Minister to launch new Cootehill digital hub

A Cootehill man hopes to give something back and encourage more investment in the community with the launch of a new digital hub in the town.

Ronan Kelly is the Global Director of Smart Factory for pharmaceutical and biotechnology giant Pfizer, and the new digital hub was developed with funding support from Connectedhubs, a key action of the Rural Development Policy to develop a national remote working strategy.

Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, will officially open the Cavan Street facility tomorrow (Monday), November 14.

Ronan’s family runs the Errigal Hotel, and he has been involved in tech-start-up in the past.

He lived in Dublin for the first year of his role with Pfizer, but moved back to Cavan, and believes there are many like him looking for opportunities to live and work closer to home.

He renovated the former hairdressers, a building owned by his family, and transformed it to incorporate five bespoke private workspaces, with hot-desking also available.

“It’s something that will benefit the community,” believes Ronan, who estimates as per the Connectedhubs funding agreement, the new hub will provide close to €15,000 worth of free deskspace opportunities.

“That will be available to the local community to get them interested in the idea of not just simply working remotely from your bedroom, but linking in with the innovative thinkers and decision makers who we hope will populate these spaces going forward.”