Platform94 expects to bring a gross added value of more than €66.8 million to the regional economy this year, thanks to its expanded headquarters.
The Galway technology innovation centre Platform94 has expanded its headquarters substantially, to support the tech cluster and knowledge economy in the west of Ireland.
Platform94 – formerly known as Galway Technology Centre – said the €5.2m extension has increased the size of its Galway City headquarters to 66,000 sq ft across four floors and will help further its goals of helping technology businesses in the west of Ireland reach their global growth ambitions.
The new extension brings various support facilities that have been created to enable the Platform94 member companies to scale and grow. A state-of-the-art video conferencing boardroom, 15 private office spaces, a media production suite and a wellness centre.
Building work on the expansion began in October 2022 and was completed at the end of 2023. Platform94 said the expanded headquarters is already at 85pc occupancy, with more than 600 people employed on site and an additional 100 positions currently open. It expects to reach 95pc capacity in the next three years, creating 748 direct roles and 479 indirect positions.
Platform94 expects to bring a gross added value (GVA) of more than €66.8 million to the regional economy in 2024 and expects this GVA to rise to €83.2m annually within the next three years.
The extension was officially opened today (23 February) by Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Dara Calleary, TD, who said the state-of-the-art facility will play a “central role in enabling the growth of scaling enterprises”.
The extension was supported by more than €4.4m in funding from the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, managed by Enterprise Ireland.
“This is a momentous day for us all at Platform94,” said Platform94 interim CEO Noreen Conway. “We provide leadership and knowledge transfer to scaling companies, enabling them to elevate their business to the next level.
“This development highlights the flourishing of scaling enterprises in the west of Ireland and the increased demand for space to facilitate their growth in the region and internationally.”
Platform94 was originally set up in 1994 to facilitate emerging ICT businesses in the west as they grew their operations. Last year, the centre launched an International Scale-up Programme to increase the number of successful Irish-founded companies overseas.
Find out how emerging tech trends are transforming tomorrow with our new podcast, Future Human: The Series. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
