Eamon McCrory

The National Enterprise Hub has made it easier for Irish SMEs to access funding, advice, and support. Since launching, it’s helped over 6,500 businesses and attracted 220,000 users by streamlining access to over 250 government supports. The top grants availed of by businesses to date through the Hub have ranged in value from €3,000 to €7,000. Read more from Conor O'Donovan Head of Start-Ups and the National Enterprise Hub in the Irish Independent https://shorturl.at/AaObT

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Applegreen will open Ireland’s first Taco Bell restaurant in September as part of a €15 million investment in a new motorway service area at Junction 6 on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath https://lnkd.in/exrZwXDs

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Belfast-based tech company fluid focus has secured £640,000 in investment from Co-Fund III and a network of business angels across the UK and Europe, to grow its team, enhance its core product and expand in new markets, beginning with the United States.   Founded by Belfast-based Glenn Stephenson and Connor Mason, Fluid Focus is an app which rewards users for healthier screentime and productivity habits. Users can earn ‘Fluid Coins’ for reducing time spent on distracting apps and spending time in productivity sessions, which can then be exchanged for rewards including weekly giveaways and charitable donations.   The company recently completed a research programme which investigated how Gen Z interact with technology and gave them a platform to share how smartphones are impacting their studies, focus, sleep, and broader mental wellbeing. It discovered that current students spend on average 5.5 hours on their phone every day, which amounts to 25 years of scrolling over their waking lifetime, if their habits remain unchanged. Read more here ▶️ https://lnkd.in/eBeGDBnR #ScreenTime #Productivity #Rewards #BelfastBased #Expansion

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This one is for any Northern Ireland-based SMEs & entrepreneurs wishing to improve productivity through more effective use of AI. AwakenHub along with #TechNIAdvocates will deliver their #ActivateAI pilot for 30 participants between December and March, funded by the UK Tech Cluster Group’s Regional Booster Programme. This initiative is designed to empower founders and businesses across Northern Ireland to embrace artificial intelligence, increase productivity, and scale their businesses. If you’re a founder or SME and you know that you could turbo-charge your business productivity by embracing AI but you’re not yet sure where to start, then this is for you. Expect from our programme the usual AwakenHub mix of practical help and superstar speakers leading the sessions within a fabulous & inclusive community environment. 👇 Apply below by 7 November to be part of Activate AI - https://lnkd.in/eZcgNdun (Image by AI of course! Applications open to everyone) Matrix, The Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) NI Chamber Russ Shaw CBE Martin Spiller John Ferris North West Regional College (NWRC) David Crozier, CBE Ulster University

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11 solid quarters of growth, and counting! This morning's announcement where we shared revenue growth in the second quarter of 2%, and a rise in EBITDA of 5% year on year, is a clear reflection of the strength and consistency of eir Ireland's strategy. We remain firmly committed to building Ireland’s most advanced telecommunications infrastructure, combining the nation’s largest fibre network with 99% 5G mobile coverage to deliver world-class connectivity to homes and businesses. Our fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, the largest in Ireland, is now available to over 1.4 million homes and businesses. This milestone means that approximately 3.6 million people across the country can access high-speed, full-fibre connectivity, reinforcing Ireland’s position as one of Europe’s most digitally connected nations. We have also reached 99% nationwide 5G coverage, with mobile network traffic rising 65% year-on-year. The rollout of more than 850 new mobile sites and fibre backhaul to 1,300 locations has significantly improved speed and capacity, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Building on our first-to-market launch of WiFi 7 in Q1, this quarter, we introduced 5 Gigabit (5Gbps) fibre broadband service, setting a new benchmark for speed, performance, and reliability in Irish homes and businesses. This new standard in performance and reliability comes at a pivotal moment as we accelerate the transition to full fibre, ensuring Ireland’s digital infrastructure is future ready. I'm proud that with every quarter we’re building stronger networks, providing better services, and connecting for a better Ireland. #eirforall

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A landmark new survey of technology decision-makers in 200 Northern Ireland businesses by GCD Technologies in partnership with the Institute of Directors (IoD) today reveals the extent to which companies here are formally using AI, whether they are doing so in a strategic way, and how they intend to use AI in the future. Key findings include: 📌 Only 19% of Northern Ireland businesses currently use AI 📌 Fewer than 4 in 10 of these (39%) use it strategically 📌 Strategic adopters are seeing real impact – 86% report efficiency gains, 71% improved customer experience and 58% revenue growth 📌 Main barriers to adoption are lack of knowledge (41%), in house skills (36%) and budget restrictions (22%) 📌 Just 20% of non-AI users have governance or controls in place The findings highlight both the early stage of AI maturity in Northern Ireland and the growing appetite among business leaders to explore its potential. As adoption accelerates, there is a clear opportunity for organisations to invest in skills, governance and innovation to stay competitive. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/euBDEdgE

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