Significant milestone passed at Regional Development Centre at Dundalk IT

The Regional Development Centre (RDC) in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) recently achieved a very significant milestone as it broke the 2000 mark for individual entrepreneurs and businesses supported in the Northeast since opening in 1989. 

To help celebrate and mark this impressive milestone, local radio station LMFM were on site and interviewed some key team members from the RDC, Centre Manager Garrett Duffy, Thrive4Women Programme Manager Lavina McGahon and New Frontiers Programme Manager David Connolly, who individually outlined the different supports available from the RDC for start-ups, women leaders and early-stage businesses. 

Some of Ireland’s largest and most successful companies have benefitted from the business expertise and specialist supports available from the RDC.

The roll call includes Irish grown businesses such as STATSports, Digiweb, and Hanley Energy who between them have gone on to create hundreds of jobs in Ireland and abroad. The RDC is also home to Nova Leah, the internationally known cybersecurity specialist and DkIT spin-out company.

On the day, past participant Myles McCorry from Galibier, outlined the supports he received when setting up his business in Omeath, how his assumptions were challenged by the RDC team and how the RDC helped develop a market entry strategy that now sees Galibier employing five and exporting to 70 countries worldwide.

While the RDC has seen a number of companies that have scaled dramatically over the years, it truly treasures the multitude of small and medium sized companies like Galibier that are based throughout the Northeast, that are making a big difference to the local economy.

Along with the RDC offering supports to national established businesses and startups, it has also acted as a soft landing for multinationals, such as foreign direct investments via the IDA.

Companies they have worked with include Overhaul, the supply chain integrity technology company, Prometric and the Drogheda based Yapstone to name a few. 

From start-ups and spin-outs to bespoke, academically robust courses for industry, the RDC has woven itself into the fabric of enterprise and innovation in the region supporting all stages of the entrepreneurial journey along with sectoral focused initiatives.

The team at the RDC say they are always available to discuss ideas from people who wish to start a business or from existing businesses who have technical problems that the Institute could help solve.