Brand new rural innovation hub opens on Tipperary border

The Exit4 rural innovation hub in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, was officially opened today by Deputy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, Carlow-Kilkenny TD and Minister of State at the Department of Health, alongside members of Government and local representatives.

The new hub is the result of a partnership between South East Technological University, the Urlingford Town Team, Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office and is one of a network of four rural innovation hubs being developed across the south-east to support small businesses and start-ups.

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Exit4 will act as a centre of innovation for entrepreneurs in Kilkenny and Tipperary, providing flexible workspaces, access to enterprise supports, and opportunities for innovation and collaboration.

The project is supported by SETU through TU RISE funding, which enables SETU to strengthen regional research and innovation capacity in partnership with local enterprises.

SETU TU RISE is co-financed by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27.

Speaking at the opening, Professor Veronica Campbell, President of South East Technological University, said: "Connection is at the heart of everything we do at SETU. This project is a living example of what we can achieve through collaboration, partnership and a shared ambition. Working closely with Urlingford Town Team CLG and Kilkenny County Council’s Local Enterprise Board and supported by SETU’s TU RISE project, we are creating an ecosystem where micro-enterprises and start-ups can access expertise, knowledge and new thinking."

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Prof Marie Claire Van Hout, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact at SETU, added: "Together, we are building a network of rural innovation hubs right across the region – places like Exit 4 – that act as gateways for local businesses to access the skills, expertise, and facilities of a university while staying rooted in their own communities.”

Programmes and supports for entrepreneurs are already underway at Exit4, helping to build a vibrant network of innovators across Kilkenny, Tipperary and beyond.