CREW LABS

Are you a Creative Digital entrepreneur or a Creative Technology start-up business? CREW, Creative Enterprise West, a new collaborative initiative, which supports the Creative Digital enterprise sector in the West of Ireland have announced CREW LABS - an Incubator programme for early-stage start-ups in Creative Digital Industries in partnership with GMIT.

The CREW LAB incubation programme is especially designed to support early-stage Creative Digital entrepreneurs across the creative industries to include those in the TV, Film, Virtual production, Games, Animation, Content Development, Digital Arts, Immersive Technologies, Digital Design and Creative Technology. The Incubation programme will form a critical part of the support ecosystem required by screen industries in the region to further develop the west of Ireland as a hub for creative technology & content creation.

A highly dynamic and industry led programme, the CREW LAB Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development will be delivered remotely through the GTeic and Connected Hubs network to participants located across Ireland with a focus on those entrepreneurs based in the Western Region and along the Atlantic Economic Corridor.

Commencing in January 2022, the course will be delivered over a 4-month period. It is both knowledge and industry led with unique features including bespoke sectoral mentors, hub accommodation and blended learning which will deliver strategic pathways to assist creative ventures, with growth, sustainability and provide creative visionaries with the guidance required to scale. It will include some online class sessions each week along with exclusive industry and networking activities and one to one mentoring.

“This new innovative, incubation programme for creative digital entrepreneurs is a unique mix of blended learning,  industry mentoring, peer-to-peer networking and hub accommodation”, says Dr Paddy Tobin CREW Board Member and Head of School, Design & Creative Arts at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, “This is an exciting time for the creative industries and here at GMIT Cluain Mhuire Campus we’re working in partnership with CREW to develop what will be a centre of excellence incubation hub for creative industries in the west and this programme is another excellent step in achieving our goals for this growing sector”.

Guaranteed to accelerate the start-up process, participation in the CREW LAB Incubation programme will provide strategic assistance in identifying market opportunities for new ventures, developing, and pitching a business model and broadening a community and network in the creative digital industries sector across all disciplines.

Also speaking at the announcement was TG4 Director General, Alan Esslemont, “TG4 are pleased to partner with CREW on the Creative Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development programme which will offer mentorship and support to early-stage companies in the Creative sector. TG4 encourages new talent and creative companies working through the Irish language to get involved, to grow and develop their business and to avail of the Commissioning and Co-Production opportunities with TG4. Growing the creative economy in Ireland’s regions is a key part of TG4’s industry strategy and I congratulate CREW on this exciting new initiative.”

Key partners in the programme are Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), the Western Development Commission (WDC) and Galway Film Centre (GFC) along with TG4, Gréasán na Meán Media Skillnet, Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Office Galway, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Bank of Ireland. Each partner will play a strong and active participatory role in the programme.

Commenting on the new CREW LAB Incubation Programme, Mark Christal, Manager, Regions and Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Ireland, says “Enterprise Ireland is delighted to see this collaboration between CREW and GMIT and the launch of the new pilot certificate programme. The programme draws on the unique creative traditions of the region and will provide early-stage companies in the creative digital and technology sector with the skills and insights necessary to develop their ideas and their business acumen as outlined in the Western Region Enterprise Plan.”

Western Development Commission’s, Gillian Buckley, said “The Western Region has a long tradition in creativity and this programme to support to support creative entrepreneurs in the region will build on this tradition and accelerate the success of this sector.”

CREW will support the development of creative digital enterprises, providing highly skilled jobs, distributed across the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) and Údarás GTEIC hub network, contributing to economic growth in the region. It is a collaboration between GMIT, Western Development Commission (WDC), Galway Film Centre (GFC) with funding from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund administered by Enterprise Ireland.

Registration for the Certificate in Creative Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development is now open, For further information and to register interest go to, www.crewdigital.ie and follow social media channels @CREWDigital1 for all the latest updates on CREW Initiatives.