Digital Agenda Funding

Project Status: Live Project

Project Leader: Caitriona Strain

EU Programme: ERNACT

Project Budget: €2,171,550

Start Date: Apr, 2018

Finish Date: Dec, 2023

Project Website: www.theii.com

The aim of the project is to:

The aim of this project is to equip the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal with the innovation capacity to create more jobs and new tech enterprises.

Specific objectives are to:

Integrate the enterprise sectors in Inishowen into the region’s wider innovation ecosystem
Increase the uptake of innovation and entrepreneurship services in enterprises
Stimulate the private sector to increase the supply of suitable tech property solutions

Donegal, Ireland
ERNACT Network(Partner)
ERNACT are providing a project management service to the Inishowen Digital Hub during the development and construction phase of the project. This includes liaison with the funders, serving the board, communications and progress reporting.


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Donegal, Ireland
Donegal County Council(Partner)
The Council, in addition to providing the site and building for the hub, bring their experience, resources and expertise in developing large capital projects. The Council will also bring their enterprise and community development skills to the project


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Donegal, Ireland
Enterprise Ireland(Partner)
Enterprise Ireland provide the major funding for this project through their Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). They will use the hub as a base for delivering innovation, research and enterprise programmes to enterprises in Inishowen.


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Northern & Western, Ireland

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) (Partner)
The ATU brings their experience of developing digital hubs, as well as expertise in developing technology transfer, skills and innovation programmes. LYIT will act as a gateway to innovation and research networks across Ireland.

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The ERNACT regions focus on adapting and transferring services, approaches or digital knowhow between regions. Please examine the following table to see a list of specific items transferred over the past few years

Inishowen tech ecosystem development

Donegal - Donegal Digital Innovation Company

This Pilot directed at SMEs. It is a service - innovation whose purpose is to develop and manage a tech ecosystem in the beautiful and rural Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal Ireland. It is innovative because combines total ecosystem, entrepreneurship and property...

This Pilot directed at SMEs. It is a service - innovation whose purpose is to develop and manage a tech ecosystem in...

Joined Up Digital Startups

Donegal - Donegal Digital Innovation Company

This Pilot directed at SMEs. It is an innovation service whose purpose is to provide a comprehensive and integrated company start-up and accelerator service for tech entrepreneurs. It is innovative because it focuses on tailored solution for each entrepreneur by...

This Pilot directed at SMEs. It is an innovation service whose purpose is to provide a comprehensive and integrated...

Property Solution

Donegal - Donegal Digital Innovation Company

This property service is aimed directed at startups and SMEs. It's purpose is to provide suitable property solutions for tech entrepreneurs. It is innovative because it provides property solutions for tech entrepreneurs in a managed dynamic startup ecosystem, including...

This property service is aimed directed at startups and SMEs. It's purpose is to provide suitable property solutions...

The hub will be a focus for connecting Inishowen to the wider regional tech ecosystem to provide a range of innovation, technology transfer and enterprise support services from LYIT/CoLab, IDA, EI and LEO to potential start-ups and to existing small businesses in more traditional sectors to help improve their processes, products, services, marketing and sales.

It aims to be a focus for increasing the level of digital innovation, education and training in Inishowen communities as a basis for further employment and job creation. It also helps to meet the local demand from small digital enterprises and entrepreneurs for small office/co-working space and the demand from MNOs in the Letterkenny Digital Cluster for high quality, attractive e-work space nearer to where existing and potential highly skilled workers reside.