HUBS
Ludgate Hub co-working space.
any of us could have envisioned...150 jobs have been created but what is more important is that a rural town is
absolutely buzzing.”
remarkable than
“It is more
From its starting cohort of four businesses,
the Ludgate Hub now serves 50 members: a mix of start-ups; people running their own more established businesses; agile workers working for companies based in Cork, Dublin and London; and hot-deskers. “It is more remarkable than any of us could
have envisioned,” says Sean O’Driscoll. “We reckon about 150 jobs have been created, but what is more important is that a rural town, that suffered like every other rural town in Ireland, is absolutely buzzing. There are lots of young people, lots of non-nationals, and they are developing their own ecosystem, and even existing businesses that were there are beginning to thrive.”
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Branding the Ludgate Hub really focused on selling the location and the lifestyle attached to it. A look at their website shows visuals which appear to be more about the great outdoors than the desks for rent. For digital nomads who can work where they wish, the location, one of the most scenic parts of Ireland, is ‘living the dream’ territory. The facilities provided by the Ludgate Hub make that dream a working reality. One success story, which proves the
potential of the project is that of xSellco; Adrienne details how the Dublin-based e-commerce support company established a satellite office in the Hub in May 2017 with
four employees and a plan to double by May 2018 if the move was successful. By October 2017, they had doubled their numbers, moving to a 24/7 operation in November 2017. “Such has been the success of their move that xSellco has decided to expand their Ludgate-based workforce to more than 20,” she reveals. “So for any company considering a move to Ludgate, xSellco has proved that with the 1GB connectivity and a supportive working environment, location is irrelevant.” Former CEO of The Ludgate Hub,
Gráinne Dwyer was inspired to found her own start-up, Stori Creative, with her two co-founders returning to the area from jobs in Canada and New York. The attraction to the opportunity and lifestyle on offer is clear when–as we speak on one of the hottest days of the year–she tells me Hub workers have banded together to charter a yacht for the evening, and are about to head out sailing.
MAIN STREET REVIVAL Another key element of the story was to position the Hub not on a greenfield site on the outskirts of the town, but right in the centre, where it would feed into the growth of other businesses, such as restaurants, cafés and other amenities, bringing the whole town to life. Research carried out in 2016 estimated the economic impact on the town of Skibbereen
24 INNOVATION IRELAN REVIEW
Gráinne Dwyer, Director, Stori Creative and former CEO of Ludgate Hub.
at €11.3 million. An existing hotel has expanded, a new one has opened, along with a restaurant, cookery school and coffee shop, among other ventures. Other local businesses have benefitted from the high speed internet digitally transforming the way they do business as well. The confidence and vitality which The Hub has brought to the town is clear to see.
ludgate.ie
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