school children.

Local innovator and educationalist Franz Schlindwein heads up the company, which is now also making positive inroads into the education sector in Boston, Mass. Having travelled with the delegation last year, Franz will be travelling back to Boston next month to follow up on a series of networking opportunities generated from last year’s trip, and is confident that other companies can enjoy similar benefits. He explained more about the company’s groundbreaking work, and why Qubizm is the ideal company to break into overseas markets.

“International Research in the form of the TIMSS Report 2015, shows that 43% of children here are not confident in Maths by the time they reach the age of 13,” he explained. “Up until age 9, that percentage is only 19% – this downturn is a reality and Boston College did the research. The downturn creates major problems for children entering the transition process between Primary and Secondary school phase and we can offer unparalleled support in this area.

“We didn’t want to enter the US market until we knew our product was right, so we’ve been refining the system to the point where we now have the endorsement of the universities, validation from the Inspectorate and Education Authority and published research completed by QUB and Trinity College. Now we have something that is proven to work, we are confident in sharing it with the American market.

“In the US there is significant underperformance in Maths, which varies state by state, but in general, attainment levels are much lower than here. The TIMSS Report also shows NI to have the highest performance levels in Maths of any English speaking country in the world.

“Teachers here embrace Izak9 and 40% of schools have already adopted our system for a variety of uses so the response has been extremely positive.”

Qubizm’s first learning tool Izak9, has been going down a storm in schools across Ireland and the UK, where the colourful cube based system, which is supported by engaging online learning resources, has been bringing teachers and pupils together in developing exciting new strategies for tackling traditional Maths problems.

“When we took our system to Boston, children in the Boys and Girls clubs had the chance to try out the cubes and for example the pupils and teachers at Newman College – which is Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s former school – use them already.

“While there we had several initial meetings with a variety of organisations both in the private and education sectors, and the next step is now for us to capitalize on that experience by travelling out there in June. We’ve had fantastic support since the trade mission, both from Council and from Invest NI, who assisted in setting up meetings with the appropriate points of contact for our company.

“It’s also been a great help having a contact on the ground over there, with business consultant Pat Bench setting up meetings for us with the Mayor’s Department, Boston Public Schools etc.”

Franz Schlindwein from Qubizm celebrates Boston Trade Mission Success

Franz Schlindwein from Qubizm celebrates Boston Trade Mission Success

The future is certainly bright for the company which is currently working closely with local education authorities while keeping their sights set on the lucrative US and Asian markets.
“We have lots of plans in the offing at the moment,” Franz reveals. “As well as our trip back to Boston, where we hope to make further inroads in the market there, we also have plans to translate our system into Mandarin and are in channel partner discussions with a company in the Middle East.

“We are supporting the Attainment Challenge initiative in Scotland where they are seeking to achieve equity in education, as disadvantaged children are greatly affected by the massive socio-economic divide over there. It’s become a major priority for the Scottish government to bridge this gap and they are investing heavily in finding ways to improve attainment levels in Maths. We’re working with 50 schools in Scotland already, and we are also initiating a research project with the Welsh Education Authority in September.

“I would really recommend the trade mission to Boston in terms of the support that is offered to anyone unsure of how to establish those first important links. The follow up support is excellent. Of course it does require effort on the part of the company in keeping the momentum going after the trip, but the rewards are definitely there for those who are committed to pursuing their goal of breaking into the US market.”

Places are available for 12 companies from Derry and Strabane with similar aspirations to gain access to key economic and government decision-makers in Boston. Burgeoning enterprises can develop in-market networks and in-market intelligence though business-to-business meetings with potential partners, agents and customers, as well as gain valuable first hand insight into the US market. The deadline for submissions is 9th June 2017.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the 2017 Trade and Investment Mission to Boston should contact: Rosalind Young/Adam Goodall at Derry City and Strabane District Council michael.tunney@leo.donegalcoco.ie 00353749160735

Apply now for the 2017 Mission at www.derrystrabane.com/bostoncalling
Further information on Izak9 can be found on www.izak9.com

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Global Equipment Spares Ltd Manufacturer Expansion to Create 61 New Jobs

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GES

Pictured (L – R) are Barry O’Neill, Sales Director of GES, John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, and Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch.

Londonderry based Global Equipment Spares Limited (GES) is more than doubling its workforce over the next three years as part of a strategy to grow its export sales six-fold.

With support from Invest Northern Ireland GES, which is located at Campsie Industrial Estate, is investing £1.9million to upgrade its facility, purchase new machinery and create 61 new jobs across a range of roles.
Announcing the investment, Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch said: “Invest NI’s offer of £396,000 is enabling GES to undertake growth development plans aimed at positioning the business so that it can manufacture and export more components, particularly into North America.

“The 61 new jobs being recruited over the next three years range from manufacturing roles to procurement and sales positions and will generate £1.3million annually in additional salaries.

“GES’ investment marks a significant step change for the small business as it seeks to scale up its production capabilities to meet the growing opportunities for its products outside Northern Ireland.”

GES manufactures products from high strength and wear resistant steels for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of quarrying, mining, construction and agricultural equipment based in GB, the ROl, the EU and the US. Its customers include major materials handling businesses including Terex, Telestack, Sandvik and McCloskey International as well as global companies such as Kleemann Wirtgen, Astec Industries and Kuhn Farm Machinery.

John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, said: “This expansion is part of a strategy to grow sales and increase both our workforce and our product offering to meet identified opportunities within new and existing markets. We have set ourselves a challenging target for new export business and will be focused on leveraging our reputation in the industry to secure new customers.

“Invest NI’s support is allowing us to fully implement our growth plans and create valuable employment opportunities across a range of disciplines in the North West.”

Invest NI’s support is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020.

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New Green Energy Fund Launched

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Pictured launching the new Green Energy Fund as part of their commitment to helping green energy projects are James Gibbons and Conor Devine of Clearpath Finance

Pictured launching the new Green Energy Fund as part of their commitment to helping green energy projects are James Gibbons and Conor Devine of Clearpath Finance

Clearpath Finance, a lending solutions platform has launched a new private investment fund to provide at least £30m to green energy projects and assist local businesses in Northern Ireland.

The Green Energy Fund will be available for new and existing wind farms and anaerobic digester businesses and projects across Northern Ireland.

To date Clearpath Finance has drawn down over £8m of new capital for green energy projects since the company was established in 2016. More growth is expected as Northern Ireland seeks to meet an increasing amount of its energy needs from renewable sources. The green sector generated more than £43bn for the UK in 2015, figures recently released from the Office for National Statistics showed.

Conor Devine MRICS of Clearpath Finance said; “We are committed to helping green energy projects in Northern Ireland. Continued growth and investment into this sector is vital as we move to harvest renewable energy sources.At Clearpath Finance we have the capacity to support the green energy sector in Northern Ireland and we will ensure that business lending for the sector is through a simplified, uncluttered and expedient path as well as at a competitive rate.”

Clearpath Finance provides an alternative source of lending as a commercial finance broker working with a number of major lenders across the UK. The company has established excellent relationships working with a select number of peer-to-peer lenders, equity and mezzanine funders and private lending consortiums to go some way to solve the current liquity crisis in the local economy.

James Gibbons, Clearpath Finance added; “Obtaining and delivering finance in this current market can be extremely difficult. At Clearpath, we have identified the support and solutions needed for businesses who are seeking to finance or refinance their business or project at more competitive finance rates than those currently on offer. We will continue to provide new finance streams to businesses across Northern Ireland.”

Clearpath Finance are currently attending this year’s Balmoral Show between the 10th to 13th May 2017 where they are available to discuss renewable energy projects and advise on how best to avail of funding. More information can be founds at www.clearpathfinance.com.

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Derry business woman on why she set up her own business in the city

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Derry business woman on why she set up her own business in the city

Jennifer McKeever of Airporter

Jennifer McKeever of Airporter

“Starting a business at 23 with not much experience in the travel industry, but an insight into the inconvenience for families visiting Northern Ireland, meant the first year was very much about hard work, determination and a lot of learning and we were delighted to record a total of 5,000 passengers, an impressive start for any business. We are delighted to announce that last year our figures rocketed to 150,000 passengers.”

“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is having control of your life. There are enormous, terrifying responsibilities to having your own business that you could never appreciate until you’re there yourself. But, you do have control – I don’t think there many people who can say that and I am very aware that this is a great privilege.”

“When asked if she would start up a business again after the experiences of the last decade.

“There have been many times over the years when I would have to think hard about that, but now when I look back at what we have achieved, I would say yes – that it was the best decision I ever made and would 100% encourage everyone who is thinking about this to take the plunge and go for it!!”

For more details on the 10K Business Challenge go to www.derrystrabane.com/10kChallenge
For more information on the Airporter service in Northern Ireland go to www.airporter.co.uk

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Derry business woman on why she set up her own business in the city

airporter-301310/05/2017

“Starting a business at 23 with not much experience in the travel industry, but an insight into the inconvenience for families visiting Northern Ireland, meant the first year was very much about hard work, determination and a lot of learning and we were delighted to record a total of 5,000 passengers, an impressive start for any business. We are delighted to announce that last year our figures rocketed to 150,000 passengers.”

“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is having control of your life. There are enormous, terrifying responsibilities to having your own business that you could never appreciate until you’re there yourself. But, you do have control – I don’t think there many people who can say that and I am very aware that this is a great privilege.”

“When asked if she would start up a business again after the experiences of the last decade.

“There have been many times over the years when I would have to think hard about that, but now when I look back at what we have achieved, I would say yes – that it was the best decision I ever made and would 100% encourage everyone who is thinking about this to take the plunge and go for it!!”

For more details on the 10K Business Challenge go to www.derrystrabane.com/10kChallenge

For more information on the Airporter service in Northern Ireland go to www.airporter.co.uk

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29 new jobs for Rural Business Investment Scheme

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Derry Strabane Rural Partenership

Derry Strabane Rural Partenership

Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership has awarded funding which will create 29 new jobs in the rural area through the roll out of its second call of the Rural Business Investment Scheme as part of the NI Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

The Rural Business Investment Scheme was the first scheme to open in 2016/17 with grants of £323,000 awarded to nine businesses in September 2016, and the creation of 15.5 jobs. This second call for funding opened last October and grants of over £470,000 have now been awarded to eight projects, creating 29 new jobs in the rural community.

Among those businesses successful in securing funding were the the City of Derry Equestrian Centre at Ardmore £4,992; Ardstraw Quarries at Victoria Bridge £50,000 (2 jobs); Foyle Golf Centre at Culmore £90,000 (5.5 jobs); Greg Mitchell Motors at Victoria Bridge £90,000 (5.5 jobs); Oakfire Adventures in Derry £50,000 (2.5 jobs); Sayers Engineering, Castlederg £90,000 (4 jobs) and Tiny Tots Day Care in Sion Mills, £50,000 (8 jobs).

Acknowledging the investment and the creation of new jobs, the Chair of Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership Cllr Patricia Logue said this was a really good news story for the rural area.

“We are delighted to be in a position to award funding to these local rural businesses and to offer them a chance to improve their services and grow their client base. Availing of this funding has given them a competitive edge in what is a challenging economic climate and we are delighted to be in a position to support the growth of these rural businesses and the creation of new jobs” she said.

Deirdre Harte, Rural Development Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council said the total funding awarded to date through the first two calls of the Rural Business Investment Scheme is now nearly £800,000 with 17 grants supporting the creation of 44.5 new jobs.

“This programme is crucial in giving rural businesses a helping hand to realise their potential and to avail of support and assistance to grow their business, extend their workforce and develop export potential. We are also delighted with the response to our third call under the Scheme following a series of workshops held across the district in April 2017”

The NI Rural Development Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the European Union.

For further information on the Rural Development Programme in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area visit www.derrystrabane.com/rural.

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Ulster University is first UK university to roll out of revolutionary Internet of Things technology

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SIGFOX Tech

SIGFOX Tech

Ulster University has become the first university in the UK and the only commercial organisation in Northern Ireland to install the revolutionary Internet of Things (IoT) technology, SIGFOX.

IoT technology supports the networking and sharing of information between physical devices such as smartphones, tablet and other suitably enabled electronic devices via the internet. The innovative SIGFOX wireless technology remotely connects devices with the cloud, transferring valuable data sets for end-user evaluation by phone, tablet or computer.

SIGFOX is the next generation of wireless technology and can work alongside other networks such as Wifi, Bluetooth and 4G. It excels for its wide range connectivity to the internet, as well as its low power consumption and cost. The new SIGFOX base station has been fitted at Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus.

Dr Philip Catherwood from Ulster University’s Engineering Research Institute said: “To give you an idea of the power of SIGFOX, it takes only one base station to service an area the size of Belfast. As the first university in the UK to install a SIGFOX base station, Ulster University is at the forefront of the Internet of Things revolution. This is supported by our world-leading research in connected health and data analytics, as well as our innovative teaching practices.

“This emerging technology offers enormous opportunities for innovation and discovery at Ulster University. We will use SIGFOX enabled technology in our future research into wearable devices; remote data analysis and connected health platforms to further improve patient outcomes and transform the global healthcare sector. The SIGFOX base station at Ulster University will receive a wide range of information from remote healthcare data such as blood analysis, diabetes and heart rate results, to livestock tracking and chemical detection.

“Ulster University’s engineering students will benefit from the new base station as we plan to deliver dedicated modules on this emerging network. This will guarantee students first-hand experience of this next generation technology, helping them to thrive in careers in the fast-paced technology and engineering sectors.

“We are delighted to have the first base station installed at Ulster University, which will benefit not only researchers and students, but also Northern Ireland’s wider business community who can tap into its potential.”

Led by Ulster University’s School of Engineering, the installation of the new SIGFOX base station was supported by cross-border partners including VT Networks and 2nr. The base station equipment was provided by global operator WND Networks with installation expertise from Barrett Contracts.

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