IT@cork is an ambitious organisation. With chair Denis J Collins, who is also a global executive in IBM’s Global Technology Services, it has set out to further develop Cork as a centre for the ICT industry. With the likes of IBM, Apple, Cisco, Dell, EMC, McAfee, TrendMicro and VMware having a major footprint in the area, and members, there is already a solid base from which to build.
The organisation describes itself as an independent not-for-profit business organisation, representing the interests of the IT industry in Ireland, through a "unique blend of indigenous and international IT professionals, executives, multinationals, government leaders, public sector, academia, entrepreneurs, investors and the legal and financial professional services community joining together to drive thought leadership, collaboration and global strategic alliances".
The organisation has more than 300 members ranging from the multinationals and large indigenous companies such as PFH, to analyst Gartner and various other ICT and peripheral companies of all sizes.
Despite the diversity of membership, under Collins, there is a singular focus to develop the ICT industry on a national level to "help eliminate the budget gap" nationally. Behind this lofty goal are a number of specific initiatives.
Chief among the initiatives is formal EU recognition for Cork as a Tech Cluster as part of Framework 7. The Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is an ongoing EU Commission research and innovation initiative that will run until 2013, with a total budget of more than €50 billion.
This would add considerable weight to Collins’ arguments for how the ICT sector can become the engine for recovery for the economy as whole. It has often been pointed out that every job in the tech sector can create anything from three to five jobs in the wider economy and this, Collins maintains, can drive growth and recovery as partnerships between ICT companies and Government facilitate such development.
Collins is adamant that the efforts of the Cork Tech Cluster can be applied nationally for the ICT industry, insistent that "geography doesn’t matter" and that these efforts "should be joined up and collaborative". However, there are stumbling blocks to the plan. Broadband access is one of them.
"We need to insure a consolidated, focused model that deploys a premier platform," says Collins, one that effectively tackles the ‘last mile’ issue. The Government plan and commercial partners need to be accountable and timely, he argues.
Despite the problems that may be faced, Collins is enthused and convinced the approach will work due to the "collaborative leadership", "action oriented" focus and overall vision. "There’s something special happening under this model."
Also on the agenda for Collins is a programme for ICT companies to adopt schools to increase knowledge and awareness of ICT as a career and to help students gain skills and experience at the earliest possible stages. Rather than talk of a skills gap, Collins talks about developing a "skills pipeline".
With partnership programmes already in between Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), University College Cork (UCC) and the likes of IBM, Cisco and EMC, there are already specific examples of the tech sector and academia cooperating to ensure that those emerging from university have the requisite skills to immediately join and contribute to the industry.
IT@Cork has already had success in attracting interest for the ICT sector in Cork through the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) Silicon Valley, which will hold its annual summit in Cork in January as part of The Gathering. Business leaders from Europe, China, Russia, India and across the Americas will speak at and attend the event.
The group recently held its Leaders Awards, now in its sixth year, which was attended by Ministers Coveney and Sherlock, TDs, the Lord Mayor of Cork John Buttimer, and several city councillors.
This year’s winners included YouGetitBack (High Growth), PFH (Sustained Excellence), Crest Solutions (Research & Innovation) and Alanya Animal Health Monitoring (High Potential Start Up). HIQA, the Health and Information Quality Authority, received an award for the leading IT Department, while Scoil Mhuire na nGrást (Belgooly) was awarded the Excellence in Education Award. Scoil Mhuire is part of the schools adoption programme that now features around 40 schools and is being examined by Government as a basis for a national programme.
IT@Cork has been cited in a number of Government reports on various issues regarding the ICT sector and hopes to use its position to help inform policy that will support development.
Another key initiative is the "Innovation that Matters" competition for smaller enterprise that will see a winner go to China as part of an official trade mission.
With a wide breadth of partnerships and initiatives and strong support from industry, IT@Cork will certainly be an organisation to watch closely in 2013.
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