Minister Donohoe Opens Dublin Campus of Europe’s Largest Digital Innovation Hub Operator Talent Garden

15th October, 2018

Intel announces Ireland’s first ‘Artificial Intelligence for Computer Vision’ incubator programme at the facility

Talent Garden Dublin, the latest facility in Europe’s largest network of digital innovation hubs was opened today in DCU Alpha, DCU’s Innovation Campus, by Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD. It is the first Innovation & Coworking Hub/University strategic partnership of its kind in the world and is designed specifically to service the needs of global tech leaders based in Ireland.

 

Uniquely, Talent Garden Dublin provides Irish members with access and opportunity to collaborate across a growing global network of 3,500 tech professionals, allowing them to scale up and internationalise rapidly. Talent Garden’s 23 campuses in 8 countries across Europe, as well as its planned new facility in San Francisco enable members to quickly maximise EU/US connections. Across Europe, the group hosts freelancers, start-ups and innovation labs of large corporates such as BMW Group, Google, Cisco, Vodafone and Electrolux who want to leverage the vibrancy of a coworking and digital innovation ecosystem. 

 

Today, Intel announced that as part of their ongoing collaboration with DCU they will have a presence at Talent Garden. The company is looking to identify and enable an indigenous cohort of AI/Computer Vision innovators through the provision of its technology, as well as providing a structured programme of technical guidance and support under one roof.

 

Speaking at the launch Paschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform said “When the Government launched the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, we were especially hoping to see MNC’s engage with start-ups and academic institutes in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision amongst others. With the launch of Talent Garden Dublin, we now have an innovation platform through which this can be accelerated – as evidenced by today’s announcement of the Intel programme, supported by Talent Garden and DCU. Ireland’s new economy needs facilities like this to continue to survive and thrive in a digitised world. We are therefore delighted to see Talent Garden Dublin open its doors on the old Enterprise Ireland HQ site, itself dating back to the formation of modern Irish industrial policy; a fitting location for this innovative, forward thinking and strategic initiative.”

 

Having built a strong reputation realising the potential of peripheral cities across Europe, Dublin marks Talent Garden’s first capital city campus and was chosen for its next wave of international expansion. Speaking at the opening today, Talent Garden Founder and CEO Davide Dattoli said “As Ireland is the largest English-speaking country in the eurozone, and is already the leading HQ for many of the global tech companies we work with, it has great appeal. We are inspired by the nurturing and cultivating entrepreneurial environment. It is, we believe, one of the best countries in the world to do business in and has become our most important office in Europe from which to springboard our members globally, particularly in the context of Brexit.” With a capacity for over 350 people, Talent Garden Dublin is co-founded by Luca Ascani, Salvatore Esposito and Niall O’Connor, all successful tech entrepreneurs already based in Ireland.

 

According to Mr. Dattoli, there is a war for digital talent in Ireland as the structure of work changes and new models emerge. “I am hearing again and again from managers that the lack of a strong pipeline for digital talent is concerning especially for data analysts, Ecommerce and digital professionals and today I am proud to announce details of our Talent Garden Innovation School”. The school focuses on training in areas such as AI, Growth Hacking, AR/VR, Coding, Blockchain as well as leadership, design etc. Its highly regarded digital skills bootcamp model has a proven track record in upskilling entrepreneurs and assisting corporates on their digital transformation journeys across Europe. The Dublin school will open on 30th October with a lecture from new faculty member, international business mogul Phuong Uyen Tran, Deputy CEO of Tan Hiep Phat (THP) Group.

 

Details of Ireland’s first VC in Residence Programme which will launch in Talent Garden Dublin later in the year were also announced today. “Although coworking facilities will account for 30% of total corporate work space by 2030, our focus is on building a community of shared values and a dynamic ecosystem of digital innovation where members meet, work, learn and collaborate together”. said Mr. Dattoli. This is cultivated, in part, through events such as workshops, fireside chats with global tech leaders, expert advisory sessions, fund-raising talks and panel debates.

 

Speaking at the launch, DCU President, Professor Brian MacCraith, said “the launch of Talent Garden Dublin on our Innovation Campus, DCU Alpha, marks another major milestone in DCU’s commitment to advance Ireland’s innovation ecosystem. Operating at the forefront of digital innovation will be central to Ireland’s future prosperity. In that context, we are delighted to have attracted the provider of Europe’s largest network of digital innovation hubs to DCU Alpha. More significantly, our exciting Digital Innovation & Skills partnership with Talent Garden will enhance the ability of both organisations to play a central role in the technological transformation taking place in Ireland and across Europe. The announcement today from Intel is hugely significant and we hope that