Guinness Enterprise Centre builds UK hub links for start-ups

The Guinness Enterprise Centre has launched partnerships with UK innovation hubs to support Irish start-ups entering the British market. It expects the network to reach 20 hubs by the end of 2027.

The Dublin-based organisation has already agreed partnerships with Sister in Manchester, Central Tech Liverpool and CodeBase in Scotland. The arrangements are reciprocal, allowing UK-based start-ups to use the Guinness Enterprise Centre as a landing point for entering Ireland.

The initiative targets companies that see Britain as a first export market but lack local contacts, workspace and market-entry support. Under the agreements, founders will be able to tap into regional networks, universities and office space as they look for customers, staff and investors.

For Irish start-ups, the UK remains a common first step in overseas expansion because of its proximity, shared language and familiar business environment. Yet the size of the market can also create practical obstacles for smaller companies with limited budgets.

About half of the revenue generated by the centre's resident companies comes from exports. Its 160 resident businesses reported combined turnover of €140 million in 2025, including €73 million from exports.

Over the past 25 years, the centre has supported more than 1,500 start-ups. The latest agreements signal a stronger focus on helping those businesses expand beyond Ireland through structured links with regional innovation clusters in Britain, rather than relying only on London.

Regional links

The Manchester and Liverpool relationships grew out of a visit to the Guinness Enterprise Centre in late 2025 by Andy Burnham, then Mayor of Greater Manchester and now Prime Minister, and Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. The UK network is being built around regional hubs as well as major cities.

That approach reflects a wider shift in how start-up support organisations view the British market. For many technology and innovation-led companies, sector expertise, university links and local investor networks are concentrated in city-regions outside the capital.

Niamh Collins, Centre Director at the Guinness Enterprise Centre, said: "When start-ups scale into new markets, they often don't know where to begin. They are tasked with finding new customers, team members and growth opportunities in places where they may know very few people. The UK is a natural next market for many Irish companies, but international expansion is a significant undertaking for a start-up. By partnering with established hubs on the ground, we can reduce some of those barriers and give founders a much stronger starting point.

"Our conference is about the practicalities of scaling a start-up. We want founders to hear from people who have scaled businesses themselves, understand what investors are looking for and learn about the supports and networks that can help them grow. The partnerships we are building across the UK are part of that same approach. We are creating connections that founders can actually use - and opening doors to some of the strongest regional innovation ecosystems in our nearest international market."

Kara Owen, British Ambassador to Ireland, welcomed the initiative. Her support points to official interest in closer commercial ties between the two markets through city and regional innovation systems, as well as national policy.

She said: "Brilliant businesses will always find their way to other markets - but a soft landing and practical support can make all the difference to their journey. At a time when both the UK and Irish governments are focused on driving growth, backing innovation and helping ambitious companies to scale, these new partnerships will help innovative businesses to reach new markets, attract investment and create high-quality jobs on both sides of the Irish Sea.

"This is a powerful example of how collaboration between cities and regions can unlock economic opportunity, strengthen competitiveness and deliver sustainable growth for our communities. I look forward to participating in the Startup to Scale Conference and helping founders to uncover the opportunities that await their business overseas."

Cross-border access

The reciprocal structure may also give British start-ups a route into Irish networks at a time when founders are looking for easier ways to test neighbouring markets without committing to a full local presence from the outset. For support organisations, such partnerships can broaden deal flow, investor access and research connections.

Liz Bamber, Director of Place at Sister, said: "This partnership is creating a direct bridge between two of Europe's most exciting tech ecosystems. It's more than desk sharing - it's about forging connections that help founders scale faster, access new markets and unlock new investment opportunities. Through Sister, Dublin-based businesses can access world-class talent and support through the University of Manchester's innovation arm - Unit M - as well as our wider network. We're excited to deepen our ties to Ireland and power international start-up growth."