With the rise in hybrid working, more businesses are seeking different ways of working and an alternative to life in large cities. From entrepreneurs and start-ups to larger businesses, people are gravitating to different parts of the country to work and live. AIB is supporting these business communities through its partnership with co-working spaces in Galway and West Cork.
PorterShed, Galway
PorterShed, located in Galway city centre, is a collaborative co-working hub for innovation-driven and globally focused tech start-ups. Since it was founded in 2016, the PorterShed has become a best-in-class innovation hub, offering members and the wider tech community access to accelerator programmes, early stage supports and mentorship. PorterShed has been backed by AIB since its inception and the bank has extended its sponsorship until 2026.
AIB’s Head of Galway and Mayo, Barry Cooley, said “we recognise the importance of spaces like PorterShed for businesses that operate in the west of Ireland. Not only does it offer a space to work with high quality facilities, it also offers a sense of community with like-minded business people as well as an opportunity to network and learn from each other. We’re proud to support PorterShed and the development of cutting-edge, innovative technology in the west of Ireland, which offers businesses a gateway to the rest of the world.”
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CitySwift is one of those cutting-edge companies. Headquartered in Galway with over 50 employees, CitySwift’s platform offers bus network providers the data and insights to digitally transform and grow networks through productivity gains, improved service performance, and passenger experience. Its mission is to reduce global emissions from transport and provide public and private operators with the tools to deliver dynamic networks that are ultra-efficient, data-driven, and reliable.
Brian O’Rourke, CEO and co-founder of CitySwift said “we have always loved Galway, it’s a beautiful part of the country with a strong and growing technology and innovation scene for both start-ups and multinationals so it’s a great place to start a technology company that is focused on international growth. PorterShed has presented us with not only world-class facilities but also great networking opportunities and it’s certainly opened up our talent pool.
“The retention of talent has been extraordinary in CitySwift since day one and being headquartered in Galway plays a significant part in that. While the population might be smaller, the talent is stellar and nobody ever wants to leave Galway once they experience all it has to offer, whether permanently living here or as one of our hybrid team members. The west of Ireland has a healthy approach to work, people here work hard but make the most of their time off too.
“Co-working spaces, in particular PorterShed, will provide you with access to companies and mentors who’ve done it all before, seen great success, and are willing to help fellow entrepreneurs on their own journey. You also get access to fantastic office facilities, as well as workshops and events to learn more about running a business. Our customers love an excuse to visit Galway too.”
Ludgate
Since opening in Skibbereen, West Cork in 2016, Ludgate with the support of AIB, strives to be a world leader in rural regeneration through digital transformation. Since then, it has grown to be a thriving and innovative co-working environment. It hosts a mix of start-ups, more established businesses, remote workers and second site teams as well as a number of programmes to help companies accelerate their business such as the Propeller Series for start-ups and the Reignite programme for women returning to the workplace.
Baseworx, a software company from West Cork is one of the many businesses that has benefitted from having a location in Ludgate. It began its life in PorterShed in Galway in 2019 before moving to Ludgate and provides software for co-working spaces to manage their locations including room and desk booking facilities, intranets, internal messaging systems, membership management and networking events. Baseworx employs ten people, holds a strong position in the market in Ireland and Northern Ireland and is expanding into the UK and Europe.
Graham Clarke, CEO, Baseworx said “we based the business out of PorterShed in Galway initially but when Covid hit I decided to move closer to family. I’m from Douglas in Cork originally and spent a lot of my summers in West Cork. Thanks to the flexible nature of how we operate, it allowed us to set up shop here and build the team from Ludgate.” When considering what challenges the move posed, Graham said “Ludgate was the solution to many of the potential challenges if I’m honest. Once the Covid restrictions were lifted it was great to have somewhere to go and get a day’s work done.
“Being new to the area, it was a great way to plug ourselves into the community and I’ve made some great friends and connections here very quickly. As a place to work Ludgate is great, it has really good facilities and broadband, but aside from that there is a great sense of community.” Graham says hubs such as PorterShed and Ludgate provide a flexibility for people at different life stages and that can work well for businesses. “We have done our best to tap into both worlds. In urban settings I think it might be easier to tap into younger talent like grads and interns because of the proximity to colleges, this has worked well for us in our Galway base in PorterShed. In West Cork and Ludgate, I see people a little later on in their career, moving home to start a family after years away in the hustle and bustle of places like London.
“My advice to businesses thinking about using a co-working space is pop on to Connectedhubs.ie and check out your closest coworking space. Over the course of my work, I’ve spoken with nearly every co-working space manager in the country and every one of them has a great passion for their locality, expect them to be very welcoming and eager to help.”
AIB’s Branch Manager, Skibbereen Maeve Buckley said “AIB has a strong sense of community so it makes sense for us to be part of the Ludgate business community, where companies of all sizes that want to live, work and participate in their local community can come together every day. Ludgate offers a range of facilities and programmes, helping start-ups to grow and supporting diversity and inclusion. We’re delighted to back this community in West Cork as one of the many ways AIB is helping businesses to grow and achieve their ambitions.”