International activities dovetail with seventh Meath Enterprise Week events
Meath Enterprise will play a key role in Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 (#GEW2020) as it hosts its annual Meath Enterprise Week (#MEW2020) for the seventh time from 16th to 20th November.
GEW 2020 is expected to involve around 10 million people in 170 countries around the world. The week is organised by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), an independent platform for entrepreneurship aimed at unlocking the untapped potential of start-ups as the job creators of the future.
As GEW 2020 host for Ireland, Meath Enterprise is co-ordinating a number of virtual events nationally this year in addition to organising its own local Meath Enterprise Week of online webinars and talks aimed at supporting and promoting entrepreneurship.
Meath Enterprise CEO and managing director of GEN Ireland Gary O’Meara has been working closely with both local and global partners and start-up ecosystem leaders to promote, support and celebrate entrepreneurship in Ireland.
He said much of what had been learned from previous Global Entrepreneurship Week get-togethers was still highly relevant today and have even become an integral part of how we live and work in a world now shaped by Covid-19.
“The devastating effects of Covid-19 across the globe have been difficult to fathom but the scale and pace of change in the way we work, learn, connect and adapt has also been phenomenal,” Mr O’Meara said.
“This year, we will explore and hear about some of the stories from inspiring people and entrepreneurs and how they have struggled, survived and, in some cases, thrived in 2020.”
The Minister of State for Business, Employment & Retail, Damien English, TD, in launching GEW 2020, said the aim of the Global Entrepreneurship Network is “to fuel healthier start-ups that can scale and create more jobs by fostering deeper cross-border collaboration and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organisations.”
As part of GEW 2020, a series of virtual events across the country have been organised this week, including a number of webinars with Chambers Ireland on issues ranging from workplace wellness to reopening businesses post-lockdown, Portershed in Galway on the Central Bank’s Innovation Hub, and a Meath Enterprise brainstorm event with small business entrepreneur Conor Lynch of Self Makers.
The GEN initiative directly links start-ups in Ireland with start-up cultures worldwide. Through its knowledge platform, research, policy and networking with governments around the globe, it plays a leadership role in advancing this country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by drawing all the elements together and sharing expertise, knowledge and resources as a means of forging a stronger start-up environment.