Guinness Enterprise Centre expands international partnerships to support start-up growth.
The Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin has revealed plans to expand its international partnerships and soft-landing programmes to help Irish start-ups scale into new markets including the US, UAE and Portugal.
The announcement coincided with a visit from 40 delegates from STATION F, the world’s largest start-up campus based in Paris.
“We are taking an important step in strengthening our relationships with leading international innovation centres”
The Dublin-based entrepreneurial superhub expects to sign 15 new collaborations with international hubs by year-end 2026, bringing its total international hub partnerships to 40.
It currently has 25 memoranda of understanding with national and international hubs and recently signed an agreement with The Algarve STP in Portugal.
A world of opportunity awaits Irish start-ups
“We are taking an important step in strengthening our relationships with leading international innovation centres,” said Niamh Collins, centre director of the Guinness Enterprise Centre.
“By building yet more global connections, we are not only creating new opportunities for collaboration, but also providing a vital gateway for our client companies as they scale into new markets.”
The soft-landing initiatives provide start-ups with advice, guidance and office space access in new markets. The centre is also pursuing additional collaborations with Irish and international universities, giving start-ups access to MBA programme candidates covering innovation and entrepreneurship.
A recent partnership with TU Dublin provides Guinness Enterprise Centre start-ups with marketing expertise to support international market entry. A collaboration with Fordham University in New York gives companies in the sustainability and MedTech sectors marketing knowledge and expertise needed to expand into the New York area.
“We very much welcome today’s visit from STATION F director, Roxanne Varza, and her hub team to the Guinness Enterprise Centre,” Collins said. “As a meeting of the world’s largest start-up campus with Ireland’s largest start-up campus, this visit will enable us to learn from each other and exchange ideas to ensure we, and the start-ups we support, are consistently pushing boundaries.”
Roxanne Varza, director of Station F, said: “The STATION F team has visited many international ecosystems over the years – and it is a true honour to visit the Irish ecosystem this year. We feel this is a key moment for Europe and a lot can come from building bridges and collaborating more with like-minded structures. We are particularly excited to visit the Guinness Enterprise Centre, which we have heard about for quite some time.”
The Guinness Enterprise Centre was established in 2000 and is ranked as the number two Private Business Incubator in the World according to UBI Global. The centre provides workspace and business support services to help start-ups grow and scale their enterprises.
Station F Paris, located in a former rail depot, spans 34,000 square metres and hosts over 1,000 startups. Founded by tech entrepreneur Xavier Niel, it offers a comprehensive ecosystem including corporate and academic accelerator programs, venture capital support, and maker spaces. Since opening in 2017, Station F has become a flagship hub for innovation, particularly in AI and deep tech.
Image at top: Niamh Collins, centre director of the Guinness Enterprise Centre
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