UCD/TCD Innovation Academy to host forum on entrepreneurship

Given that two-thirds of all new jobs come from start-up businesses in the first five years, entrepreneurship is more topical than ever.

Against this backdrop, the UCD/TCD Innovation Academy will host the third annual Irish Student Entrepreneurship Forum (ISEF) on Thursday to promote student start-ups and connect young entrepreneurs with Ireland’s business elite.

ISEF co-head Eoghan Boyle said the forum will provide students with a platform to showcase their businesses to venture capitalists, angel investors and business leaders, and receive feedback and advice on how to proceed. "Young entrepreneurs and third-level students are a seed bed for future business start-ups, they will be our successful entrepreneurs of the future."

He said the encouragement of entrepreneurship and a start-up culture among students was more important than ever considering the level of youth unemployment throughout Europe.

“Third-level institutions are a hub of new ideas and innovation, and in order to give start-ups the best chance of success it is necessary to have well-established connections with formidable business leaders,” he added.

Speakers at the forum will include Enterprise Ireland chief executive Julie Sinnamon, TeachWare founder Jordan Casey, Wayra Ireland chief executive Karl Aherne, Thousand Seeds co-founder Mary Cronin, EY entrepreneur of the year partner-in-charge Frank O'Keeffe and Brian Hayes, former executive director of Citibank Europe. The forum will showcase six new student start-ups, alongside two returning companies from last year.

On the subject of start-ups and jobs, more than 2,000 people are expected to attend the Dubstarts jobs fair at the Powerscourt Centre in Dublin tomorrow, where they will meet 30 of Ireland's fastest-growing start-up companies along with a select number of larger organisations including Hubspot and Ryanair.

Start-ups such as Datahug, Eagle Alpha, Newswhip and Skillpages will be hiring on the night for positions ranging from programming to design to business and marketing.