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DkIT and Creative Spark announce Strategic Partnership

31 August 2018

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) is delighted to announce the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Creative Spark, Dundalk’s Centre for Creativity and Innovation, with the aim of exploring opportunities for increased collaboration over the next five years.



The MOU outlines a three-year framework for strategic partnership by setting out areas that both organisations have agreed to explore, with a view to implementation. Areas of exploration include increased collaboration around the Creative Spark FABLAB project, shared training supports and facilities, potential combined-funding opportunities and the organisation of joint conferences in the region.

The MOU also outlines an interest in investigating the possibility of improving physical access from the DKIT campus to Creative Spark, via a cycle path or walkway.

Speaking at the signing of the MOU, DkIT President, Michael Mulvey Ph.D said:

We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Creative Spark via the introduction of this MOU. We believe that this framework for partnership will generate new growth opportunities for both organisations and will support the sustainability of the creative industries in the region and beyond.”

Also speaking at the signing, Sarah Daly, Executive Director of Creative Spark commented,

The development of this MOU builds on our joint focus of encouraging DkIT graduates from Creative Media, Engineering and IT schools to remain, work and establish enterprises in the region. Both organisations support the creation of new and evolved knowledge intensive enterprises and jobs, and working together brings added effectiveness to each.”

The partnership with Creative Spark is an important component within DkIT’s wider Corporate Partnership Programme with industry and the community, which is led by the Regional Development at DkIT and will roll out over the next five years.

Aidan Browne, Head of Innovation & Business Development at DKIT added:

Creative Spark is an important innovation hub for the creative industries in the region and an important collaboration partner for DkIT from a community, enterprise and innovation support standpoint. The focus we now put on this strategic partnership acknowledges the success of past collaborations and will ensure it has capacity to evolve and grow in a planned and sustainable manner.”

DkIT and Creative Spark have collaborated on a number of successful projects over recent years including participation on the Honeycomb - Creative Works in 2015, a cross-border £3.58m programme targeted at companies and professionals who are leading on digital content creation. More recently, both organisations were involved in the delivery of the Virtual Incubation Programme (VIP), a collaborative series of interactive workshops to assist the promotion of a market-led enterprise culture within small, medium and micro enterprises, leveraging creative talent for economic success. In 2017 Creative Spark also collaborated with DkIT to provide a unique programme in the region focussing on Design Thinking, Service Design, Product Design and Digital Fabrication.


About Creative Spark:

Creative Spark, Centre for Creativity and Innovation, welcomes and supports new and established businesses operating within the creative industries, innovation, technology, and sustainable energy sectors. Providing dedicated training and ‘learning lab’ facilities and affordable workspace, Creative Spark offers an environment where innovation and creativity can flourish.

 

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