Ireland’s longest running student entrepreneurship accelerator programme, Student Inc., commenced this month at Munster Technological University’s start-up incubators, the Rubicon Centre in Cork and the Tom Crean Centre in Kerry.
This year, for the first time since the programme’s inception in 2011, Student Inc. participants at MTU will be supported through the O’Regan Scholarship programme, which is being funded by MTU alumnus and entrepreneur, Brendan O Regan.
Speaking at the launch of the scholarship programme on June 7th at the Rubicon Centre MTU, Mr. O’Regan said:
“I am delighted to support the next generation of MTU entrepreneurs at the start of their business creation journeys, and I look forward to seeing many of their ideas translating into new businesses, driving employment and regional development over the years to come. I built an international business based in Cork, but it wouldn't have been such a success without having MTU on our doorstep. We had twelve people in the management team at the time of selling Zenith to Cognizant, including those leading our operations in the US and Asia, and they were all ex-MTU graduates. It would be great to see this year’s Student Inc participants enjoying similar levels of success.”
The Student Inc. programme was first developed on MTU’s Cork campus (then CIT) eleven years ago, with the overarching goal of encouraging student entrepreneurs to assess the feasibility of their business ideas and start businesses in a safe and nurturing environment. Running annually from the beginning of June to the end of August, it is a full-time immersive programme that provides students with seed funding and access to a network of entrepreneurs, trainers, mentors and investors across the South-West region. In addition to receiving €4,000 in cash, student entrepreneurs gain access to expert mentoring and training and free office space in their respective university start-up incubators.
