Becoming an inhouse member at the Tom Crean Business Centre means having access to modern and comfortable offices, alongside several benefits including staffed reception, meeting rooms, canteen with coffee dock, shower facilities, car parking, mailbox, discounted membership rates for the gym at Kerry Sports Academy, access to in-house expert led events and the opportunity to work from a hub of innovation surrounded by likeminded entrepreneurs. Additional services include photocopying, postage and catering.
Established in 1988, the Tom Crean Business Centre is the longest established Enterprise Centre in Kerry. Named to honour the spirit of exploration and determination of Kerry seaman and explorer Tom Crean, the centre plays a leading role within the county as a stimulus, enabler and coordinator of entrepreneurship, innovation, enterprise development and economic activity.
Meet the Team
Responsible for Kerry Innovation Centre, R&D, student recruitment, research, lifelong learning, diversity & inclusion, external engagement & fundraising. A member of the senior executive management team with responsibility for realising the University’s key strategic goals of Technological University status.
15+ years’ experience in non-profit, start-up and financial investment companies in Ireland, the US and the UK. Supporting the activities of the Development Office, responsible for development of enterprise support initiatives at MTU and Kerry Innovation Centre, funding acquisition, innovation management, lifelong learning, and promotion and delivery of services to industrial, commercial and organisations, leading to enterprise development and employment.
Siobhan is an experienced Head of Research at Munster Technological University (MTU) with a demonstrated track record of research and graduate research programme management in the higher education sector. She is skilled in research support, strategy and policy, graduate research studies, academic-industry collaborations, technology transfer, and intellectual property management. Siobhan’s academic background is in science and engineering. She graduated with her bachelors degree in Chemistry from UCC followed by a PhD in Chemical and Process Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK having been awarded an industrial scholarship by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. As Head of Research at Munster Technological University since 2012, Siobhan is responsible for supporting the development and growth of research activity across the Kerry campus including the development of research and innovation strategy and policy, management of postgraduate research degree programmes, technology transfer and intellectual property management.
16 years’ experience in the private sector, working in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Internationally, across International Education, Corporate Travel and Hospitality industries. Supporting the activities of the Development Office, responsible for recruitment, management and delivery of the Enterprise Ireland, New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme and a member of the Enterprise Team across the Kerry Campus.
Ben is a marketing professional with 7+ years of experience in the third level education and healthcare sectors, he also delivers marketing & communications consultancy services to several businesses across the south-west region. He specialises in digital but has a flair for traditional and creative engaging advertising campaigns. Ben holds an MSc in Digital Marketing Strategy and a BA (Hons) in TV, Radio and New Media Broadcasting. Ben also has extensive experience in enterprise support & development from start-up to scale up and is currently the programme manager for Goalmine - a second level outreach programme to support the development of entrepreneurship skills for young adults.
Board of Directors
Responsible for Kerry Innovation Centre, R&D, student recruitment, research, lifelong learning, diversity & inclusion, external engagement & fundraising. A member of the senior executive management team with responsibility for realising the University’s key strategic goals of Technological University status.
Co-founder of Flúirse Education Solutions, an award winning eLearning and training company based in Tralee, operating career focussed training centres across Ireland. Flúirse are also the leading providers of online training for primary school teachers in Ireland.
Munster Technological University is a multi-campus technological university, contributing to the region through the provision of academic programmes that support student development and opportunities, education and research.
MTU has an extensive and impressive regional footprint with six campuses across the South-West region in Cork and Kerry, and consists of:
18,000+
Learners
140+
Courses and Programmes
100+
Clubs and Societies
120+
Links with Leading Colleges Worldwide 6 Campuses Across the South-West Region
2,000+
Staff Developing & Supporting Learners
KTP
Uniquely, the Tom Crean Business Centre and MTU Kerry shares a campus with Kerry Technology Park. This proximity has further enabled the development of links with a range of cutting-edge start-ups, global companies, and internationally recognised research centres. Kerry Technology Park is located on a 113-acre parkland campus surrounded by breath-taking scenery, yet within walking distance of Tralee town centre and adjoining the north campus of the Munster Technological University.
The park is a combination of a high quality business estate with leading edge communications and a local research and education centre. It encompasses the Business Innovation Centre, 50 acres of enterprise space, a range of office suites and business units and a powerful enterprise culture.
Companies operating from Kerry Technology Park provide work placement opportunities for our students and work opportunities for our graduates.
Tom Crean Explorer:
Tom Crean was born in Gortacurraun, Annascaul Co. Kerry on the 20th of July 1877. In 1893 shortly before his 16th birthday he enlisted in the Royal Navy, leaving Minard aboard a cargo ship bound for England.
In 1901 while serving as an able seaman on board the HMS Ringarooma in New Zealand, Crean encountered Commander Robert Scott who had called on port to refit his ship Discovery while on route to the Antarctic. Crean volunteered to join the Discovery and was accepted for the expedition. It would be the first of three major expeditions to be undertaken by the young Kerryman.
Tom Crean retired from the Navy in 1920 and returned to Annascaul where he married and settled. He and his wife Ellen bought and rebuilt a public house by the river and named it “The South Pole Inn”. He spent the remainder of his days enjoying family life and eschewed the many attempts by visitors to engage him in tales of his exploits in the Antarctic.
Tom Crean died in 1938 from a ruptured appendix. His funeral was the largest ever witnessed in Annascaul. This seemingly indestructible man was finally laid to rest in the tiny cemetery in Ballynacourty, in a tomb he built himself, overlooking the hills of Kerry.
The determination, courage and perseverance of Tom Crean is an inspiration to all and we at the Tom Crean Business Centre are proud to have been granted the right to use his name as a badge of intent for the new ventures that will be undertaken within.
Centre Information
The Tom Crean Business Centre is a unique and highly flexible incubation space, combing business development processes, infrastructure and people, designed to nurture and grow new and small businesses by supporting them through initial stages of development and change.
As part of the Munster Technological University (MTU) members of the Tom Crean Business Centre have access to state-of-the-art research facilities based on the Kerry Campus. Members also have direct access to MTU students and alumni for project work and graduate positions.
Office Space includes 22 office units, varying in size from individual to open plan shared office space.
Shared office space is also available to book on a monthly basis. Shared office space offers early-stage start-ups the opportunity to reserve a workspace at the Tom Crean Business Centre in an office shared with other entrepreneurs. Our shared office space package includes Access to WiFi, Canteen with Coffee Dock, Mailbox, Car Parking and additional services such as photocopying, postage and catering.
The centre is funded by Enterprise Ireland and totals 1,100m2 with lettable space of 569.7m2 and other spaces including meeting, boardroom, storage, reception, common areas etc of 530.3m2.
Partners
