Nexus is a purpose-built Innovation Centre at the heart of the University of Limerick. Nexus is a growing community of entrepreneurs which: leverages the University’s knowledge base; enables accelerated business development; and makes connections with potential investors, experienced entrepreneurs and the wider community.
Nexus enables the accelerated development of national and international start-ups with global reach and the commercialisation of academic research resulting in the creation of new businesses and jobs. Nexus is a hub of activity where entrepreneurs can develop, collaborate and grow. The Centre aims to increase entrepreneurship with an international trading focus.
At Nexus we challenge start-ups to move past conventional ideas around businesses development and encourage them to become highly connected agile, smart start-ups.
Address: Nexus Innovation Centre, Tierney Building, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Member Focused Services
Nexus continues to develop member-focused services that enable startups to accelerate their development in a highly connected and open environment. Leveraging knowledge, research and experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, technology and management.
We understand that things have to be done fast and in a cost effective fashion. We are particularly driven by the concept of lean startups/businesses that optimise scarce resources, develop organisational agility and the ability to pivot fast when required.
Our support programmes are organic and grown to suit the needs of our newest members. We believe that getting to know our members intimately helps us build useful and relevant methods to support accelerated growth, challenge ideas and encourage startups to make bold well-informed decisions.
The Nexus Community
Nexus is a community of startups all focused on creating and growing a business in the region. Engagement, support, peer learning and general give and take, all contribute to a rapidly growing supportive environment from which a startup can quickly become investor ready.
Challenges are frequent, tensions often high and hard truths are told. Those who shout loudest and longest get the most support and there’s a general expectation that as you grow you give back what you’ve received. Our most valuable resource is the members themselves who support each other through investment pitches, funding applications, sales leads, mentoring and offer a sounding board and a pick me up hand when most needed.
Setting up and growing a business is downright hard work but our members are encouraged to take some time out, when and where possible and participate in our summer tours, networking and social events, well-being initiatives, soccer leagues, yoga, table tennis challenges and coffee breaks in the canteen where the best ideas are developed.
Office Space
Nexus is a purpose built contemporary building, offering our start-up and spinout community a quality environment to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions with plenty of natural light, designed to take full advantage of the collaborative atmosphere.
It offers individual offices, shared desk space, collaborative work spaces, small intimate meeting rooms, an impressive boardroom, high specification bio-labs and a re-configurable lobby/exhibition space.
Businesses must be committed and contribute to the Nexus ethos of open innovation, connection and collaboration.
Startup Mania – Student Entrepreneurship Bootcamp – Enabling, Exploring and Creating Youth Entrepreneurs
The Start Up Mania Student Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is delivered collaboratively by the Kemmy Business School (KBS), Nexus Innovation Centre and UL Access Office to transition year students from DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools in the Limerick region.
This immersive bootcamp with a focus on entrepreneurial sustainability, provides pupils with the techniques and skills for problem solving and innovation and a mindset to work collaboratively, handle uncertainty, be resourceful, understand and respect different perspectives and pitch business ideas.
The students engage in teamwork on idea generation, design thinking, market validation, how to commercialise a new business, and sustainability. The bootcamp which is delivered in the Nexus Innovation Centre is highly engaging using workshops, role playing and guest speakers who are entrepreneurs, student entrepreneurs and career guidance advisors.
The participants are given the opportunity to network with entrepreneurs in the Nexus Innovation Centre, obtain mentoring from graduate entrepreneurs, representatives from government development agencies. The camp is an opportunity for second-level students to experience life on a higher-education campus and obtain advice on the many pathways to obtain a third level qualification.
Students in teams pitched their business idea to a panel of experts from local development agencies.
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