gteic digital hub to be developed on Inis Meáin in County Galway

As part of the growth of the gteic network, the digital Gaeltacht network, the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta approved a capital investment of up to €62,000 recently to develop a digital hub on Inis Meáin, one of the Aran Islands in County Galway.

The Board approved investment up to €62,000 for the provision of a gteic hub in the new Community and Enterprise Centre that is being developed on the island at the moment. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ar the primary funding agency of the new Community and Enterprise Centre.

It is hoped to develop an attractive open space of over 20 square metres into a hub with 5 hotdesk/shared space desks at the outset. Users of gteic@Inis Meáin will be in a position to avail of other facilities provided in the building such as meeting rooms, canteen, reception desk and shared spaces.

gteic@Inis Meáin will be designed to serve the community and businesses and to provide remote working opportunities on the Island. The local community development organisation, Comhlacht Forbartha Inis Meáin Teo., will be responsible for the managements and running of the hub under an agreement with Údarás na Gaeltachta. gteic@Inis Meáin will be able to facilitate entrepreneurs in various sectors and will be available for training, research and development projects. Remote working is recognised as a sector in which there are significant opportunities for rural areas including Gaeltacht Islands.

gteic Gréasán Digiteach na Gaeltachta is a network of 31 innovation & digital hubs to be developed by Údarás na Gaeltachta in locations throughout Ireland’s Gaeltacht Area. The gteic digital hubs will provide a vibrant network of high speed broadband facilities in rural Gaeltacht areas to stimulate job creation, to assist remote working, to encourage and enable the return of Diaspóra na Gaeltachta, to facilitate concept development and new business and to develop a community of hubs where the unique Gaeltacht culture drives creativity and innovation.

There are 16 gteic hubs open throughout the Gaeltacht at the moment and four of those in County Galway – gteic@Na Forbacha, gteic@An Spidéal, gteic@An Cheathrú Rua and gteic@Carna. It is hoped that gteic@Tír an Fhia and gteic@Inis Mór will open in the weeks ahead.