John Hartnett, president and founder, ITLG, and chairman of TSSG's Industry and Commercial Board, left, and Barry Downes, executive director, Innovation & Commercialisation at TSSG
The Waterford Institute of Technology’s (WIT) Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG) is joining forces with the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) to establish an office that will provide a direct technology “gateway” between Ireland’s southeast region and Silicon Valley.
The office will be based at the Irish Innovation Center (IIC) in San Jose, California.
Opened last year, the IIC, an affiliate of the ITLG, is a flexible, business development centre in Silicon Valley that houses 30 Irish technology start-ups seeking to develop strategic US partnerships and markets.
“Establishing a TSSG presence in the heart of Silicon Valley will provide a two-way, free flow of people, knowledge, technology, projects, companies and investment between both regions, with aim of creating more high-tech jobs in the southeast of Ireland,” said Barry Downes, executive director, Innovation & Commercialisation at TSSG.
Based in WIT, the TSSG is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for telecoms and internet research and innovation. It is a resource for the domestic ICT industry, engaging with more than 90 Irish companies and improving global competitiveness through knowledge transfer, problem solving and technology development via R&D projects.
“This initiative recognises the difficulties facing companies trying to access the unique ecosystem of Silicon Valley without having an established network or local presence,” said Dr Willie Donnelly, VP research, WIT and director TSSG.
“TSSG’s unique platform for innovation in mobile and telecoms technology, together with the ITLG’s network of over 1,500 executives from companies such as HP, Cisco, Apple and Intel, provides Irish companies with an unprecedented opportunity to gain access and leverage leading-edge knowledge, know-how and people, which will help improve their competitiveness internationally” he added.
The ITLG, headquartered at Silicon Valley, is an executive network of Irish-linked technology leaders. The group is active in the global technology industry, and is committed to ensuring that Ireland remains a strategic area of investment and opportunity for US technology companies. It is a key player in providing connectivity between Irish companies and the US technology investment community.
John Hartnett, president and founder, ITLG, and chairman of TSSG’s Industry and Commercial Board, said Silicon Valley continues to demonstrate leadership as an ideal location for Irish start-ups looking to partner with some of the world’s leading technology companies based here.
“We are delighted to make this international connection with the TSSG. We know that ICT companies will have an unparallelled gateway to TSSG’s innovation and Silicon Valley executives. We are looking forward to deepening our relationship with both the TSSG and their Irish clients,” Hartnett said.
