Galway City Council has approved a proposal for planning permission and development of an innovation hub by a new collaborative not-for-profit company established by GMIT, The Western Development Commission and Galway Film Centre.

The CREW Innovation Hub aims to develop and support the creative industries sectors along the Atlantic Economic Corridor, and will provide space for 180 entrepreneurs, start-ups and new FDI companies in the CreaTech sector.

In addition the hub will cater for training, networking and business events in bringing together start-ups, the creative enterprise sector, students, academics and the local community. The overall aim is to foster creative industry business growth, job creation along with core development, enhancement, and investment in the sector.

Niamh Costello, CEO of CREW said, “The West of Ireland already has a cluster of creative technology and digital entrepreneurs. CREW will bring those companies closer together to create an enterprise culture that encourages entrepreneurs to create new companies that will become world players themselves or form the basis for expansion of existing companies.

“The on-campus innovation hub will provide important collaboration space and opportunities for entrepreneurs, researchers, start-ups, and corporate innovation teams to develop new research and innovative approaches to expand the creative industries in the region and to identify new opportunities, for the benefit of society and the economy.”