‘Significant growth’ from partnership between Inishowen Innovation (ii) and Forward Emphasis

The strategic partnership between Inishowen Innovation (ii) and Forward Emphasis has led to “significant growth”, the partners have said, with 70 Forward Emphasis employees now based at the ii facility in Buncrana.

Since establishing a presence in the turnkey facilities at ii, Forward Emphasis has scaled its operations rapidly, leveraging the technology-focused collaborative environment and a pool of skilled talent.

Inishowen Innovation (ii) is a state-of-the-art innovation hub in Buncrana, providing access to technology, collaboration spaces, and business supports for startups, remote workers, and established companies.

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Forward Emphasis, a leading employer in Inishowen, is a business process outsourcer specialising in customer experience and claims management solutions for regulated industries such as banking, insurance and financial services.
Forward Emphasis says the partnership has enabled it to continue expanding its footprint in the North West region while creating valuable local employment opportunities.

Linda McColgan, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Marketing, said: “As Forward Emphasis celebrates its 25th anniversary in Malin Head, our growth strategy includes substantially increasing our workforce over the next few years. Looking beyond our headquarters was essential and the ii hub in Buncrana, as a second site, has given us access to a larger talent pool and opened recruitment opportunities in the wider Donegal area.”

JP McGonigle, Director of People Solutions at Forward Emphasis, added: “Being part of ii has been transformational. The support, facilities, collaborative environment, and access to resources have allowed us to meet and exceed our strategic growth targets, benefiting both our business and the local community. We could not have met our growth objectives in the past year without being able to access the hub’s facilities as easily and quickly as we did.”

Anne Marie McLaughlin, Manager at Inishowen Innovation, commented: “It’s exciting to see Forward Emphasis thriving within our hub. With around 70 of their staff now working here on a hybrid basis, this is a great example of the ii’s mission to support local businesses through innovation and collaboration.”