Ireland Inc. Let’s just do it!
I’ve previously grumbled about the lack of support in Ireland for Web based companies. Heck, Enterprise Ireland doesn’t even have the word ‘Internet’ in the ‘Industry sector’ section of their application forms for grants etc. What does that tell you?
[Update, the point I'm making is that 'Internet' 'digital based companies aren't getting the independent support they deserve in Ireland. This has nothing to do with Enterprise Ireland]
If you’re interested in helping me improve the ecosystem for the Digital Industry in Ireland, please join me for dinner in January. This is not just about having a conversation over dinner, people will need to contribute in some way, even if only to help open doors.
This won’t be a bitching session for individuals with gripes. It’ll be a proactive and positive discussion to move things in the right direction.
I intend to setup a new non-profit independent association. I will propose 12 Executive Directors, 1 Chair and up to 5 Advisors. I will not automatically qualify for any of the seats. Everything will be open and transparent. I will of course, put myself forward for the position as Chair, so if you like what I do for BIMA then you’ll give me your vote 
We can only fit so many people around one table where everyone can have an equal say. So I will be forced to restrict the final invitations to something manageable. I’ll consult the people I know and trust to ensure we get good representation at the table.
The invitation is open to Academia, Government, Investors, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs, Corporations such as Microsoft, Adobe and Google, and anyone else with a vested interest in helping improve the system. This invitation is only extended to Enterprise Ireland if its board commits to taking away action items.
Damien Mulley and Fergus Burns are coming so far. Please leave a comment if you’re interested in coming. Normally I wouldn’t care how you get in touch, but on this occasion I want everyone to see who’s interested. Silence means you’re not interested.
Some sponsorship to cover expenses and to help get this off the ground would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you can help.
Date in January yet to be decided.
[Update, since writing this post I've had at least 6 private messages on Facebook which lead me to believe that I've given the wrong impression about my intentions. The association I have in mind has nothing to do with Enterprise Ireland or fund raising. I probably shouldn't have mentioned them in this post. Sorry for any confusion caused]
74 Responses to “Ireland Inc. Let’s just do it!”
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I’ll come along.
I should point out that EI is substantial investor in several Web 2.0 companies that I am aware of.
[...] you may want to subscribe to my site using a feedreader or email. Thanks for visiting – Damien.Paul Walsh has made a call to get something started in Ireland: I’ve previously grumbled about the lack of support in [...]
I know they are Joe. That doesn’t mean they’re doing a good job. As I said, I really want the dinner in January to be conducive to collaboration and positive thinking
I’m come too, like joe though i do know of a good few “Web 2.0″ projects with funding including myself.
[...] Walsh started it and now Damien has taken his gloves off. So we’ll be adding the Irish Web Industry [...]
I’ll come along also… and for the record Pix.ie is also funded by Enterprise Ireland. Attitudes towards internet/web companies are changing in EI, but perhaps this isn’t as obvious as it should be.
Please feel free to elaborate by what you mean regarding ‘funding’ from EI?
How much?
What did you have to do to get it?
What did you use it for?
As long as people register their interest to help improve the entire ecosystem (EI is a small player, or at least should be because this conversation is not about investment per say) I don’t mind having a separate conversation about EI funding.
Include me in.
Paul
Sounds interesting. Have you decided on a venue?
Michele
Paul – a great idea and I would be honoured to participate.
I’m up for this.
G.
I propose the Celtic Ross Hotel In West Cork (I can see it from my window!!!). If that doesn’t fly, count me in anyway
Cheers
Diarmuid
Not sure what I can bring to the table but it sounds interesting and I’d love to come along.
Anywhere but that jaipur kip
[...] November 30th @ 11:23 pm by gary Paul Walsh has taken up the challenge organising an independent body to represent the interests of Irish web based companies. He’s already got a couple of the [...]
Sounds good, put me down for a chair…
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been responsible for online and brick and morter commerce since 1994 for Fortune 500 companies, let met know how I can help. Best, Eoin McG.
Michele I was thinking of doing it in Jaipur as I know Joe loves it so much
I’d love to do two separate dinners, one in Dublin and one in Cork. Unfortunately I’m not likely to find the time so I hope people don’t mind traveling to Dublin.
I’ll try and come or support in whatever way I can. it would be nice to see a real world organisation involved in the Irish space for a change.
Hi Paul, I’d be interested in attending, too, from a corporation’s standpoint. We have, as you mention, quite a vested interest in helping to improve the situation. Thanks!
I would be very interested if able to visit Dublin. Maybe we should include Belfast also as cross-border operations?
I’m in Dublin from the 9th through the 12th of January and would be interested in sitting at the academic corner of the table.
Hey Paul,
Im in.
What your saying is right, but greater thought needs to go into the whole association process. and i dont think that segration from government bodies that we support with our taxes is going to help anyone in the long term
I’d suggest we have somebody from EI, Invest NI and intertrade ireland there also?
whilst i’m on this point, what about the various orgs, from digital groups to IIA, spider people etc? is their any point in talking to these people?
Paul
I’d be interested – but I would be keen that it doesn’t turn into a ‘how to extract more grant funding’ group.
I would be interested in a group that would raise the profile of the web sector – from ‘dot-com-bust’ (still mainstream perception) to something of the respect the construction industry gets (got)
As long as nobody trots out the usual ‘knowledge economy’ guff …
Paul B.
@Paul – I don’t think I made my intentions/ambitions clear enough. I’d like to see an independent association that represents the interests of the digital (finding it a little difficult to find the right word) Industry. This is entirely separate from a startup ecosystem to help raise funding.
I’m very sorry I even mentioned Enterprise Ireland in this post.
@jimmy – I agree. We need representation for each type of stakeholder within the industry. For example, I’ll ensure one of my interns is there to talk about the type of stuff he would like to see.
@Martha – it will be great to have Microsoft there. In fact, I emailed Claire O’Halloran about this, but she’s currently on leave. I’d really appreciate you passing this around your colleagues in other corporations. It would be nice to have Google, Dell, Intel and others there.
@Everyone – I just remembered that we hold everyone’s first comment in moderation. Now that you’ve commented on this blog, you’ll no longer be moderated unless you use more than 2 hyperlinks or say something like ‘I don’t like Paul Walsh’
Paul, I’d be interested in attending. I’m an independent web developer, in Ireland for a little over a year now. Previously based in the States, so I may be able to bring a little bit of perspective from there to the discussion. Thanks for getting this rolling.
As always, well up for coming along, though I’m becoming increasingly disillusioned with web / web business.
Paul,
I’m interested in attending; coming from the academic/business incubation angle.
Tom
Hi Paul,
In what way would this initiative differ from the IIA and their goal? “The Irish Internet Association (IIA) is the professional body for those conducting business via the Internet from Ireland. It has been and remains one of the driving forces behind the adoption of the medium.” [http://www.iia.ie/about-us/]
My own interest here is how we can build large-scale successful companies. Why are there no Googles or Yahoos from Ireland (although come to think of it, I know quite a number of yahoos in Ireland)?
Put me down for a spot if possible. Looks like you’re going to need a big table.
Stephen.
This is good. Looking forward to January
Stephen, it’s not just the Internet, it’s about digital. Check out http://bima.co.uk – that’s the Association I Chair in the UK. I don’t think Ireland needs something that will cover as much ground, but perhaps something between the IIA and BIMA would work.
Count me in.
Me and my photo-equipment are signing up.
r
Hi Everyone, it will be very useful if you could tell me ‘who’ you are and what company (if any), you come from. We won’t be able to get everyone around the first dinner table unfortunately.
Please include a URL so this entire conversation, including the people taking part in it, is transparent.
Thanks for showing so much interest everyone. Remember, this dinner table is for people who want to discuss how to create something new that will benefit Ireland. It’s not to ask the question about whether Ireland needs something new. That debate can take place in another restaurant
Name : Joe Drumgoole
Position : CEO
URL : http://putplace.com
Can you say facebook group? Might be a good way to manage this?
Derek Organ CEO
Time Warden Ltd.
1time Time Tracking Software
We are also based in the Invent Centre in Dublin City University an incubation building for start up companies.
We were approved for an EI Feasibility Grant for 26k Matched with private funding
I’m interested in creating a better community for new people coming into this area. Making it as easy as possible to get advice and apply for funding. Work can always be done in this area and outside EI there isn’t really an organization that can help you with this.
I also run Jeebers Ltd. which is a web applications development company. (http://www.jeebers.com)
Joe – it would be easier but I didn’t want to force people into registering a Facebook account. I only need people’s names to link to their site really. Some are not even doing that which makes it difficult to see the connection. I know who you are and I know where you live
Paul,
I’m senior project manager for several major international online websites (click my name for sample). I have an Irish company and preparing a new online project to get funding. I’m interested in anything happening around EI and I’d love to participate and meet some Irish hardcore bloggers.
Regards,
romans
Hello;
I wold be very interested in participating. As a Canadian transplanted to Cork, I have pretty much decieded to go it alone. But I find the resources sadly lacking in focus or even an understanding.
I have experience in mediation and intergovernmental affairs and know that it can feel like your hitting a brick wall, but usually it takes evangelism and education.
I’d rather not get into the Enterprise Ireland conversation at this particular gathering. This gathering is to discuss what’s needed to enable a better economy for digital companies/people in Ireland.
EI does play a small role as one stake holder, in helping some companies get funding, but my objective isn’t to address that specifically.
That said, the same people still qualify for this conversation and I hope those who want to discuss EI specifically, are still interested in the bigger picture.
I’m sorry I mentioned EI in my post – which I’ve mentioned in an update to the post itself.
Name: Evert Bopp
Company: AirAppz – http://www.airappz.com
Wimax EU – http://www.wimax-eu.com
Postition: CEO
sign me up Paul
Put me in the hat anyway. I don’t know how much of a contribution I could make.
Name: Paul Browne
Company: FirstPartners.net – http://www.firstpartners.net
Position: CTO
Contribution: Consulting company moving to enterprise product
@Paul W: I think what you have in mind is ‘Irish version of BIMA’, but tweaked as to what comes out of the January meetup.
Might be good to summarize the discussion / expectations when you announce the date.
Paul,
Sign me up. 14th-25th is not good for me. I would come from the angle of Enterprise Platform Programme, Academia, and R&D.
Thanks, Fred
@Paul B. Yes I’ll certainly put together an agenda and some ideas…
@Fred – great stuff, very relevant, especially if you have a grant to collaborate
So will this be Yet Another Dublin Association that has pretensions of relevance to the rest of us in Ireland?
IIA spent most of its early years being nothing more than a talking shop for the same gang of Dublin companies and it is only in the last few years that it has become more relevant to the rest of Ireland. The problem with Ireland is that you’ve got a high concentration of firms in Dublin and that has led to operations like the IT@Cork emerging. Most of us in the business cannot afford to waste almost two days going to Dublin for some evening event in the middle of the working week.
John
At least IIA don’t seriously overcharge for one day conferences unlike IT@Cork!
Michele