Bank of Ireland’s Workbench start-up space internationally recognised

28 Oct 2015

Pictured: Minister of State Simon Harris with Tracy Keogh from Deposify and David Tighe from Bank of Ireland

Bank of Ireland’s drop-in space for start-ups, Workbench, has been awarded second place in the Sustainable Business category at the Efma Accenture Distribution & Marketing Innovation Awards in Amsterdam.

Launched just nine months ago by Bank of Ireland, Workbench is a unique concept that connects entrepreneurs, branch, and community by offering free dedicated space for co-working, seminars, clinics and events to encourage innovation and new ideas.

Bank of Ireland also recently launched StartLab Galway, a workspace and event space also featuring support and mentorship, to provide tech start-ups with the right environment to grow and scale their companies.

“We are delighted that Workbench has been acknowledged in such a short period of time since its inception and we will continue to support start-ups and entrepreneurs across Ireland,” said David Tighe, head of innovation at Bank of Ireland.

The Efma Accenture Distribution & Marketing Innovation Awards are open to all banking and payment institutions globally.

Efma, a not-for-profit association formed in 1971 by bankers and insurers, specialises in retail financial marketing and distribution.

Today, more than 3,000 brands in 130 countries are Efma members, including more than 80pc of Europe’s largest retail financial institutions.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com