Elephant In The Room Movement

We are delighted to welcome “Ellie” of the Elephant In The Room Movement to workLAB for the month of November. workLAB is one of 12 local Waterford businesses who are playing host to Ellie as she moves around Waterford to promote the Elephant In The Room Movement.

This initiative is a global movement, founded by Brent Pope, which focuses on bringing greater understanding and raising awareness about the importance of speaking out about mental health! #elephantintheroom

This initiative aims to create robust discussions about mental health, helping to break down barriers and reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues.   Mental health at work is a priority and with our participation in Elephant In The Room Movement, we hope that we can show greater awareness, understanding, compassion and empathy around issues we often feel difficult to discuss, with people empowered to improve their own wellbeing by talking about their mental health openly and honestly.

Special mention to Caoilfhionn Hanton, an amazing local artist, who painted Ellie with a Waterford inspired theme.

For more information about this awareness campaign, follow the link below:

Elephant In The Room Movement

Baker Finn Recruitment – New Waterford Office

We are delighted to welcome the team from Baker Finn Recruitment to workLAB.

Baker Finn was establishment in 2018 in Cork and in July 2024 due to years of dedicated effort, backed by an exceptional team and spear headed by Grace Mc Dwyer and Barry Delany, Baker Finn Recruitment‘s hard work has resulted in the opening of a 2nd office located in Waterford.

The new office is located here in workLAB and is headed up by Rachel Gahan Hoban & her team. The office location was strategically chosen to be placed in the  busy hub of workLAB Waterford, surrounded by many of their valued clients.

We are delighted to have Rachel and the team join the ever growing client base here at workLAB. We currently have over 30 companies based here with us.

Baker Finn Recruitment support the Life Sciences, Tech, and Engineering industries with Permanent placements and Contractors.

Contact :-  📲 021 603 1000 📨 Info@bakerfinn.com

Kinetic Labs Features in the Sunday Business Post

Great to see Kinetic Labs located here in workLAB featured in the Sunday Business Post article, Think Waterford First on 21st April 2024. 

Kinetic Labs is Ireland’s first private laboratory facility incubator space for the life sciences sector. Funded mostly by Enterprise Ireland, it offers a base and space for those in in of lab facilities.

Check out the full 7 page spread on Waterford on the link https://www.flipsnack.com/partnerships/waterford-cj0b3fm1ci/full-view.html

 

 

PKF Waterford Office Opens at workLAB

PKF are thrilled to have recently opened a new office in Waterford. Our team is excited to expand our presence in the South East and build new connections with local businesses and organizations. We look forward to working closely with the local community. Based in workLAB in the IDA Business Park, our Tax Director, WIT graduate and proud Waterford man, Eoin Kenny is leading the team here.


We are a full service accounting practice, with this being our first regional office outside of Dublin. PKF provides a full range of audit, accountancy, tax, payroll and advisory services – with almost sixty years in practice, our team and range of services have grown to meet our clients’ ever-changing needs. We have an appetite for progress, continual improvement, and innovation. We strive to exceed our clients’ expectations by being responsive, creative and by going the extra mile to deliver superior outcomes.

Due to our continued growth and expansion we have a number of open roles at the moment; trainee accountants, tax seniors and an opening for a tax manager so please check us out PKF and apply directly.

Thinking About Working Remotely From Hub? Check out workLAB!

This week, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, announced a raft of initiatives to support remote working. Among the key highlights were a voucher scheme to promote working from hubs as well as a €5 million investment under Connected Hubs to improve 81 remote working facilities nationwide.

With news of these updates, it’s set to be a busy summer of hot deskers using hubs across the country. And the workLAB will be no different – so many new people will be able to make use of the amazing facilities we have to offer. We’re excited to see many new faces come through the door so that they can get the most out of their experience here in Waterford.

So, what exactly can you expect when you book a hot desk in the workLAB?

At workLAB you can make use a Glass Pods all beautifully designed to look nice and be functional. Enjoy a coffee from Joes Cafe or take a call in our phone booth. Complete with all the modern facilities one needs to have an enjoyable, easy-flowing meeting, they are all equipped with screens so that people can join from anywhere in the country – or around the world.

We look forward to meeting you over July and August. Make your you have registered on Connected Hubs to get your 3 free passes.

 

New Manager appointed at Kinetic Labs

We are pleased to welcome Cormac Johnston to workLAB as General Manager of Kinetic Labs.

Cormac has over 20 years’ experience managing and developing start-up and mature businesses. Cormac has held senior operations, new product introduction and business development roles across various industry sectors, ranging from healthcare to luxury goods and biotechnology to manufacturing. He has implemented projects to meet customer needs both domestically and internationally across China, Europe and the USA.

With a hands-on management approach and passion for developing businesses, using operational excellence methodologies, Cormac strives to make processes simpler, more productive, and effective, enabling organisations and their people to grow and develop.

He has an MBA from Smurfit Business school, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and a BAgrSc in Agricultural Science.

With this wealth of knowledge, Cormac is an invaluable resource for start-ups joining Kinetic Labs as they navigate their way from idea generation to commercial viability.

We look forward to working with Cormac as Kinetic Labs moves in the next phase of development.

Kinetic Labs welcomes its first client – Trinity Green Energies

Trinity Green Energies (TGE) has joined Kinetic Labs in Waterford and will be bringing additional employment to the South East.

TGE is a SME spin out from Trinity College Dublin which specialises in the capture, storage and utilisation of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. TGE aims to be the leading inventor and integrator of sustainable and affordable technologies for the capture and utilisation of carbon dioxide using renewable energy. The TGE technology will over time help to bring the existing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere back to safe levels.

Patsy Carney, Director of Kinetic Labs commented:

“TGE joining Kinetic Labs is not only great for our science community, but also Waterford and the South East. I know that for start-ups finding affordable and flexible lab space can be a big challenge so Kinetic Labs is the ideal place for spin-outs such as TGE to develop their business. This is the next step in our vision to transform Kinetic Labs into a science innovation hub for the South East.”

The cause of global warming is the rise in concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere due to intensive human emissions. With ambitions to tackle climate change and an appreciation for carbon emissions mitigation, TGE will work to remove carbon from the atmosphere and reuse it through their unique system. In its aim to capture carbon and transform it into a harmless waste compound or reusable fuel TGE plan to, within 10 years, deploy 25,000 TGE System units in Ireland and capture 10M tonne per annum of CO2. In parallel, TGE will license its technology to partners to replicate this in other countries with a worldwide target of capturing 100 million tonne of CO2 per annum and growing this over the following decade to 1 billion tonne per annum.

Talking about the move to Kinetic Labs, Ray Naughton, TGE Director said:

“It has taken TGE 10 years from initial University research to commercialisation of our technology. The opening of Kinetic Labs in Waterford uniquely provides the ideal lab environment to allow our ground breaking carbon capture technology to be developed. The location also provides access to sophisticated prototyping and manufacturing capability which will enable us manufacture and produce systems which will help to address the global challenges of Climate Change and Global warming.”

This is positive news for the South East region and Waterford with initial recruitment starting for a Mechanical Engineer and Chemical Engineer. This is a major opportunity for Ireland to become a world leader in Carbon Capture and Reuse technologies. TGE and Kinetic Labs could lead the Climate Change Industry by helping to establish an advanced Centre for the capture and reuse of carbon across multiple industries.

 

About Kinetic Labs: Kinetic Labs is a new purpose-built science innovation centre for the South East. It was set-up to provide science-based companies in the South East with the lab facilities needed to develop their products and processes. Companies can access 400 m2 of high-quality lab space together with office space, meeting rooms and all the facilities required to grow their company.

Based in Waterford, Kinetic Labs is located in the heart of a thriving industrial and business park within walking distance of Waterford Institute of Technology, Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC), the local IDA, Enterprise Ireland and South East Business & Innovation Centre (SEBIC) offices. Kinetic Labs is in a unique position in Ireland and Europe surrounded by a cluster of operations with knowledge and experience in the Life Sciences.

Before Kinetic Labs, the South East had no wet lab incubation facilities for science-based companies to develop their products and processes. A combination of a REDF grant from Enterprise Ireland and add on funding from workLAB and Waterford City & County Council enabled the development of this much needed infrastructure in the region.

The design work on the new facility commenced in late 2019, with construction completed in December 2020.

Website: https://kineticlabs.ie/

 

About Trinity Green Energies: Trinity Green Energies Ltd (TGE) is a spin out company from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and is focused on providing innovative solutions to the challenge of Climate Change. These solutions are based on Carbon Capture technologies developed in TCD and University College Dublin during the past 5 years. The systems have been developed in the lab and it is time now to build the prototype and commercial process at scale and bring them to market. As part of this activity TGE is recruiting a Mechanical Engineer and a Chemical Engineer to join the team in Waterford.

Website: https://trinitygreenenergies.com/

 

Connected Hubs

We are delighted to be live on ConnectedHubs.ie

ConnectedHubs.ie is your one-stop-shop for hubs throughout Ireland. Launched in May 2021, it is designed to simplify and standardise the process of sourcing and booking spaces, desks, offices and events in hubs for a day, a week, a month, a year or longer.

ConnectedHubs.ie is operated by The National Hub Network, a Government of Ireland initiative that provides a vehicle for individual hubs to come together under a shared identity to maximise the economic opportunity of remote working. The National Hub Network has the support of Government, remote working advocacy groups and industry representatives. In this way, ConnectedHubs.ie also encompasses a range of key features that deliver significant benefits to member hubs, hub clients, employers, local communities and the wider economy.

For existing or potential hub clients, including employers, these benefits include:

  • An easy-to-use booking and payment system that is consistent across all hubs throughout the network
  • Development of a peer-to-peer hub community and the expansion of their professional network, creating new opportunities
  • Sharing of innovation, experience and best-practices within the community
  • Supporting collaborative projects in the Network to drive economies of scale
  • Supporting collective engagement between Connected Hubs and large scale employers

For member hubs and their communities, these benefits include:

  • A shared Connected Hubs brand identity for all member hubs
  • Centralised Connected Hubs media and promotional campaigns
  • Access to the ConnectedHubs.ie suite of booking, hub management and e-commerce applications
  • Developing a shared quality standard for hubs in the Network
  • Developing a ‘shared voice’ for Connected Hubs
  • Supporting collective engagement between Connected Hubs and Government agencies
  • Helping to identify the benefits Connected Hubs deliver for their local communities and the wider economy
  • Developing a dataset to inform future investment decisions in remote working facilities

ConnectedHubs.ie is managed by the Western Development Commission in conjunction with the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD). Members of the National Hub Network also contribute to the ongoing development and moderation of content for the site. Each Hub manages its own listings and space availability settings.

Book now or check us out

RESURGENCE 25x for Health Webinar

About this event

RESURGENCE 25X for Health webinar 19 May 2021

Resurgence 25X for Health webinar. Produced by ATPO in association with workLAB Waterford. Building on the extraordinary success of the Resurgence 25X series of events delivered so far with Waterford Chamber and the Theatre Royal Waterford we are convening a webinar dedicated to a vibrant recovery from COVID 19 for the Health Sector.

As is fully appreciated front-line combat by all in the Health sector with the virus has been exhaustive and for some demoralising. But this event is about looking a little ahead to see what possible positive change in the sector is achievable. And also looking back to see examples of resurgence from chaos and crisis. This event is intended as a platform for ideas that will help its recovery. The intention is to share, magnify, and multiply the ideas and opportunities for a resurgence for the Health sector that can be adopted now and show fruit in 2025.

Each of the guest speakers has been given the same ‘5 for 25X’ challenge. To speak about their perspective on resurgence for the Health sector based on their knowledge, experience, and ideas for our recovery from COVID 19 over the next few years (to 2025). To add to the challenge each speaker is asked to provide at least 5 examples of resurgence in their delivery.

The guest speakers are;

Dr. Sharon O Donnell (GP)
Dr. Frank Dolphin (President and Founder of Rigney Dolphin and Relate Care)
Mike Stevenson (Founder of Thinktastic, TedEx and Leadercast speaker)
Ella O Nuallain (Healthcare Consultant at Rebbeck Consulting)
Larry Breen (Chief Commercial Officer at NearForm)

Interactive engagement activities will take place throughout the session so that attendees can expand on and multiply the 25 examples of resurgence from the guest speakers. They will include individual, pair and multiple group activities.

This multiplier (X) event is intended to provide a platform for an exponential growth of ideas to support a vibrant recovery for the health sector from COVID 19.

Register for Resurgence 25X for Health here.

Employers are you struggling to Motivate your Employees?

Here at workLAB Waterford, we can make life easier for employers by providing a suitable work environment for employees who are not able to attend the official workplace. Being able to attend and offsite office does lead to a better performance from your workers.

A recent Health and Wellbeing Seminar by Laya Healthcare advised that employees are weary and tired of having to dig deep daily to complete work.

In the first wave of this research (carried out in July 2020), those forced to work remotely because of the pandemic were stressed but also appreciated the upside of working from home.

In the second wave, carried out early in 2021, more people said they were anxious, tired, and demotivated. In fact, an astonishing 63% of employees said that Covid-19 has affected their mental health, while 26% of people are struggling with substance abuse due to COVID19.

The Laya report showcases 12 key trends that capture employee sentiment, and the strain workers are under, the biggest challenges facing employers, and ways to find and build a better path forward.

The first of these challenges is “the makeshift workplace”.

43% of people who WFH are working from the kitchen table, sofa, or their bed. The Irish workforce has shown itself to be adaptable and responsible during the pandemic. Most employees say their role has changed in the past year, with 38% taking on more responsibility than before. Remote working environments can be challenging, with half of those working from home sharing their workspace and many not having a proper desk at which to work.

A second significant challenge is the “The Slump in Motivation”. 46% of people report a lower job satisfaction compared with pre Covid19 times.

Our private offices are ideal for a business professional requiring a calm, quiet space to work from.  Each office is furnished a professional desk and office chair. Our inclusive rents include parking, wifi, heating and cleaning.

Private office spaces for rent start at €395/month. Short-term (min 3 months) and long-term leases are available along with access to all workLAB facilities, including priority booking and discounted rates on meeting rooms and conference spaces.

Contact Alicia at workLAB for further information – 051 – 376180, alicia@workLAB.ie