The opening of a €25 million third-generation office facility near Cork city-centre gave a major boost to small and medium-sized enterprises involved in international trade services, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin said yesterday.
Officially opening Enterprise Ireland Webworks at Eglinton Street near Cork City Hall yesterday evening, Mr Martin paid tribute to Cork City Council and Howard Holdings, who developed the facility in a public/private partnership.
Enterprise Ireland had provided €3.8 million towards the capital costs of Webworks and the company was expected to contribute to the growth of self-sustaining clusters of software and services-based enterprises within the Cork area, Mr Martin said.
"The importance of high-quality serviced office space in the promotion of entrepreneurship, employment and economic growth is widely acknowledged internationally," he added.
The four-storey 5,000 sq metre building, which was designed by Scott Tallon Walker, is divided between common areas and 36 individual units ranging in size from 30 sq metres to 200 sq metres. Its total capacity is 450 people.