UK-based consultancy firm Alien Technology Transfer today opened its new strategic operations centre in Dublin, which will result in the creation of 19 jobs over the next three years.
Alien Technology Transfer specialises in project financing, project management, development of concepts and business models for products. The company was introduced to Ireland through the IDA-backed initiative, ConnectIreland.
The firm works with SMEs to help them secure grant funding under Horizon 2020. The Irish operation will be in charge of project management activities and development of business plans for clients across Europe, in sectors including ICT, energy, health, manufacturing, transport and eco-innovation.
Horizon 2020 is an EU-wide Research and Innovation programme with nearly €80bn of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020). The programme, aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness, focuses on supporting new projects and getting them off the ground quickly.
Alien Technology Transfer guides the application process and provides support from proposal preparation and feasibility study performance to project management.
In Association with
Paul Pietrangelo, COO of Alien Technology Transfer’s Ireland operations, said: “We chose Dublin for our expansion as it is one of the best places in the world for start-ups to grow and do business.
“With the presence of both research-focused universities and big tech companies, Dublin is a becoming a centre of excellence for innovation. We hope to work with many local start-ups in achieving their financial and commercial goals.”
ATT was founded in October 2013 as a specialised consultancy in the SME Instrument, the dedicated grant scheme in Horizon 2020 for the benefit of European SMEs.
It currently employs 25 full-time professionals and the business is headquartered in London, with offices in Rome, Vilnius and now Dublin.
NetPay Expanding
Separately, NetPay Merchant Services Ireland announced expansion plans yesterday, for which it intends to recruit 20 further staff in 2016. As part of this expansion, NetPay also moved to a new home in Park West to accommodate its growing team.
NetPay provides card payment services to over 1,000 businesses across the country. Set up in March 2014, NetPay booked an opening year loss of €420,000 but the firm said that it has experienced strong growth since then.
Eamon Rennie, country manager, NetPay Merchant Services Ireland, said: “The card payment industry in Ireland has traditionally been dominated by high-street banks and larger independent payment service providers.
“NetPay is now offering merchants a competitive alternative, with reporting and transaction analytics that can enable them to improve on their consumer experience, get better insight in to their business performance as well as reducing their costs.”
Photo: L-R Jobs minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor; Joanna Murphy, ConnectIreland; Paul Pietrangelo, Alien Technology Transfer;and Emmanuele Angione, the connector who introduced Alien Technology Transfer to Ireland (Pic: Paul Sherwood)
