Guinness Enterprise Centre Partners with Techies Go Green, invests €500K in going green and creates sustainability cluster
(Left to right) Eamonn Sayers, manager, Guinness Enterprise Centre; Eamon Ryan, TD, Minister for the Environment and Climate; Michael O’Hara, co-founder, Techies Go Green; and Dr. Mary O’Riordan, CEO, HaPPE Earth, at the launch of the partnership between the Guinness Enterprise Centre and Techies Go Green to build out the Centre’s sustainability cluster, Sustainability@GEC. The centre, whose rooftop is home to 18,000 bees, also announced a €500K investment in making the facility more sustainable.
The Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), a top global incubator in the heart of Dublin City and home to more than 160 innovative start-ups, today announces that it is partnering with Techies Go Green and building out its sustainability cluster at its hub in Dublin. Eamon Ryan T.D., Minister for the Environment and Climate, launched the new cluster at an event at Guinness Enterprise Centre today.
As part of this partnership, the GEC will become the new home of Techies Go Green, a movement of more than 300 IT and tech-oriented companies which are committed to decarbonising their businesses. Techies Go Green will use the facility as its base of operations, as well as for educational events for signatories.
“Techies Go Green partnering with the GEC provides access to more skills that will help businesses identify and achieve tangible results when it comes to being sustainable and reducing the impact of climate change.”
Recently nominated by Government as a Circular Economy Hub, the GEC currently houses 10 innovative organisations working in the sustainability space, who met with Minister Ryan at the event to discuss their work. The centre wants to further grow this sustainability cluster, which promotes and embraces green business practices, and attract more innovative start-ups. This includes companies which are developing green technologies and sustainability solutions that will make a positive impact on the planet. In launching this initiative, the GEC also hopes to support further jobs in this space over the coming years.
(Left to right) Eamonn Sayers, manager, Guinness Enterprise Centre; Eamon Ryan, TD, Minister for the Environment and Climate; Michael O’Hara, co-founder, Techies Go Green; and Dr. Mary O’Riordan, CEO, HaPPE Earth, at the launch of the partnership between the Guinness Enterprise Centre and Techies Go Green to build out the Centre’s sustainability cluster, Sustainability@GEC. The centre, whose rooftop is home to 18,000 bees, also announced a €500K investment in making the facility more sustainable.
Furthermore, the GEC is building on its own green strategy, investing €500,000 in making its premises more sustainable. The majority of the funding – made available through an Enterprise Ireland Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme (RETS) grant – has already gone towards numerous upgrades across the building including more heat-efficient windows, a new heat pump system and sensor-controlled LED light fittings.
The upgrades will also cover the installation of electric vehicle, e-bike and e-scooter chargers. The GEC plans to create a changing room facility to encourage workers to travel by foot or bike and is exploring a major solar panel installation on the roof – which is currently home to 18,000 bees in 15 beehives, encouraging biodiversity in the heart of Dublin city.
Michael O’Hara, Co-Founder of Techies Go Green and Managing Director of DataSolutions, said: “We are thrilled to partner with an organisation that is internationally recognised as one of the best new business incubators in the world, and one that has sustainability as one of its core objectives. We see the GEC as a key partner and sustainability evangelist. The actions it has taken to date, together with the actions it has planned over the next 24 months, will position the GEC as a sustainability leader and role model for the innovative start-up businesses based there.
“Techies Go Green partnering with the GEC provides access to more skills that will help businesses identify and achieve tangible results when it comes to being sustainable and reducing the impact of climate change. It’s a shared passion and one that requires people and businesses to collaborate and innovate.”
Eamonn Sayers, Manager, GEC, added: “Together, the GEC and Techies Go Green want to lead the sea change towards a more sustainable and greener future. We want to be at the forefront of the circular economy and create a space where like-minded companies can work and grow in tandem.
“That means broadening our own climate agenda and placing sustainability at the heart of everything we do. Education is the first step, followed by action. Through Techies Go Green, we will be able to bring the best in global sustainability thinking to our 160 client companies, and through the sustainability cluster, we will give companies more access to networks, knowledge, collaboration and empower change and innovation. In turn, this will help Ireland to meet its goals and create a better world.”
Eamon Ryan T.D., Minister for the Environment and Climate, commented: “What’s happening at the GEC right now is also a preview into the future of smart business and innovation in Ireland. There are two inter-related, clean industrial revolutions going on at the moment – one is happening in the response to our climate crisis and the shift to renewables in particular. The other is happening in technology and digitalisation.
“The GEC sustainability cluster encapsulates both, providing a hub for young, creative technological and green start-ups with a new base for Techies Go Green, while also embedding sustainability and the circular economy in everything that happens on site itself. It’s clever. It’s collaborative. It’s the way forward.”
About Guinness Enterprise Centre
The Guinness Enterprise Centre was established in 2000 and is managed by Furthr, the new name for Dublin BIC. The Centre empowers start-ups to grow and scale their enterprises in a world-class entrepreneurial environment. It is the #2 Private Business Incubator in the World according to UBI. At almost 95,000 sq. ft., the Centre provides a modern, spacious and flexible working environment supported by the best-in-class business support services. The founding partners of the GEC are Diageo, Dublin BIC (now Furthr), Dublin City Council, Dublin City Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland. For more information see www.gec.ie
About Techies Go Green
Techies Go Green is a not-for-profit sustainability movement that on a mission to lead its fast growing base of 300+ business signatories to implement changes to reduce their science based carbon footprints by 50% by 2030. It does this through a combination of raising awareness of the urgent need for action through marketing and PR, and by providing practical tools, solutions and advice through education.
Regular webinars, presentations and communications to signatories are at the heart of education initiatives, with a podcast series and an awards programme imminent. The focus is highlighting successful methodologies and best practices in sustainability. Techies Go Green also encourages and promotes businesses who offer solutions to help companies become more sustainable, while celebrating the positive actions of its community.
Signatories include technology companies and organisations who use technology every day, as well as businesses from other sectors who want to share the journey. Members span from the largest Fortune 500 companies to micro-enterprises, and include many who are starting their sustainability journey, as well as established sustainability leaders. Collectively, signatories employ more than 50,000 people and turnover more than €60bn. Signatory numbers are doubling each year, and by 2025, the plan is to have 2,500 signed up. More information at: https://www.techiesgogreen.com/
Joining Techies Go Green.
If you want to learn more about sustainability and what your company can do to become more sustainable, consider joining Techies Go Green. Techies Go Green is a movement dedicated to decarbonising IT and tech-oriented companies through collaborating and sharing knowledge. Membership is open to both companies and individuals within the UK and Ireland. We would love to have you join and to help you in your journey towards sustainability and decarbonisation.